Ask John: How Long Will Naruto Last?

Question:
How long is Naruto going to be? So far, how long is the anime and manga in Japan?

Answer:
The Naruto manga will probably continue until creator Masashi Kishimoto decides that he’s either finished the story, or he wants to stop writing and drawing it. The anime will likely continue for as long as Japanese viewers continue to watch it.

Right now there are 32 collected volumes of Naruto manga in Japan and the anime has 179 TV episodes, 2 major motion pictures, and several short movies and OAVs. Considering that the Naruto anime is based on a popular boys’ adventure manga published in Shonen Jump Magazine, it’s comparable to other similar titles like Dragonball and One Piece. By comparison, One Piece currently has 41 collected volumes of manga, 261 TV episodes, and 7 theatrical movies. And the Dragonball franchise had 42 collected volumes of manga, over 500 TV episodes, 17 theatrical motion pictures, and numerous shorts. So considering how long other series similar to Naruto have lasted, it’s quite possible, and maybe even probable, that the Naruto franchise could continue for at least several more years.