What Helps Naruto Manga And Anime Remain Popular For Decades

Naruto manga  / image from Depositphotos.com

There are so many fantastic manga and anime series today; heaps of new titles appear yearly, if not seasonally. But as time goes on, some of them become forgotten. This, however, is not the case for Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto started working on Naruto manga in 1995; the series premiered on Shonen Jump in 1999 and ended in 2014. Almost a decade later, people still love, re-read, and re-watch this iconic title, purchase merchandise, and look for HD Naruto pictures online. 

So, what exactly makes Naruto so popular? Read further to find out!

Why do people love Naruto anime and manga?

Naruto merchandise 

Naruto tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young orphaned ninja who is widely disliked by people in his village. Naruto faces prejudice and loneliness, but doesn’t let himself get discouraged by it. Instead, he sets an ambitious goal of becoming a Hokage—the strongest ninja in his village who leads and protects everyone. That’s how the story starts.

Here’s what makes it so special:

1. Naruto is easy to like and relate with

Naruto has many qualities of the ideal main character: 

• He is strongly determined; 
• He doesn’t let other people’s opinions or failures let him down (at least for too long);
• He never gives up on his friends and deeply cares about people;
• He is funny and down-to-earth. 

What’s more, his personality doesn’t change much as the story develops. Sure, he becomes more mature and serious, but at the end of the series, he’s still that same old Naruto.

His goal is also focused on helping people and is quite realistic, although ambitious. This sets Naruto apart from many other main anime characters.

2. Naruto’s characters are very diverse and well-written

Even if Naruto is not the type of character you like, there are still so many others to follow. All Naruto characters are diverse, and each one has their own story, a dark past, and challenges to overcome as the plot progresses. 

This includes both protagonists and villains. Even villains that appear in anime and manga for a few episodes have certain backgrounds that are unveiled as the story progresses. They are rarely purely evil; often, something from their past forced them to make certain decisions and eventually become villains. The world of Naruto isn’t black and white, and that’s another reason to enjoy this title. 

3. Naruto world’s story is also great

Naruto’s world is complex and well-developed. We can discover various nations and organizations and see how they interact with each other. Similarly to the real world, some of these nations are very powerful, while some are exploited by those who wield more strength. 

Almost every character has their own unique style of fighting. There are so many techniques (jutsus) with different effects, making battles look even more epic and interesting. It’s also captivating to see how characters adjust their battling strategies depending on their match and the primary opponent. 

On top of that, although Naruto’s world is fictional, it is still heavily influenced by Japanese culture. There are fantastic beasts that come from the Japanese language, characters’ names and fighting techniques that come from folklore, and other aspects that fans of the culture would enjoy.

FAQ: What is the main story of Naruto?

The main story of Naruto follows Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who faces various challenges, makes friends, and strives to earn his peers’ respect and achieve his dream of becoming a Hokage of his village. 

FAQ: What is the backstory of Naruto?

Naruto is the host of the Nine-Tailed Fox, a powerful tailed beast that attacked the village years ago. Naruto’s father was a Hokage back then. He and Naruto’s mother sacrificed their lives to help the village defeat the beast and seal his soul inside Naruto.

How the Naruto movie and anime differs from Naruto manga

Naruto characters 

Most anime and movie adaptations of popular manga have some differences when compared to the original, and Naruto is no exception. Here are the main differences between Naruto anime and manga:

Fillers

The anime has fillers—episodes that weren’t part of the original plot. Manga usually progresses slower than anime, so filler episodes keep viewers engaged until the studio has enough new manga content to continue filming. Naruto has 91 filler episodes out of 220, while Naruto Shippuden has 203 filler episodes out of 500. Naruto movies are also pure fillers. 

Censorship

Anime is more kid-friendly than manga; therefore, it has undergone some censorship, especially in battle scenes. While you can see bruises, scarring, injuries, and blood in the anime, too, it’s still moderate compared to Naruto manga. 

Fights and flashbacks

As Naruto anime is longer than manga, things like fights and flashbacks are also more detailed. These scenes are present in the manga, too, but generally are more condensed. For instance, if a battle lasts for three chapters in the manga, it could last for ten episodes in the anime.

FAQ: What was Naruto’s original story?

Originally, in the manga, Naruto was a child with the ability to transform into a nine-tailed fox. This idea received a lot of positive feedback, but Naruto’s creator, Masashi Kishimoto, wasn’t satisfied with it and eventually decided to make Naruto a ninja story. 

FAQ: Is Naruto based on a true story?

No, Naruto is not based on a true story. It is a work of fiction created by Masashi Kishimoto. The story is set in a fictional ninja world with its own lore, characters, and adventures. However, Masashi Kishimoto confesses that Naruto was based on his self-image of his own childhood. 

To sum up

If you like manga and anime that have a deep story, diverse characters, an interesting plot, and last long enough to keep you entertained for several weeks or months, then Naruto can be a great option. Although Naruto manga finished almost a decade ago, it is still relevant and captivating. And if you want more after finishing this story, you can switch to Boruto manga—a sequel that is still running.