Naruto Topples One Piece as Anime Poll Reveals Shonen Jump's Greatest Movies

Naruto and One Piece are two of the most influential mangas of all time, gaining international popularity, dominating manga sales charts, and being part of the Shōnen’s big three alongside Bleach. Because of this, it’s only natural that both series often face each other when ranking the best series from Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. Accordingly, a recent poll revealed Japan’s top pick among the movies based on WSJ’s mangas, with Naruto overtaking One Piecedespite the latter having a longer run and more films released.

One Piece’s success translated well to the big screen, receiving a boost in storytelling and animation quality after the film Strong World and later releasing iconic movies like Z, Gold, or Stampede. But even though its latest movie, One Piece Film: Red, has risen to become one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time, it has been surpassed by the most unexpected and controversial film in Naruto's franchise.

The Last: Naruto the Movie Surpassed One Piece Film: Red as Shōnen Jump's Greatest Movie

The Perception of Naruto’s Last Film Before Boruto Changed Over Time

The biggest ranking site in Japan, Goo Ranking, has recently published a list of the best Jump anime movies that have been released in the last 25 years, with the title of the greatest film being The Last: Naruto the Movie, followed by One Piece Film: Red and The First Slam Dunk. While rankings are based on votes and are subjective, the fact that The Last has toppled the other options proves the incredible reception of the film despite the initial criticism received after its release.

The initial backlash of The Last was due to the controversy surrounding the couples in Naruto, as the film was seen as a way to develop the romance between Naruto and Hinata and what happened before they got married at the end of the manga. Also, the introduction of the Tenseigan, more revelations about the lore of the Otsutsukis, its main villain, Toneri, and the lack of screen time for other main characters, sparked some hateful criticism.

However, the movie later gained recognition as it serves to connect the story to Boruto, where the Otsutsukis have a relevant role, and it was seen as a sweet love story and the last glimpse of Naruto's characters before growing up and giving the spotlight to the next generation. This explains why The Last has won the hearts of many fans over time, who place the film higher than others in Naruto’s franchise, like Blood Prison, Road to Ninja, or even Boruto.

Shōnen Jump’s Greatest Movies Ranking Proves Naruto's Legacy

Naruto Continues To Compete With the New Generation Shōnens

The fact that The Last, which was released more than 10 years ago, has claimed the top spot in a Shōnen Jump ranking, surpassing the highest-grossing anime film of all time, Demon Slayer: The Movie: Mugen Train, and acclaimed movies like Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero and Haikyu!! The dumpster battle proves how Naruto’s story stood the test of time and how audience opinion continues to evolve and redefine over time.

With the sequel of Masashi Kishimoto’s story getting strong, as Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has become one of the best new-generation mangas and the upcoming remake of Narutoto commemorate its 20th anniversary, the popularity of the films and the franchise could rise even further and continue to influence the anime medium.

Source: Goo Ranking.

Naruto

First Film

Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow

Latest Film

Boruto: Naruto the Movie

First TV Show

Naruto

Latest TV Show

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

First Episode Air Date

October 3, 2002

Cast

Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei

Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists' children and returning faces.

Current Series

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

TV Show(s)

Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

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