The 'Naruto' Anime Turns 15 Today

If you can't believe how fast time has gone for Naruto, then you better believe it. Today marks the 15th anniversary of the franchise's anime, and fans are feeling rather emotional over the milestone.

October 3, 2002 marks the premiere date of Naruto's first episode. The anime, which was produced by Pierrot, introduced scores of fans to Naruto Uzumaki and his prankster ways. The show's premiere episode followed the orange-clad boy as he tried to get his teachers to acknowledge him. Naruto went so far as to break the law to get Mizuki's attention, but the boy soon learned his teacher wasn't what he thought.

In one emotional episode, fans watched as Naruto was betrayed by his teacher only to have another come to his rescue. Iruka did away with any doubts he had of Naruto when he saved the boy's life, and the teacher's kind words shaped the long-winded journey Naruto would take over the next 15 years.

Oh, and he learned how to make a ton of Kage Bunshins. That was pretty sick too.

After nearly two decades on-air, Naruto is still going strong in the anime world. The original show ended in 2007 before Naruto: Shippuden picked up that same year. The sequel went on for a decade as it wrapped this March. Fans thought the franchise would come to an end with Naruto: Shippuden, but creator Masashi Kishimoto was not ready to say goodbye just yet. In April, a new series titled Boruto: Naruto Next Generations began airing, and the anime follows the children of Naruto's greatest heroes as they discover their ninja ways.

As you can see below, fans have plenty of emotions about Naruto's anniversary, and social media is buzzing with tributes. If you want to drop your own line about the anime's birthday, then you can hit us up on Twitter @Comicbook or @MeganPetersCB to share your first memories of Naruto!