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Around the bustling halls of New York Comic Con, fans gathered to celebrate two decades of ninja adventures, fierce rivalries, and emotional storytelling in the world of NARUTO. Not only is the iconic franchise getting a crossover with one of author Masashi Kishimoto’s biggest inspirations in the early 1990s manga series Ninku, but Kishimoto is also returning to the manga for the first time since it ended in 2014 for Naruto: Shadow Rising.
In conversation with Newsweek, the original Japanese voice actors of protagonists Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, Junko Takeuchi and Noriaki Sugiyama, alongside creative leaders from Bandai, reflected on their enduring legacy while sharing fresh perspectives regarding their iconic roles.
Understanding the Inner World of Icons
For Junko Takeuchi, portraying Naruto Uzumaki required building an emotional foundation from scratch during the early years of the franchise. Because full character backstories were kept secret during early production, Takeuchi spent hours deciphering the root of her character's motivations.
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"At the beginning, we didn't really know what he had experienced until much later, so I had to create where anger came from and how he thinks," Takeuchi reflected through her translator.
Although childhood loneliness initially dominated Naruto's worldview, an overwhelming desire for protection eventually became his driving force in adulthood.
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The Bond Forged at the Valley of the End
Though the characters of Naruto and Sasuke have similarly isolated upbringings, the characters found themselves at odds throughout most of the series. Over the series’ run, the central dynamic between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha reached its emotional apex during pivotal combat scenes where vocal synergy proved critical. Sasuke’s voice actor, Noriaki Sugiyama, highlighted the confrontation at the Valley of the End as a moment of genuine artistic breakthrough for his character.
"We've always seen Sasuke express his feelings through single words or insults like 'Usuratonkachi [meaning ‘thin hammer,' a useless object], but in the Valley of the End, for the first time, we actually see him speak his truth," Sugiyama explained.
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Because that high-stakes dialogue required seamless energy exchange between actors, studio sessions were conducted in person, and mutual trust enabled the performers to deliver natural scenes despite working with unfinished animation.
"In regular anime recordings, overlapping voices are recorded separately, but at the Valley of the End scene, dialogue going back and forth allowed us to feed off each other's raw energy," Sugiyama said.
Takeuchi emphasized the deep professional trust required during intense recording sessions, explaining how shared mistakes only strengthened their unified performance.
Riding the Bike: Two Decades of Mastery
With a new collaborative series with fellow ninja anime Ninku set to debut next year, stepping back into the younger versions of their legendary roles after working as more mature versions in Boruto feels entirely natural for both veteran performers. Sugiyama compared returning to Sasuke's voice to an instinctual physical memory.
"Having performed as Sasuke for over 20 years, I understand how he reacts in certain situations; Sasuke is really in my bones," Sugiyama said.
Takeuchi echoed the sentiment, observing how performing Naruto after time away mirrors riding a bicycle.
Strategic Mastery: Building the Ultimate Deck
Alongside the series return to the screen and the page, the franchise is expanding into competitive gaming with a new trading card game. A Bandai card game producer explained how they aim to incorporate characters' personalities into the game's strategy and mechanics.
"For example, Naruto would rely on Shadow Clones, whereas Sasuke would utilize the Sharingan to reveal impending opponent moves," the representative explained.
Deck strategies evolve depending on whether players align with Team Seven or alternate allies. As the card game develops, he praised the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi as a potentially exciting character to play in the upcoming game.
"Bringing in Professor Sarutobi's massive Enma fighting style could create exceptionally dynamic gameplay options," the representative said.
Honoring History While Facing the Future
Even while spanning more than 700 episodes, 10 feature films, dozens of video games and an upcoming card game, the franchise maintains deep reverence for Masashi Kishimoto's original work. Production teams remain dedicated to delivering high-quality visual experiences meeting the highest expectations of fans worldwide.
Global audiences continue to inspire the cast with intense enthusiasm during international conventions like New York Comic Con.
"All the fans I've met have such a deep love for Naruto," Takeuchi said with gratitude.
Sugiyama added: "When we go abroad, fans bring enthusiasm far beyond what we bring to recording sessions, helping us continue portraying our respective characters."
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Mark Muir and Dave Siminoff.
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