Spring has sprung in Japan, and as cherry blossom season rolls on, characters from Naruto: Shippuden and Boruto: The Next Generations are partaking in the festivities in new artwork by GraffArt. The newly drawn images feature Naruto playing a shamisen and Sasuke a tszumi.
An homage to traditional Japanese music, the artwork forms part of a forthcoming product line, which will be released on April 19 and available on TV at the Tokyo Haneda Airport and Tokyo Station Store. Depicting fan-favorite characters such as Sakura in a fittingly sakura-themed kimono playing a biwa and Hinata performing on a nohkan, buyers will be able to purchase the images emblazoned on a variety of merchandise, including some ultra-cute chibi renditions of the ninjas as classical performers. The official artwork and merchandise, via PR Times, can be viewed below.
Products include tin badges, acrylic cards, acrylic stands and mini-colored paper that can be purchased in blind boxes or separately. Additionally, a premium postcard holder will be available featuring 30 slots -- a good get, as buyers will receive a postcard as a bonus for every purchase of 2,200 yen (US$14.49), with a total of eight to collect. There will also be GraffArt renditions available in their signature playful chibi style.
Naruto Remains a Massive Franchise Despite Its Age and Stalled Anime
While the tales of the Seventh Hokage have long finished, his successor continues the story in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. The anime reached its conclusion at Episode 296 in March 2023, with fans receiving the disappointing news that the next part might only reach screens in the late 2020s. While unconfirmed, leaks have suggested that the time skip will leave Studio Pierrot with much ground to cover.
Meanwhile, the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga is well underway; taking place about four years after the climactic battle between Kawaki and Boruto, the series introduces a time skip -- a move by Kishimoto that has sparked renewed enthusiasm in the franchise after a decline in readership since its 2016 launch. The series' latest chapter recently teased some potentially game-changing twists in the now-fugitive Boruto’s saga, hinting at the exposure of newly gained allies and suggesting imminent danger, as well as a steep cost for their allegiance.
Source: PR Times
