There are plenty of anime series out there, but there is only one Naruto. In the past few decades, the hit series has become one of the biggest franchises to ever come from Japan. Masashi Kishimoto kickstarted the Hidden Leaf’s adventures long ago, and the IP is still thriving. However, Naruto fans are feeling a bit jaded after the series all but no-showed at Jump Festa 2024.
If you did not know, the annual event got underway in Japan this past weekend, and it brought together the top IPs at Shueisha. From Demon Slayer to Bleach, the whole gang was there, and many expected Naruto to follow suit. However, the IP was noticeably absent despite Naruto’s slate of upcoming episodes.
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Earlier this year, Naruto was expected to kickstart its 20th anime anniversary celebrations after a long wait. September 2023 was meant to usher in a slew of new Naruto anime episodes from the original series. These episodes were expected to come from Studio Pierrot and adapt special stories in honor of Naruto’s 20th anniversary. But at the last minute, the team behind Naruto announced the anime specials were delayed indefinitely.
As you can imagine, many fans expected Jump Festa to provide an update on the anime specials but alas. Naruto kept tight-lipped at the event this year. Asides from appearing in the event’s promos, Naruto failed to drop any big announcements this winter, and that has fans as concerned as they are disappointed.
It is strange for Naruto to refrain from an anniversary update at Jump Festa, after all. There was nothing said about the specials, so fans suspect the episodes are further from completion than they hoped. After being delayed two years to start, Naruto’s 20th anniversary celebrations have been messy since day one. Naruto didn’t even bother to give an update on its latest anime as Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is done. Studio Pierrot promised the anime’s hiatus would not be too long, but we have no return date in sight. And since Jump Festa is meant to hype 2024 projects, well – Naruto fans are worried about what the next year will bring the IP.
What do you think about Naruto’s recent silence? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
