Naruto Announces 20th Anniversary Campaign with Viz Media

Can you believe that it’s been twenty years? Konoha and her ninja hit the scene as part of Shonen Jump’s regularly released manga imprint in 1999, introducing the world to the outcast Naruto as he attempted to fulfill his dream of becoming the leader of his village: A Hokage. Over the course of the franchise, Naruto has not only managed to obtain his dream in the sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, he has also become one of the most powerful and loved ninja in the village. Now, Viz Media is celebrating the anniversary of everyone’s favorite orange clothed scamp with a campaign for the series’ 20th!

Viz Media shared the news of the campaign via their Official Twitter Account, as well as releasing a press release, promising fans a lot of surprises for the upcoming “Year of Naruto“, which will kick off at New York Comic Con later this fall:

Kicking off this October in New York, Viz is planning on celebrating the birth of Konoha and her ninja students and teachers in style! These upcoming plans and merchandise for Naruto and company will include “video games, events featuring pop-up installations, panel discussions and other special live programming, and an array of product activations and collaborations with top global lifestyle brands.” At New York Comic Con, Viz will be bringing both an exclusive, numbered poster for the Naruto franchise as well as an “official skateboard deck by Hypland”, so Konoha fans attending later this fall won’t be disappointed!

Throughout his years as a ninja, Naruto has undergone some immense challenges. He attempted to save his friend Sasuke from self-destruction, fought against the insane powers of Pain and his duplicates, lost his mentor Jiraiya, and grew ever stronger with each passing battle. With no signs of stopping any time soon, we’re sure that the Naruto franchise will continue for years to come, following the current Hokage’s son.

What do you think of the upcoming celebration for Naruto’s 20th anniversary? What was your favorite moment of the franchise and why was it Rock Lee versus Gaara? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Konoha!

Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, Naruto follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The series ran for 700 chapters overall, and was adapted into an anime series by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex that ran from 2002 to 2017. The series was popular enough to warrant a sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations which is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and features the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.