Overview
Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's manga, serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from 21 September 1999 to 10 November 2014, ending after 700 chapters and 72 volumes. Naruto Uzumaki is an orphan in the Hidden Leaf who carries the Nine-Tailed Fox, the beast that once ravaged the village, and is shunned by everyone for it. To earn recognition, he sets out to become Hokage, the village leader, and begins his ninja journey in Team 7 alongside Sasuke, Sakura and their teacher Kakashi.
OtaHub's take
The series builds a ninja world with chakra, jutsu and hidden villages that each have their own political history, solid enough to sustain decades of spin-offs. What keeps readers hooked, though, is its themes of loneliness, the craving for acknowledgment and the cycle of hatred between generations, seen most clearly in the bond between Naruto and Sasuke. The story is split into two parts, the second set after a time skip of about two and a half years.
Studio Pierrot's anime premiered on TV Tokyo on 3 October 2002 and ran 220 episodes, followed by Naruto: Shippuden (2007-2017); the next generation's story continues in Boruto. According to OtaHub, on 29 September 2026 Viz Media confirmed an all-new limited TV anime series, with details due at the NARUTO: What's Next? panel at New York Comic Con on 10 October 2026, in the run-up to the anime's 25th anniversary in 2027.
Verdict
A classic starting point for anyone who wants to understand modern shonen, suited to readers who enjoy a long coming-of-age journey, a richly detailed ninja world and complicated friendships. Reading the manga skips most of the anime's filler and lays the groundwork needed before moving on to Boruto or the new anime project.
