Naruto Fans Are Toasting the Series' 21st Birthday

There is a lot of history to unpack when it comes to Naruto. The series is one of the greatest anime of all-time and ranks amongst the top five best-selling manga ever. Creator Masashi Kishimoto laid out a story with Naruto that has amassed millions of fans, and its story continues today. With a sequel thriving, Naruto is still at the forefront of anime, and fans are toasting the franchise today as it is turning 21 years old.

Yes, you read that right! Naruto is old enough to drink now. The franchise debuted on this day 21 years ago, and fans of the series are feeling very nostalgic.

You can check out a slew of reactions in the slides below. As you can imagine, netizens are very excited about the big anniversary. Naruto is old enough to drink in the United States, and fans agree its heroes deserve a round of sake. After all, the Konoha 11 went through a lot to keep their hometown safe with few working harder than Naruto himself.

For those of you needing a background check on Naruto, the series was thought up by Kishimoto decades ago. Following the release of a pilot chapter, Naruto's first official chapter debuted on September 21, 1999. It was published by Shueisha for Weekly Shonen Jump, and it ran until November 2014. The series lives on in print with the sequel Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and new fans find the series' anime daily.

After all, the show began in October 2002 and ran for a long time. The final episode of Naruto Shippuden debuted in March 2017. It didn't take long for Boruto to hit cable with its anime adaptation, and the sequel continues to pump out episodes weekly.

How are you celebrating the 21st anniversary of Naruto today? What is your favorite memory about the hit series? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.