The Naruto anime will return this year with four new episodes, marking the 20th anniversary of the beloved franchise. Originally airing in October 2002, the original Naruto anime ran for five years before transitioning to Naruto Shippuden. After a decade-long run, the series concluded in 2017. It was announced in March that four special episodes would be released to celebrate the anime's anniversary, although the content of these episodes remains unknown. The release date, September 3, was announced on the official Naruto and Boruto Twitter accounts.
Naruto's Anniversary Specials Arrive Soon in Japan
The Japanese premiere serves as the initial release date, while the details regarding an English release for these specialized episodes are yet to be disclosed. Moreover, it remains uncertain whether all four episodes will debut on that day or if the first episode will premiere on that date, followed by subsequent episodes airing weekly. The announcement on Twitter appears to confirm that these episodes will consist of original content instead of remakes of significant episodes, as some enthusiasts had speculated. Additionally, it is probable that these episodes will be set in the pre-time skip era rather than the Shippuden era.
Naruto fans have had a great year, and they have even more to look forward to. On July 18, 2023, Kishimoto's one-shot manga about Naruto's father Minato, which was chosen by fans, will debut. Additionally, there was an announcement earlier this year that the Boruto anime will have its own sequel series, similar to Shippuden. This new series will continue where the first series left off in March. And let's not forget about the four new anime episodes coming soon. With all this exciting content, it's no wonder fans of this popular ninja franchise are thrilled.
As the original series of Naruto was a popular anime in the 2000s and continued to air on Cartoon Network for several years, the return of a young Naruto to TV screens is expected to evoke a wave of nostalgia for many. Hopefully, fans will have the opportunity to catch a preview of these new Naruto specials as the airdate approaches.