Having been a former member of Weekly Shonen Jump’s Big Three, Naruto left behind a long-standing legacy that inspired generations after generations of anime enthusiasts. It’s only apt, then, that the series is celebrating its 20th anniversary by revisiting some of its most iconic moments in a special reel.
Titled Road of Naruto, it showcases classic scenes from both Naruto and its sequel, Naruto Shippuden, but with a shiny sheen. The sense of nostalgia kicks in right from the get-go, where fans are immediately taken back to time with the first major battle between protagonist Naruto and deuteragonist Sasuke. Freshly reanimated battle sequences and emotionally-charged character moments fill up the rest of the slate, and fans will surely recognise most, if not all, of them.
While much of the footage focuses its attention on Naruto and Sasuke, plenty of other major characters also got screen time, such as Kakashi, Sakura, Gaara, Orochimaru, and even Itachi, whose forehead poke to Sasuke remains a tragically beautiful memory to honour.
This pleasant surprise is pieced by Studio Pierrot, the original animators behind the entire anime series, and comes as part of commemoration efforts. In addition to the video, a brand-new website displaying plenty of new key art was also unveiled, promising more updates on the series in light of its new milestone.
The Naruto anime debuted back in 2002, and adapted Masashi Kishimoto’s manga of the same name, which Shueisha serialised in its Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1999 to 2014. It chronicles the journey of Naruto Uzumaki, whose dream is to become the strongest ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village and earn the title of Hokage, the highest honour one can obtain.
Kishimoto created a follow-up to the Naruto manga called Boruto: Naruto Next Generations with co-writer Ukyo Kodachi, which follows the adventures of Naruto’s son. It received an anime adaption from Studio Pierrot in 2017 and is currently ongoing.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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