The popular Shonen Anime series, “Naruto” is based on the equally popular shonen manga with the same title that was written by Masashi Kishimoto.  It is produced by Studio Pierrot and aired in several networks worldwide, including animax and TV Tokyo.  The Anime started airing on October 3, 2002.  However, as the manga went through a ‘time-skip’, so too did the anime.  On February 8, 2007, part 1 of the series was officially concluded and was soon followed by part 2 which was called Naruto ‘Shippuden’ which started officially on February 15, 2007.  The series is still ongoing up until now, airing a new episode almost every Thursday.

Naruto: Part 1

The first part of the anime series, Naruto, starts when the main characters are all 12-year old genins (Genin is the lowest rank for a ninja).  Part 1 is composed of 9 seasons all in all.  Part 1 starts with a brief explanation of the plot and the introduction of the main characters.  It starts off light but becomes more serious towards the end of the first season where the group encounters strong enemies named Haku and Zabuza.  It is here that the greatness of the series is elucidated because this is the part where Masashi Kishimoto’s prowess for blending humor with drama and action is first shown.  After that comes the Chuunin exams, where more characters are introduced and many fights scenes are shown.  The plot thickens in the heat of the Chuunin exams, however, as one of the series’ main antagonists, Orochimaru, is introduced.  After which, some light is shed on the mysterious past of Uchiha Sasuke through the return of his brother, Uchiha Itachi, who is revealed to be Sasuke’s last living relative.  Itachi’s return triggers a series of events that lead to Sasuke’s defection against Konoha which ultimately leads to his joining Orochimaru and become an antagonist himself.  Kakashi’s Team 7 breaks up at this point, with Jiraiya taking Naruto in for training and Sakura asking Tsunade to train her too.  Supposedly, this would introduce the start of Part 2.  Unfortunately, by this time, the anime has caught up too much to the manga and had to show several filler episodes just to balance the time, much to the dismay of the fans.

Naruto: Part 2

The second part of Naruto is called Naruto Shippuden.  Naruto and the crew are now two and a half years older.  Shippuden starts with a teaser episode, showing a sneak preview of the fated reunion of Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, a.k.a Team 7.  The preview stops just before revealing a pivotal point in the plot and shifts to the true start of Shippuden which is Naruto’s return to Konoha after his training with Jiraiya.  Shortly after the start comes the Rescue Gaara Arc which has the team battling Akatsuki.  After which comes the formation of the new team Kakashi.  The story currently revolves around the team’s efforts to bring Sasuke back to Konoha.