Naruto turned 20 on October 3, commemorating two decades of one of the biggest shonen of the Toonami generation, and one that has persisted through the spinoff, Boruto. However, Studio Pierrot's commemorative PV and the reaction to it reflects not only the love for this franchise but the fatigue for it as well.
To celebrate the occasion, Pierrot's YouTube channel, as well as VIZ Media's channel a few days later, released a 10-minute-long PV with highlights across OG Naruto and Shippuden. The iconic scenes, from fan-favorite fights to instrumental character moments, were all reanimated with a fresh style reminiscent of Boruto's art style.
"Road of Naruto"
Even if you have never watched Naruto, it's hard not to be excited watching a video that so thoroughly and passionately recounts the path taken to get this far. Scenes that have been universally shared among the western fandom are recreated with a keen awareness of their impact on fans.
Even better, the video goes through just a few of the most popular and addicting themes from across the two series featured. It's directed not just as a visual celebration, but a musical one too. It's practically an official AMV finely crafted for the occasion, but for a brief moment, some people were convinced this was a sign of a full remake of the series.
Re: Naruto
Perhaps it was the "PV" in the thumbnail of Pierrot's upload that got people excited, but it's more likely that recent news had been getting people hopeful that such a thing was possible. After all, Rurouni Kenshin is getting a flashy remake in 2023, it isn't the first time a shonen series has gotten the remake treatment. Plus, the times seem to be demanding returns of old franchises, as if Bleach's grand return wasn't a large enough sign. A Naruto remake wouldn't necessarily be unbelievable in a time such as this. At the same time, would such a thing itself feel necessary?
Sure Kenshin was about 90 episodes long and came out between 1996 and 1998, without being truly finished either, so a remake would make a lot of sense. But Naruto, barring its filler content, wasn't exactly unfulfilled as a series and spawned both a sequel and a spin-off that evolved the world and the art style. Is a Naruto remake truly needed besides the temptation to arbitrarily improve its animation quality by reflecting modern trends? Some fans might foam at the mouth at such an idea, and it's hard to blame them, but consider that doing so would only cater to nostalgia and distract from the direction of a franchise that arguably has already hit a wall.
What About Boruto?
The above header isn't written with so much care as to suggest that distraction from such a project would be a tragedy, so kindly hold back the urge to roll your eyes if Boruto isn't to your taste. Full disclosure, the author of this article hasn't watched an abundance of Boruto, so consider the following an observation rather than a measured critique. It doesn't take much research to see that Boruto's reception among fans and critics has not been the most glowing since its emergence in 2017. For perspective, Between Boruto's air date in April 2017 and now, Black Clover came out and finished, turning from the black sheep of shonen into a beloved series in the community.
Black Clover fought hard to an 8.13 MAL score while Boruto stands at a 5.77 at the time of writing. Don't worry, there isn't some Black Clover agenda but just a reminder of how hated one was at the beginning. In contrast, despite being a continuation of Naruto, Boruto can't seem to garner hype outside any time that the original cast of Naruto shows up. The point is that it is both sad and slightly amusing to ponder the hypothetical that Boruto has been such a disappointment that the creators wanted to simply remake Naruto. And it's very telling how quickly many believed it was a possibility with no official confirmation whatsoever. Fans love this franchise, but they aren't necessarily in love with what's become of it.
Of course, there are surely those that have kept up with Boruto and are probably intrigued to see where it goes next. Just as the previous generation had Naruto, arguably a new generation could gravitate towards his son's show, but with Toonami airing in the dead of night on Saturdays, the same demographic that flocked to one might not flock to another.
Would a Naruto remake be interesting? Of course, but it also would be another ambitious remake in an industry that is already overworked, and perhaps it would be better for Pierrot to move on. In fact, they already did when they made Black Clover, and it was received very well in the end. This anniversary is a time for well-deserved celebration and reflection, but with that reflection should also come some idea of where to go next. It could be a remake or new spin-off projects, but perhaps the best way to carry on the spirit that made Naruto fun would be to make something new.