Seventeen years after the end of the original anime
series “ Naruto ,”
and following its sequel “ Naruto Shippuden ” and spin-off
series “ Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ,” the series is set
to return sometime in the next fiscal year. The information was revealed in a
report from a question-and-answer session on TV Tokyo's financial results
with Ichiro Ishikawa , president and representative director
of TV Tokyo Holdings.
In early July 2023, the official
“Naruto” Twitter account announced that four new episodes of the original anime
series would begin airing that same year, on September 3. These
episodes were intended to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series, as
“Naruto” first debuted on screens in October 2002. However, on August
29, 2023, the indefinite delay of the four episodes was announced due to
quality problems in production. Until now there has been no further
news about the status of the new episodes, so the appearance of the new report
is very welcome news for fans of the franchise who had been waiting with no end
in sight to the seemingly indefinite hiatus.
In the TV Tokyo report, Ishikawa noted about the
franchise: " The new Boruto series is currently on hiatus, but
a new Naruto television anime is scheduled to air this fiscal year to
commemorate its 20th anniversary." In terms of
distribution, we are expanding throughout the world, and we are also working in
Latin America and the Middle East, leaving Eastern Europe. We are in the final
phase of talks to find a good partner to take care of the related businesses . If
aired according to this schedule, new Naruto episodes could premiere any time
between now and the end of the current fiscal year (March 31, 2025).
The four special anniversary episodes of “Naruto”
were initially announced on the official website, along with a first video:
“ The members of Team 7 before Shippuden – Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura
and Kakashi – appear in the visual teaser. What kind of story will be told in
this all-new NARUTO animation? Pay attention ". Since the
“Boruto” anime has not aired since March 2023, viewers have not had new content
for some time. The second part of the Boruto manga, titled “Boruto: Two Blue
Vortex,” is also ongoing, with very positive reception and strong sales in
Japan.
The “Naruto” franchise began as a manga
written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto and published in Weekly Shonen
Jump beginning in 1999. Since then, it has spawned
the first “Naruto” anime series (2002-2007), a second anime series titled
“Naruto Shippuden” (2007-2017), eleven film films (the most recent of which was
released in 2015), and numerous video games, along with its aforementioned
manga and anime iterations of “Boruto.” Since 2015, Lionsgate has been
developing a live-action film, which has the support of Kishimoto himself,
although so far there are no further details.
Source: WSJ Manga
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