Netflix released its list of the most-watched anime series in the first half of 2025. Naruto : Shippuden took first place with 40 million views. Studio Ghibli's work came in second, followed by Detective Conan in third with 38 million views. Pokemon followed closely behind with nearly the same number of views, while One Piece came in fifth with 28 million views.
This data comes from Netflix's What We Watched in the First Half of 2025 report, with additional analysis from Anime by the Numbers. Naruto began its series with a manga written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The story is divided into two parts. Part I takes place when Naruto is a pre-teen (volumes 1–27) and Part II takes place when he is a teenager (volumes 28–72).
Naruto is one of the best-selling manga of all time, with 250 million copies in circulation worldwide. The series is one of Viz Media's best-selling titles, with its English translation repeatedly appearing on the USA Today and The New York Times bestseller lists .Naruto has received praise for its character development, storyline, and action sequences.
The manga is steeped in coming-of-age themes and frequently incorporates cultural references to Japanese mythology and Confucianism. Due to its success, Naruto was then adapted into an anime directed by Hayato Date and produced by Pierrot and Aniplex, premiering on October 3, 2002 and ending on February 8, 2007 with a total of 220 episodes.
The first 135 episodes are adapted from Part I of the manga, while the remaining 85 episodes are original stories not included in the manga. The character designs for the anime adaptation were done by Tetsuya Nishio at Kishimoto's direct request. The second anime series, Naruto: Shippuden , was produced by Pierrot and directed by Hayato Date. As a sequel, the series adapts Part II of the manga.
The series premiered on February 15, 2007, and concluded on March 23, 2017. Naruto's story begins twelve years ago when a giant demon fox attacked Konohagakure. The then-Hokage sacrificed his life to seal the creature into a baby and save the village. The baby grew up with the name Naruto Uzumaki. He was often shunned and bullied, often causing trouble through various mischievous acts.
Despite this, Naruto is determined to become Hokage to gain recognition from those around him. At Konoha Academy, he becomes part of Team 7 alongside Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Under the leadership of Kakashi Hatake, Team 7 undertakes various dangerous missions that force its members to grow in strength and a sense of togetherness, despite their many differences.
But as they increasingly face danger and death, their respective tragic pasts begin to threaten to tear them apart. Naruto won various awards during its broadcast, namely the Best Full-Length Animation Program Award at the 3rd UStv Awards and ranked 38th for the Best Animated Show category in IGN's Top 100 Animated Series list.
One of the aspects that makes Naruto what it is today is the diversity of characters with their own unique abilities, from controlling shadows to controlling minds. While the main focus is given to the central characters, the series also ensures that the supporting characters get their fair share of attention.
When Masashi Kishimoto created a number of characters, he made sure that each of their personalities were reflected through the costumes they wore. Not only that, each character plays a crucial role in the larger story and comes from a specific clan. Some clans rely on their signature techniques, while others possess vast chakra reserves.
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