‘Pokemon’ Anime Shares Clever ‘Naruto’ Homage

Pokemon is never afraid to shoutout its anime contemporaries, and it seems the series nodded to a ninja classic as of late. As it turns out, Naruto popped by Pokemon the Series: Sun and Moon, and you won’t be able to unsee the homage once it hits you.

Last week, the new episode of Pokemon hit up fans, and it was there Ash Ketchum met a new trainer. The character can be seen below, and it is up to you to decide who the hero looks like.

So, what do you think? Is this trainer more Naruto or Rock Lee?

As you can see, the new character is dressed in a blue uniform with an attached head wrap. The kid is donning a long red scarf with orange arm and ankle weights. The look is complete with a pair of facial whiskers and a classy jutsu pose.

The episode did not come outright with the Naruto homage, but the ninja’s headband is a clear sign. Not only does the newbie share whiskers with Naruto and Rock Lee’s weights, but he even has a familiar verbal tic. The episode was this guy end all of his sentences with ‘Datteba’, a phrase which Naruto Uzumaki wore into the ground years ago.

This is not the first time Pokemon has paid homage to famous anime titles, and Sun and Moon has done this time and again. This time, it was Naruto getting a shout out, but other titles like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Pretty Cure have gotten their own homage in the last year.

So, did you notice this ninja-centric reference? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto ran in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump for 700 chapters. The story follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations 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.

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