In the world of anime there are just some franchises that stand out and develop more of a following than others. Shows like Dragon Ball and One Piece are prime examples of that, but when you're talking about series of that magnitude you'd be missing the buck if you didn't bring up Naruto.
In case you're unfamiliar with Naruto all you really need to know is that it's about a world of ninjas where villages set apart and use various skills to assert themselves in the ranks of their peers. Years ago a deadly Fox Demon tore apart Konoha Village, and their leader sacrificed his life to seal the demon within the body of a baby boy. Now that he's grown up Naruto has found himself shunned by those around him and he's become brash, obnoxious, and powerful all at the same time. He eventually makes several friends and is inevitably betrayed by Sasuke, who is on a quest for power and vengeance. Their rivalry is the driving force that backs the show and right up to the end it's something that defines the characters and those around them.
With over 200 episodes and several movies, the first Naruto series killed the anime charts and the original manga was even more successful. After some time the show got ahead of where the manga was and kicked it into neutral with filler episodes and absolutely no development whatsoever. Thankfully Shippuden corrected that.
The sequel, Naruto Shippuden, took the franchise ahead by a couple of years. Naruto was no longer considered an immature kid, but instead he has become an immature teenager. With new abilities, an improved sense of self on the battlefield, and more resemblance to that Hokage he desires to be, Naruto is once again a force to be reckoned with. One of the most striking things about Shippuden at the beginning is just how much he has/hasn't changed since we last saw him. Not only has Naruto matured, but the world around him has grown as well. Sakura is deadlier, Rock is more of a badass, Gaara is the leader of the Sand Village, and all over the place there were several nice touches added here.
For a little while now VIZ has been releasing Naruto Shippuden on individual volumes, which was something of a source of frustration for fans of the franchise. After all, VIZ's treatment of the uncut version of Naruto was stellar with a colorful array of boxed sets featuring multiple episodes and three discs worth of content. Going from boxed sets such as that to single discs with four episodes felt like a massive letdown. Thankfully it was soon announced that an Original & Uncut box would be released of Shippuden and that's what we have in hand today. Like the other treatments from VIZ this set includes three discs and 13 episodes and finally gives fans a nice chunk of Naruto all at once.
Article comments
1 - marko
I love to watch Naruto and Shippuden series every week :) it's a never-ending sequel