Naruto Might Need to Follow in the Footsteps of Bleach and One Piece for its 25th Anniversary to Not Disappoint its Fans After Boruto’s Disaster

Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto has left a long-lasting impression on its audience, enthralling viewers for decades. The Naruto manga serialization began in 1999 and concluded in 2017. The franchise recently marked its 25th anniversary, leaving many fans nostalgic with the recent official tribute video shared on the anime’s official X account, celebrating unforgettable moments.

The mangaka introduced fans to the heartwarming story of Naruto, showcased as an orphan frequently shunned by villagers who viewed him as a threat. To earn everyone’s approval, Naruto followed the path of the Hokage of Konohagakure, the leader of the village. Regardless, Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto is one of the best-selling manga series of all time. 

With over 250 million copies in circulation worldwide, the seasoned mangaka achieved a notable feat by earning a dedicated following, particularly among Western audiences. Naturally, marking 25 years in the industry and still being recognized as one of the greatest iconic titles, is a notable achievement for any franchise and manga creator.

Reviving Naruto: Lessons from One Piece and Bleach to Celebrate 25 Years

From being an outcast to a hero, Naruto’s journey sympathizes with a lot of fans, making them mirror their own struggles for recognition and belonging. Apart from the enthralling plot, each character left a long-lasting impression on the audience. Characters like Itachi, Madara, and Obito emerged as fan favorites despite all their dark actions.

Besides Naruto‘s deep exploration of the shinobi world and the powerful Jutsu, Kishimoto also examined the complexities of morality, leaving viewers mesmerized by the legendary mangaka’s narrative mastery. The Naruto manga marked its 25th anniversary on September 21, 2024.

— Shonen Jump News (@WSJ_manga) September 21, 2024

Owing to Naruto‘s immense popularity back in the day, the manga series earned the title of Big Three alongside One Piece and Bleach. While Boruto was supposed to carry on the torches of Naruto‘s legacy, the prequel fell short of meeting fans’ high expectations, resulting in a lot of backlash and criticism.

With One Piece announcing its upcoming remake project and Bleach set for its final season, Naruto fans are hoping for an exciting announcement that honors the franchise during its 25th-anniversary celebration. Interestingly, the series was supposed to receive four special episodes in celebration of its 20th anniversary, with a release date set for September 2023.

One Piece is doing a remake, Bleach has the final of TYBW season, Naruto needs to pick up on this, a remake or a spin off movie series of the light novels, there's so much content that can be adapted. Hoping for something exciting 🙏

— Himdailung Pamei (@lungpamei) September 21, 2024

Sadly, these special episodes never aired and went completely unaddressed until now. With the announcement of the 25th-anniversary, fans are demanding the release of the special episodes after years of delay. While some fans have expressed concern over the production problem for such a long delay, the silence from the franchise has angered a significant part of the fandom.

With Boruto: Two Blue Vortex finally emerging as a worthy successor to Naruto‘s Saga, many fans are demanding a status update on four special episodes. In order to match its rivals, One Piece and Bleach, Naruto will need to make a comeback with the four special episodes to ensure its legendary status endures for years to come.

Naruto‘s Rise in Popularity: How It Surpassed One Piece in Western Fandom

Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto captivated an entire generation of fanbase for decades thanks to the series’ mind-boggling world-building and terrific action scenes. Although Kishimoto’s manga debuted later after One Piece, the series received a lot of support from overseas in comparison to Japan.

Interestingly, Naruto‘s editor revealed the hidden secret behind the anime’s success among Western fans and highlighted the importance of complex drama, which some fans overlooked. Yahagi Kosuke, who worked alongside Masashi Kishimoto, supported One Piece as a supreme anime.

He revealed the key factor behind One Piece‘s immense popularity is the drama, where the mangaka explores complex themes and touches on gray areas. However, Kishimoto’s work mostly focuses on the plot and intense action scenes, which align perfectly with several Western fans’ interests.

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One Piece and Naruto both are available to stream on Crunchyroll