Naruto

Naruto is a manga series with a popular anime adaptation originating in Japan. The series centers around a hyperactive young boy, Naruto Uzumaki, and his struggles to gain recognition and respect in his village as a powerful ninja. Naruto's ultimate goal is to become the leader of his village, known as the Hokage. While the manga version of Naruto has sold over 71 million copies in Japan, the anime series is better known in the US. There have been two incarnations of the animated Naruto in the US, the first was shown on the Cartoon Network from 2002-2007, and the second incarnation Naruto Shippuden, premiered on the same network early in 2007, and there have been 33 episodes created thus far. [] Naruto is a shonen (for boys) type anime, and the show is usually rated TV-PG, as there are references to alcohol, death and blood is sometimes shown. The show generally follows a young boy named Naruto and his friends as they progress in their lives and as Naruto seeks to become a ninja. Both incarnations of the show have been very popular in Japan and the US, and the show has spawned a large number of fan sites, as well as its own card game. [] [] The series has also inspired three films and multiple video games.

The anime series has become one of the most popular American adaptations of a Japanese anime television show.