Naruto's Focus On Death Helped It Change Shonen Forever

Across two decades, Naruto transformed from a quirky ninja school story into a worldwide touchstone. The manga’s long run in Weekly Shōnen Jump and anime made Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura part of a shared vocabulary for fans. From Hollywood celebrities to Tokyo commuters, shadow clones and hand signs became everyday gestures of fandom and proof of the series’ cultural gravity.