The Biggest Shonen Franchise in History Just Went Into Overdrive
If you’ve been waiting for a sign that Naruto is about to make the biggest comeback of your lifetime, here it is. TV Tokyo just dropped an announcement that has the entire anime community losing their minds, and honestly? It might be bigger than anything we’ve seen from the franchise since it ended over a decade ago.
In a recent financial results briefing, TV Tokyo executives confirmed that Naruto’s 25th anniversary is “the beginning of a new stage” — and they’re not kidding around. Multiple video projects, brand-new games developed by previously unnamed partners, and what many are interpreting as hints at a full animated series return are all on the table for 2027 and beyond. The message was clear: this isn’t nostalgia bait. This is a serious investment in the next generation of ninjas.
What Exactly Did TV Tokyo Announce?
During the company’s Q&A session following their fiscal year earnings briefing, CEO Hiroshi Yoshitsugu delivered a line that immediately sent shockwaves through anime communities:
“We see the 25th anniversary as the beginning of a new stage, and we have several projects planned to capture that. New projects, including videos and games developed with new partners, are planned for 2027 and beyond.”
Let’s break down why each part of that statement matters:
- “Videos” — Plural. Not “a special episode.” Not “a one-off movie.” We’re talking about multiple video content projects. Fans have long speculated these could include the four anniversary special episodes originally promised for 2023 (and delayed indefinitely), but now there’s also talk of a completely original series adaptation.
- “Games developed by new partners” — This is arguably the most exciting part. Naruto gaming has been the domain of Bandai Namco for decades, so a shift to a “new partner” signals something genuinely different. A AAA console game? An open-world title? Something leveraging China’s Huahan Animation, which was already reported working on a new Naruto anime project?
- “For 2027 and beyond” — This isn’t a one-year celebration event. TV Tokyo is positioning this as a multi-year expansion strategy for the franchise.
The Big 3 Are Actually Returning Together
Here’s where things get genuinely historic. Reports confirm that Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece are all releasing new anime content in 2026 — marking the first time since 2012 that all three members of the legendary “Big 3” of shonen anime will air simultaneously.
You know what’s wild? Right now, if you go to wibux.com, you can read about how Summer 2026 is literally the anime season that breaks everything (our coverage of Bleach’s Final War and more) — and now you know that Naruto is joining the party too. The Big 3 reunite across two years, and nobody in this timeline was ready for it.
This isn’t just nostalgia marketing. According to TV Tokyo’s managing director Koichi Komaru, the Naruto/Boruto franchise saw significant revenue growth in 2026, driven primarily by overseas online games, merchandise sales, and streaming rights. In fact, Naruto/Boruto became TV Tokyo’s biggest moneymaker for the financial year ending March 2026, beating out both Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! That dominance gives them serious leverage to invest aggressively in new content.
Fan Theories Are Already Running Wild
As expected, the internet has started speculating, and the theories range from “mildly plausible” to “absolute madness.” Here are the top three circulating right now:
Theory #1: Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Gets an Anime
This is honestly the most grounded speculation. The second half of Masashi Kishimoto’s sequel manga currently has enough material for at least 12 episodes, and Studio Pierrot has clearly been refining its craft with projects like Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. If TV Tokyo wants a reliable crowd-pleaser to kick off the 25th anniversary, adapting Boruto’s current arc makes perfect sense.
Theory #2: A Brand-New Original Series (Not Boruto)
The phrase “videos” (plural) and the explicit mention of “new stages” suggest TV Tokyo might want to go outside the Boruto timeline entirely. Could this mean going back to Naruto’s era for untold stories? What about exploring characters like Kakashi’s jonin days or events during the Fourth Shinobi World War from different perspectives? The franchise has barely scratched the surface of its own world-building potential.
Theory #3: A Global Cinematic Universe
Remember, Destin Daniel Cretton (director of Shang-Chi) is already developing a live-action Naruto film for Paramount Pictures. Between a new animated series, new video games with unfamiliar partners, and a Marvel-caliber live-action adaptation, some fans are convinced TV Tokyo is orchestrating something akin to what Disney did with Star Wars. The theme park opening in 2026, the YouTube channel launch, the global expansion talks — it all points toward an integrated multimedia empire.
The Theme Park. The Live Action. The Merchandise Engine.
This 25th anniversary rollout isn’t happening in a vacuum. Let’s connect the dots on everything happening:
- A 1.5-hectare Naruto theme park is set to open in 2026 — yes, an actual physical destination with immersive experiences
- A live-action Netflix film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton is in development, and this is the same production house behind major cinematic universes
- A special Naruto & Boruto YouTube channel launched earlier this year with history videos reliving the franchise’s greatest moments
- Merchandise and game royalties continue to dominate TV Tokyo’s annual revenue reports
When you stack all of this together, what you get isn’t just a commemorative celebration. You get what looks like the most comprehensive franchise revitalization plan ever executed in anime history.
What Does This Mean for Fans Who Grew Up With Naruto?
Let’s be real for a moment. Millions of us grew up with this show. We stayed up late watching Naruto Uzumaki chase impossible dreams while everyone around him told him he’d never amount to anything. We cried when Jiraiya fell. We screamed when Gaara found his humanity. We watched this character become one of the most influential figures in modern pop culture.
And now, 24 years after it first aired in October 2002, that same kid is getting a franchise-wide resurgence that TV Tokyo is clearly betting will surpass whatever came before it.
There’s a certain beauty in watching a story come full circle. Naruto taught us that people can change, that bonds matter more than blood, and that perseverance beats talent every single time. Watching this franchise grow from a simple weekly serialization into a 250-million-copy global juggernaut feels like living proof of those lessons.
The Bottom Line
The next few years are going to be absolutely insane for Naruto fans. New anime content, surprise game collaborations, a theme park, a massive live-action effort, and the historical coincidence of all three Big 3 returning simultaneously? This is exactly the kind of news that made us fall in love with anime in the first place.
What do YOU think TV Tokyo’s plan is? Are you Team Boruto Anime, Team Fresh Naruto Stories, or Team “Give Us the 20th Anniversary Episodes Already”? Drop your theories in the comments below — and tell us which Big 3 reunion storyline gets you most hyped.
