Naruto is licensed by ShoPro/Viz

"Cartoon Network (US) announced at their Upfront press conference today that Naruto and One Piece will be airing on the network this year. One Piece starts in May, with Naruto following in the third quarter.

With Naruto starting in the 3rd quarter (August/September likely), this means that the show is likely already undergoing the dubbing process or has been for some time, but at the least indicates that this property has been formally and officially licensed for some time.
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It's all starting to move very fast now. Quite interesting to see they went for One Piece too- I wonder if that will be uncut or the shabby 4Kids version?

Naruto won't need much editing to be on their Toonami, which runs from 7pm till 11pm, every Saturday.
 
Dumb question maybe but what is Naruto? Get the impression that it is an uber series that goes on for ^%$&ing ever, has fights that last 5 episodes and battles that last for 18, but don't know what its about, what genre it is, what the genral plot is and why every one is so stoked about it begin licenced. Every forum that has an anime leaning seems to be really... well cross between extatic that it has been licesned, but horriffied by who got it. But for the love of Dog why? l undertand that the company that got the license smegged up one peice, but what is so great about Naruto?
 
hopeful_monster said:
Dumb question maybe but what is Naruto? Get the impression that it is an uber series that goes on for ^%$&ing ever, has fights that last 5 episodes and battles that last for 18, but don't know what its about, what genre it is, what the genral plot is and why every one is so stoked about it begin licenced. Every forum that has an anime leaning seems to be really... well cross between extatic that it has been licesned, but horriffied by who got it. But for the love of Dog why? l undertand that the company that got the license smegged up one peice, but what is so great about Naruto?
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OK, here goes. Naruto is a long running anime series about a kid called Naruto who is training to be a ninja- he dreams of being the 'hokage', essentially the strongest and most respected ninja in his country, but is regarded as an outcast and loser by his peers. He is a punk kid, basically, an underdog. They are the bare bones of the story, but it involves a massive cast of varying and interesting characters; each with their own desperate ambitions and dreams.

Some compare it to Dragonball Z. This comparision is mostly made because Naruto has the potential to be as big as (or even bigger than) DBZ. The stories do have some basic similiarities, but you will quickly find that Naruto, contrary to the average age of it's protagonists, is a whole lot more mature, intelligent and interesting than DBZ. It is a show that enjoys a broad appeal; kids can enjoy it for the bizarre action and quirky characters, while adults can enjoy the deep, weird personalities, twisted ambitions and original, vibrant setting. It's essentially the most widely accessable anime for a very long time. Provided you can get through the first 10-15 episodes of the show, most will find something to love in Naruto.

Naruto is the most popular anime to ever be fansubbed. At least 100,000 fans download it every week.

It hasn't been licensed by the same company as One Piece, which was destroyed by 4Kids. Naruto has been licensed by Viz/ShoPro, who aren't as bad as 4Kids but are still prone to the occasional edits and name changes. Most Naruto fans are hyper protective of this show because it is that good, and they (myself included) just want to see the show succeed as what it is, rather than what some corporate suit wants it to be.
 
Paul said:
Some compare it to Dragonball Z.
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Up until episode 80+, I would've said it was better than Dragon Ball Z. It had a similarly original storyline, with only slightly less lovable characters. But the level of animation was far higher; some of the fight scenes were beautifully choreographed, and there were some genuinely shocking and believable plot twists.

Recently though, it's been pretty awful. The fights last FAR too long, the plot twists are getting uncontrollably ridiculous and the standard of animation has dropped. They're clearly being rushed by TV companies, and it's obvious that they're not being given much freedom with it anymore. Naruto's become a success, and now it's all about making as much money as they can.

So, yes, the recent episodes of Naruto are comparable to DBZ!!
 
Their still better though, I myself like long fights I'd much prefer a fight that went on for a while rather than over in a flash, and remember at the moment there is 3 fights going on at once and its only been going on for about 3 epsiodes or so.
 
--- Ocean Studio's Will Be Dubbing Naruto!! ---

I have information from someone who's in touch with Ocean Studios (the guys that did our dub of DBZ over here in the UK, as well as Gundam Seed & Inuyasha) that casting for the dub of Naruto began a few weeks ago, and Ocean Studios have been selected to do it.

I'm a personal fan of the Ocean VA's (Scott McNeil, Kirby Morrow, Brian Drummond, Don Brown to name a few), and I'm confident that they will do the characters justice,

By no means should anyone assume that they will be to blame for any heavy editing or cutting of Naruto. They are merely VAs, and talented ones at that!
 
As long as the voices are all right, I hope they dont make Sakura's voice really annyoing, she's bad enough as it is without having an annoying voice.
 
Richy said:
Up until episode 80+, I would've said it was better than Dragon Ball Z. It had a similarly original storyline, with only slightly less lovable characters. But the level of animation was far higher; some of the fight scenes were beautifully choreographed, and there were some genuinely shocking and believable plot twists.

Recently though, it's been pretty awful. The fights last FAR too long, the plot twists are getting uncontrollably ridiculous and the standard of animation has dropped. They're clearly being rushed by TV companies, and it's obvious that they're not being given much freedom with it anymore. Naruto's become a success, and now it's all about making as much money as they can.

So, yes, the recent episodes of Naruto are comparable to DBZ!!
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I suppose a lot of this comes down to personal preference, but I'm still as addicted to Naruto as I was during the last major story arc.

In basic terms of characterization and story, it's in a completely different league to Dragonball Z- the Zabuza arc single handedly made me into the anime fan I am today. I know you're only referring to the show from episode 80 onwards and I agree that it has lost a little steam (especially with the recent repetitive filler arc) but the current plot lines are just as exciting as ever. I agree, it's a big problem that the fights last too long, but I'm sure, if you had all the episodes sitting on your lap right now, you wouldn't be so frustrated. It pisses me off having to put up with only one episode a week too, but on the flip side, it keeps us craving for more and simply ups the tension another couple of notches.
 
It does annoy me having to wait everyweek for an episode but then again, its what I wait for all week, Roll on thursdays thats what I allways say.
 
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