About

Naruto is a Japanese manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto, and published in Shounen Jump. The story centers around the protagonist Naruto Uzumaki, a ninja who ventures on quests in order to one day become his village leader, known as a Hokage. Online, the series has gathered a large fan following and inspired the creation of various memes.

History

Naruto originally started out as a manga series, written by Masashi Kishimoto, and was first published in Shounen Jump magazine in November 1999, lasting until November 10, 2014. An anime adaptation under the same name was also aired on October 3, 2002, and ran until February 8, 2007, with a total of 220 episodes. A second season, titled Naruto: Shippuden, also began airing on February 15, 2007, a week after the original series stopped, and is still ongoing. As well as this, there has been a total of 9 films based on the anime series, as well as a spin-off series titled Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals also began airing on April 3, 2012, based on a spin-off manga of the same name. As well as this, various other Naruto media have also been released, including three Light Novels, Video Games, as well as trading card games.

Online Relevance

The Naruto series has a large online following within the online anime community, often being described as one of the 'Big 3', along with fellow Shounen Jump titles One Piece and Bleach. The series has a significant presence on sites such as Tumblr^[1], Reddit^[2], 4chan's /a/ (Anime and Manga) board^[3], Fanpop^[4], My Anime List^[5] and DeviantART^[6][7]. There are numerous sites holding information of the series, such as the Naruto wiki^[8], TV Tropes^[9] and Anime News Network^[10]. The Naruto Facebook page also has over 6 million likes^[11], and Fanfiction.net also has over 356,000 fanfictions based on the show^[12]. There are also multiple fansites based off the show, most notably Naruto-kun^[13] and Naruto Fever^[14].

Notable Sub-Memes

Balancing Sasuke

Balancing Sasuke is a photo meme based on a McDonald’s Happy Meal action figure released in Taiwan and Japan. The toy is based on the character Sasuke Uchiha, and includes a lever attachment on its back, which allows it to perform single back-flips. Due to the nature of the toy, it gained in popularity, spawning many parodies

Tobi's A Good Boy

Tobi is a good boy is a phrase often quoted by fans of manga and anime series Naruto. The phrase is associated with Tobi, a member of the criminal organization Akatsuki who is known for his childish attitude and behavior.

Madara Uchiha Copypasta

Madara Uchiha Copypasta is copypasta based on the character Madara Uchiha, often used in or to start power level discussions. The copypasta starts with asking is there a character who is stronger or who can defeat Madara, then starts naming off various abilities associated or used by him. There are multiple variations of the copypasta, some include powers used by characters in other franchises.

Dynamic Entry

Dynamic Entry is a fighting technique used by Maito Guy in the Shōnen anime and manga series Naruto. The technique consist of the individual appearing out of nowhere and performing a jumping kick at an unexpecting target.

Naruto Fillers

Naruto Fillers refers to reused footage typically used in flashback sequences and the practice of making side arcs in the animated television series Naruto and its sequel, Naruto Shippuden. The practice is widely mocked online by critics who claim it detracts from the main storyline and it used as a stalling technique to allow the manga storyline to progress.

Search Interest

External References