Naruto: Sasuke Retsuden Scores Huge Numbers With Its Debut

Naruto Uzumaki may be the Hero of the Hidden Leaf, but Sasuke Uchiha has come a long way in protecting the village. Despite having turned on his home as a teenager, the young man has since embraced the Hidden Leaf and the dream his older brother had for it. For years, fans have wanted to see more of Sasuke's story, and we have been given snippets here and there. But thanks to a new manga, Sasuke is front and center right now with some serious numbers backing him up.

If you did not know, we have Sasuke Retsuden to thank for the comeback. The series, which began years ago as a light novel, has moved to Shueisha as a manga. The adaptation went live several days ago with stellar reviews backing its first chapter. So of course, it is hardly a surprise to see the spin-off manga crushing it.

How Popular Is the Naruto Manga?

Over in Japan, the Shonen Jump+ app has marked the hits on Sasuke Retsuden, and the figure is certainly impressive. More than 1.1 million reads have been counted to date, and that doesn't even factor in MangaPlus. The global manga service has clocked 250k impressions since Naruto's spin-off went live. Sasuke has also become one of the most popular queries on Google Search following the premiere, and of course, social media sites like Twitter and Tumblr have seen upticks in the ninja's tags.

READ MORE: Naruto Kickstarts New Manga with Sasuke Retsuden Debut: Read

Clearly, this new manga has hit it off with fans. Many suspected the series would do well given how popular the Sasuke Retsuden novels were, but its manga reception has gone beyond what netizens anticipated. Much of the love is thanks to artist Shingo Kimura as they have perfected their take on Masashi Kishimoto's original aesthetic. And of course, there is no denying the nostalgia factor of Sasuke Retsuden as it explores a period of Naruto the original series never delved into.

What do you think about Sasuke Retsuden so far? Do you plan on reading this Naruto spin-off? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.