If you’re a fan of martial arts series such as “Cobra Kai”, here is something that is equally as awesome, and that’s “Naruto”.

For the past few months, I have been thinking about “Naruto”, and I watch lots of clips from the show. I also have begun reading the “Boruto” manga, which serves as the sequel to the “Naruto” series. It has been 23 years since the “Naruto” anime came out and received positive reviews.

Fans claim that “Naruto” is inspired by “Dragon Ball”. As a fan of the “Dragon Ball” series, it’s easy to find similarities when it comes to comparing “Naruto” and “Dragon Ball”. “Naruto” premiered in 2002, and after the original anime’s five year-run, “Naruto: Shippuden” would release in 2007. That ran from 2007- 2017, with “Naruto: Shippuden” becoming one of the best animated series of all time and an equally iconic franchise.

“Naruto” follows the story of a 12-year-old ninja orphan Naruto Uzumaki, who is hated by his entire village due to the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside him. An attack from the fox resulted in the death of his parents and Naruto was shunned by his village. In the meantime, soon-to-be rival and best friend, Sasuke Uchiha, was suffering after his brother, Itachi Uchiha, slain the entire Uchiha clan.

Naruto would later become a Genin Ninja and become part of “Team Seven”, which consisted of him, Sasuke and Sakura Harun, and led by Jonin Kakashi Hatake. They go on missions, saving other villages, and soon enter the Chunin Exams, an exam to become a full ninja. Meanwhile, Sasuke gets obsessed with revenge while Naruto trains to achieve his dream, which is to become hokage, or the leader.

The sequel “Naruto: Shippuden” takes place two years after “Naruto”, when Naruto left with his mentor Jiraiya. Naruto returns to the Hidden Leaf Village and soon he later goes through intense battles such as fighting the Akatsuki, finding out more about his parents, participating in the Fourth Great Ninja War and helping his friends defeat Madara and Obito Uchiha. Finally, he  goes through his most epic and emotional fight with Sasuke. This is the final battle and my favorite fight in anime. After all that happened, Naruto became a hero, saved his friends and achieved his dream of becoming the hokage.

The “Naruto” series has become a global phenomenon, and lots of collaborations have happened with other brands, including an upcoming collaboration with the New York Mets on June 12th. “Naruto” is deemed a masterpiece by many fans and celebrities, such as Michael B. Jordan, who is a huge fan of the franchise. “Naruto” has been referenced in several other cartoons such as “South Park”, “The Simpsons”, “Boondocks” and “Adventure Time”.

I highly recommend this show to those who want to learn more about the themes about friendship and teamwork. As a fan of the series, I would highly recommend this franchise to those who are fans of martial arts.