An all-new Naruto statue re-enacts one of the ninja series’ most epic battles.
Produced by HEX Collectibles and available for pre-order on Sideshow, the Gaara vs Kimimaro Elite Dynamic Statue embodies the One-Tails Shukaku’s jinchūriki and is the sole survivor of the Kaguya clan in the midst of battle; Gaara let the sand fly around him, while Kimimaro attacked using his weaponized bones. At 2 inches tall, this item retails for $785 and is expected to begin shipping sometime between October and December.
Various other fan-favorite characters from the manga by Masashi Kishimoto, one of the Big Three members of the shōnen genre, were also recently immortalized in figurine form. For example, HEX Collectibles has released a limited edition Madara Uchiha statue that embodies the fearsome nature of the eternal Mangekyo Sharingan user. Likewise, MegaHouse now offers a stunning pair of characters that give protagonist Naruto Uzumaki and his rival, Sasuke Uchiha, divine makeovers; the former turns into the mighty Wind God, while the latter becomes the powerful Thunder God.
Naruto 20th Anniversary
Kishimoto’s Naruto manga ran in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1999 to 2014, and studio Pierrot’s anime adaptations produced over 700 episodes that first aired between 2002 and 2017. To celebrate the series’ 20th anniversary, the animation studio is creating four new episodes, which will premiere in Japan on September 3. At the moment, it’s unclear when the episodes will be released internationally.
There have been several other developments to the popular franchise beyond new episodes and new collectibles. The recent NARUTOP99 popularity poll aims to find out which of the many characters in the story is the fandom’s favorite. Minato Namikaze, Naruto’s father and the Fourth Hokage, took first place with an impressive 792,257 votes, surpassing Itachi Uchiha and Sakura Haruno who placed second and third, with 505,014 and 489,619 votes, respectively. Because of the victory, Kishimito created a special manga, highlighting the character. One-shot appeared in the latest issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump.
Furthermore, even though many years have passed since the Naruto manga and anime ended, the stories continue to inspire creative fans who create their own content for the franchise, especially cosplay. Notably, costume-making icon Izanamitan has shared numerous Naruto cosplays that animate prominent characters such as Rin Nohara and Kushina Uzumaki, the mother of the orange-clad shinobi.
VIZ Media distributes Kishimoto’s Naruto manga in North America, and both studio Pierrot anime adaptations are available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Source: Sideshow