This ‘Boruto’ Nod To ‘Naruto’ Has Anime Fans Feeling Real Overwhelmed

Boruto may have taken up the mantle Naruto: Shippuden left when it ended, but fans are still reeling from the original story’s end. Masashi Kishimoto brought Naruto to an end before its anime caught up this April, but Japan isn’t taking it easy on those fans who are still in mourning.

After all, the latest cover of Jump Giga has got Naruto fans sobbing left and right.

Over on Twitter, fans of Naruto were quick to point out that the cover of Jump Giga Vol. 1 of 2018 features a familiar scene. The artwork was teased by Shueisha recently, and it sees three of Boruto‘s legacy heroes standing in formation.

To the left, Sakura can be seen sticking her tongue out as she holds a massive kunai to her side. Naruto is crouching in the middle with weapons dangling from his mouth, and Sasuke is seen on the right with his own weaponry. If the artwork looks familiar to you, then it is because you have one good memory. The artwork for Naruto‘s second volume saw Team 7 strike the exact same pose when they were just Genin.

Back in 2000, the second volume of Naruto was published for for fans in Japan before it reached U.S. readers in 2003. The manga covered much of the ‘Land of Waves’ saga which introduced ninja like Zabuza, but it also had some rather iconic artwork. The volume’s cover remains a fan-favorite even today, and as you can see above, Jump Giga did an excellent job recreating the cover with Naruto‘s older heroes.

If you are not familiar with Naruto, then you have a long history to catch up on. The series was made by Masashi Kishimoto and serialized by Shueisha in Weekly Shonen Jump. The story follows a boy named Naruto Uzumaki, an orphan of the Hidden Leaf Village who is shunned by his elders. Naruto is determined to become his village’s leader to show everyone exactly what he can do, and Kishimoto’s long-running series invited fans to go on Naruto’s journey towards greatness.

So, what do you think of this Naruto nostalgia? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things anime!