Latest Naruto collaboration proves franchise is doing "everything but dropping those 4 episodes"

Modified Jan 14, 2025 08:30 GMT

Naruto collaboration reminds fans of the failed four episodes that were never released (Image via Studio Pierrot).

The Naruto franchise recently announced a collaboration with the fast-food network Burger King, much to the surprise of most fans. Although the collaboration has been well-received, it generated some discussions regarding the future of the four episodes meant to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original anime.

Many fans were looking forward to four Naruto episodes celebrating the franchise's finest moments with stellar, modern animation. However, the project was put on hold and has not received updates. For some fans, the announcement of this collaboration felt like putting salt on the wound, even if that wasn't the intention. However, it raises the question of what happened to those episodes.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and the people quoted.

Naruto fans are still frustrated regarding the state of those four special episodes after the Burger King collaboration

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On January 11, 2025, Burger King France on X announced its collaboration with author Masashi Kishimoto's legendary franchise. Starting January 14, Burger King will offer Naruto and Sasuke burger wraps alongside a cap and a T-shirt on its menu. Although fans are happy about the collaboration, it also frustrated some people about the four special episodes that were supposed to come out in 2023.

These episodes were supposed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original Studio Pierrot anime adaptation. However, the project was put on hold, with the statement that it was meant to improve the quality of the episodes. While fans had no problem waiting if it meant improving the final product, the lack of information and delay have led to major frustration.

The lack of updates seems to suggest that Studio Pierrot has given up on these four episodes. This is coupled with the fact that the franchise, aside from the Boruto manga, doesn't seem very active at the moment. So, these special episodes could have been a great return for the original series.

More reactions online

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The idea of Naruto episodes with modern-day quality excited many fans, especially considering Pierrot's recent success with author Tite Kubo's franchise, Bleach. While it would only be four episodes, the project got a lot of people looking forward to it because it would have had everyone's favorite ninja with modern animation.

"We're still getting those four new episodes right? Haha... right?" someone said.

"What happened to those four Naruto episodes were supposed to get two years ago," another person said.

"thinking about those four special episodes," someone else said.

There have been some discussions in recent years regarding a potential remake without filler and more adhered to the source material, although that has mostly come from the manga. It has also been mentioned that the franchise will have a live-action film, which is quite divisive as a concept in the community.

The franchise's future doesn't seem quite clear, and it is hard to confirm whether these four specials will ever be released.

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Edited by Shreya Das