Studio Pierrot’s planned batch of four new Naruto anime episodes have been delayed, with the company apologizing in a blog post.
What do we know about the new Naruto episodes?
The four new Naruto anime episodes were originally set to begin airing on September 3, 2023, and run for four weeks as a celebration of Naruto’s 20th anniversary. However, in a blog post on the official Naruto website, the production committee behind the series said that they’ve decided to postpone the release “due to the further improvement of the quality of this work.”
“We sincerely apologize to all the fans who have been looking forward to the broadcast,” said the company in its announcement. “Regarding the new broadcast schedule, we will announce it on the official website and various SNS as soon as it is decided. In addition, regarding the scheduled schedule for the new broadcast, we will broadcast the masterpiece selection of the TV animation ‘Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.'”
In the blog post, the company also notes that it’s been about 6 years and 5 months since Studio Pierrot has produced any Naruto-themed content, which likely contributes to the delay and time to perfect the show.
The Naruto anime debuted in Japan on October 3, 2002. The first part of the anime, simply titled Naruto, covered Part 1 of the manga and aired until early 2007, at which point the story featured a time skip. From then on, the series would cover Part 2 of the manga and would change its title to Naruto: Shippuden. That ran until 2017, when the series ended and was followed-up by the sequel series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
The series follows the titular ninja as he strives to become the leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Naruto has enjoyed immense popularity since its debut, becoming one of Shonen Jump’s iconic “Big Three” series of the mid-2000s alongside One Piece and Bleach.
