Anime Naruto celebrates 20 years since its first episode

The title poster for the 20th anniversary celebration promises a wild ride.

It's hard to believe that this October marks the twentieth anniversary of the day the first episode of Naruto aired in Japan. Naruto manga spanned seventy-two volumes. The anime eventually stretched to two hundred and twenty episodes, which were followed by the five-hundred-episode Naruto Shippuden. And just when it seemed like Naruto was over, his son and successor appeared – Boruto.

How did it all begin?

When I think back to the beginnings of the young ninja who annoyed everyone with his pranks and couldn't pass the Genin exam even on his third try, I can't help but feel a huge wave of nostalgia. It was only the shadow clone technique, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, that helped him earn his coveted headband with the Konoha symbol.

The coveted symbol of every ninja who passed the academy.

Thanks to that, he could set off on adventures as a valid member of Team 7 alongside Sakura and Sasuke. Plus, under the guidance of the iconic teacher Kakashi Hatake, who was equipped with the Sharingan.

Fans won't need much reminding of the legendary moments that happened during his journey, whether it was the first big fight with Zabuza, the Chunin exams, meeting Tsunade and Jiraiya, learning the Rasengan, the fight with Pain, or the grand finale of the entire series. Just remembering them gives me goosebumps. It's no wonder that celebrations for this anniversary are in the works.

How will we celebrate?

The main event of the celebration will be the opening of the major Naruto The Gallery exhibition, where visitors can feast their eyes on a multitude of animated visuals. For example, how the characters evolved throughout the series, how friends became enemies and vice versa. It will also feature depictions of the greatest battles – all using footage from the anime. During the exhibition, new works by artists who are among the biggest Naruto fans will also be on display.

Visualization of the interior – this is roughly what the exhibition should look like.

You can visit Naruto The Gallery from December 10, 2022, to January 31, 2023. A minor problem might be the location of the gallery – the exhibition will take place in Tokyo in the Akihabara UDX building. If you're planning a trip to Japan during this time, don't forget to stop by.

Exclusive Naruto merch

For the twentieth anniversary, a limited edition of two beautiful figures is also being released. One depicts Naruto as we first met him, while the other shows his final triumph as Hokage. It's hard to imagine a better way to look back at the long journey Naruto has taken.

Naruto at the beginning and end of his journey.

Would you like to bring a piece of the adventurous ninja world home? How about treating yourself to a Naruto gift.

What's next for Naruto?

The last episode of Naruto Shippuden wrapped up the entire anime with a happy ending, and it seemed like we were saying goodbye to Naruto for good. But we didn't even have time to catch our breath before we got a successor in the form of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. And so it seems that Naruto and his world aren't ready for retirement yet, and we can look forward to plenty more adventures of his son – Boruto.

Boruto's story is just beginning…

author Michal Dlouhý