Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto began serialisation in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1999 and ran for 700 chapters through 2014. The two Studio Pierrot TV adaptations — Naruto (2002–2007) and Naruto: Shippuden (2007–2017) — totalled over 720 episodes and constituted one of the longest continuous anime productions of the 2000s and 2010s. The sequel series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations began in 2017.
The manga
Kishimoto began Naruto in Weekly Shōnen Jump in September 1999. The series ran for 700 chapters and 72 volumes across fifteen years. Cumulative volume sales exceed 250 million copies, placing it among the bestselling manga ever published. The manga is one of the principal works of what English-language fandom calls the 'Big Three' shōnen of the 2000s (alongside Bleach and One Piece), the trio of long Jump serialisations that anchored Shueisha's commercial position through the decade.
The Pierrot anime
Studio Pierrot began broadcasting the TV anime in October 2002. The first series ran for 220 episodes through February 2007; Shippuden ran from February 2007 to March 2017, another 500 episodes. The production's per-episode quality varied substantially, with the long runtime and weekly schedule producing recurring 'filler' arcs not based on the manga and episodes of reduced animation density between high-quality fight sequences. The 'sakuga' appreciation discipline within Western fandom emerged partly around Naruto, since the series' uneven production quality meant high-effort cuts stood out particularly visibly against the surrounding episodes.
Boruto and the franchise continuation
The sequel manga and anime Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, following Naruto's son a generation later, began in 2016 (manga) and 2017 (anime). Reception has been mixed; the sequel has not achieved the cultural weight of the original despite continuing commercial viability.