is a Manga Shōnen of Masashi Kishimoto, of which there exists also a animated adaptation. The series reports the adventures of a young person Ninja, Naruto Uzumaki, which seeks to be recognized by all while becoming Hokage , i.e. the most powerful ninja of its village.

The manga was published for the first time in Japan in November 1999 in the magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump of the editor Shūeisha. The French version of Naruto is published by Kana since 2002, with a delay of roughly 10 volumes on the Japanese publication. The series is very popular in Japan where it was already sold more than 71 million volumes. Naruto is also a strong success abroad in particular with the the United States and in France where it is the manga more sold (with 5 million volumes of which an average 200.000 specimens per volume).

Produced by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex, the Anime started to be diffused in Japan the October 3rd 2002, on the chain TV Tōkyō. In France, the series arrived on Game One the January 2nd 2006.

History

At the hidden village of Konoha, the children are involved, as of their more young age, in order to become Ninja S. the Hokage , guard and chief of the village, is recognized as being the most powerful ninja.

There is that twelve years, the Kyûbi, a demon having the shape of a fox with nine tails, undertook the destruction of the village of Konoha, but the fourth '' Hokage '' neutralized this demon by sealing it in the body of a newborn: Naruto Uzumaki . Fourth Hokage was sacrificed thus to save Konoha.

The history starts during the adolescence of Naruto, around its twelve years. Orphan, eternal dunce and large joker, it makes all the possible silly things to be pointed out. Its dream: to become Hokage in order to be recognized by the inhabitants of his village. Indeed, the demon sealed in him poked fear and contempt of the other villagers, who, with time, do not make any more a difference between Kyûbi and Naruto. In spite of that, Naruto is involved hard in order to become genin , the first level at the ninjas. After several tests, it finally manages to receive its frontal stringcourse of Konoha and the promotion which goes with. It is then included in a team of three, with Sakura Haruno and the talented Sasuke Uchiwa. A little later they meet to them jônin , that which will deal with their formation: the mysterious Kakashi Hatake.

Following some missions, Kakashi considers the members of its loans team to becoming chûnin . This level, between that of genin and that of jônin , will enable them to achieve missions of greatter importance. However, an exiled criminal of the village named Orochimaru stops the examination to destroy Konoha. Its principal weapon for this operation is an young man, Gaara, which has like Naruto a demon. Naruto, helped by his/her friends, will succeed in overcoming it, and the village will be saved thanks to the sacrifice of the third Hokage .

The criminal organization Akatsuki will benefit from resulting chaos to infiltrate in the village, and two of its members, Itachi Uchiwa and Kisame Hoshigaki, will try to kidnap Naruto. Sasuke, the brother of Itachi, tries without success of to prevent it. Naruto will be saved by Jiraya, and will have in exchange to help it to find the only person being able to fill effectively the station of Hokage : Tsunade. She is doctor, and the third member of the team formerly trained by her, Jiraya and Orochimaru. This last, also seeking it to be made cure following its coup d'etat, will face once again his/her former comrades and Naruto.

While returning to the village, Naruto is confronted by Sasuke, which is thought once again lower, and which then leaves Konoha to join Orochimaru to acquire the force necessary to overcome Itachi and thus to avenge the destruction for its clan. Naruto tries of to prevent it, but following its failure will also leave to involve itself with Jiraya.

The second part of Naruto begins two years after, following the drives of Naruto and its friends, whereas the Akatsuki starts to capture the demons and their hosts (such as Naruto). The history which follows, told by the new episodes of Naruto Shippūden (the animated version) concentrates on their confrontations and the search of Sasuke.

Characters

Naruto Uzumaki obviously, but also Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiwa and they sensei Kakashi Hatake, are present in almost all the first chapters of the manga and are the protagonists. Thereafter, of new characters make their appearance, like the Sannin , 3 ninjas legendary which will become the mentors of the three pupils in the new generation and introducing their separation. Naruto the hyperactive one will follow Jiraya, ninja perverse in the large heart, old main of the Quatrième '' hokage ''; Sakura, calmer, will follow the training of healer of Tsunade; Sasuke the exceptionally gifted one will become protected from Orochimaru, regarded as a genius, he is nevertheless a required criminal practitioner of the prohibited experiments and wants to seize the body of Sasuke. Itachi Uchiwa : it is the big brother of Sasuke but also its worst enemy because Itachi decimated all the Uchiwa clan. Just like Orochimaru, it is a criminal of row S.

See also: Characters of Naruto

Manga

A new chapter of Naruto is published each Thursday in the magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan. It generally is translated and published by teams of Scanlation in the week even of the publication. The official French version leaves it every month in the form of a complete volume gathering several chapters. Currently, the 1st part of the history was finished on volume 27 and volume 31 left on September 7th, 2007, whereas volume 32 is available in France on October 19th, 2007…

See also: List of the chapters of Naruto

Animates

Data sheet

Episodes and diffusion

The episodes of Naruto are diffused at the rate/rhythm of an episode per week on the Japanese chain TV Tōkyō, Thursday with 19:30 (they were diffused Wednesday with 19:27 before the October 5th 2006). In this moment, all the episodes of Naruto are repeated at the rate/rhythm of an episode per week each Tuesday with 17:30 on TV Tokyo in the emission Anime 530 (アニメ 530).

It should be noted that the episodes starting from episode 136 (diffused the May 25th 2005) and until episode 220 (diffused the February 8th 2007) differ completely from the manga. They are parallel stories created with an aim of waiting until the manga takes sufficiently in advance, the diffusion of animates being faster than the writing of the manga (the same case had already ariseeed with the addition of episodes 101 to 106). A new series of the name of Naruto Shippūden is diffused on TV Tokyo since the February 15th 2007. This series takes again as for it the screen of the manga.

In the United States , the series is diffused on Cartoon Network saturdays with 21:00. Cartoon Network made carry out some changes in animates, in order to " protéger" American public of certain scenes considered as too violent. Example: Blood does not appear at the time of the engagements, and the humorous scenes of violence are censured in the case of Sakura and Naruto.

In France , the first 8 seasons are diffused on Game One since the January 2nd 2006, the every day with 17:50, and is repeated the following day towards 7:30 (in week) or 9:15 (the weekend) and 12:00. This diffusion makes it possible the chain to gather an audience much larger than its usual audience. It is possible to see the episodes of seasons 5 and 6 since the December 17th 2006 and Season 7 and 8 since September 8th, 2007.

Since the October 25th 2006, an edulcorated version, intended for a younger public, is also diffused on Cartoon Network France, of the Monday to Friday to 17:50 in the emission MyCN and Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday with 11:35.

Another version, especially carried out for the chain, is diffused on France 3. The title of this “version child” was changed into Phénomène Naruto .

Lastly, Naruto is also diffused on NT1, a French general channel of TNT, the Wednesday the 17th h45 and 19:25 since the October 3rd 2007 in a still unknown version.

In Quebec , the series is diffused in English on YTV and French on Télétoon with 18:30 in week and 10:30 Sunday.

Diffusion by country

Extremely of its success, Naruto animates it is diffused in many countries in many different languages.

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