The internationally successful anime series, Naruto, is slated to make its U.S. debut on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 9 p.m. during Cartoon Network’s Saturday Toonami action block. The network picked up 52 episodes of the show, which is adapted from the popular manga series created by Masahi Kishimoto.
Naruto centers on Uzumaki Naruto, a rebellious ninja in training. Twelve years ago, when he was a baby, the evil Nine Tailed Fox demon was sealed inside his body to stop it from terrorizing The Hidden Leaf Village. For fear that Naruto would abuse the powers inside him and release the demon within, a rule was made forbidding anyone to tell him about the events of the past. Now a teenager, our hero attempts to earn the respect of the villagers by training to become the top ninja.
The series first aired in Japan in 2002 and has already built a loyal cult following in the U.S. through DVD sales and bootleg tapes. However, the Cartoon Network premiere will mark the property’s first English-language broadcast.
“Naruto has reached a level of underground fandom comparable to the Dragonball phenomenon in both the U.S. and abroad," says Bob Higgins, senior VP of programming for Cartoon Network. "We are excited and honored to present Toonami fans with the compelling characters, story arcs and incredible action that have made Naruto an international sensation.”
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