After the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter, the weight of the years is once again remembered to us. The year 2022 thus celebrates the 20th anniversary of the first publication in France of “Naruto”. A manga that has become cult, a classic among the best-selling in the world. A performance because the series ended in 2016.
The adventure has 72 volumes and there won’t be one more. And yet, the saga continues to seduce by maddening the counters. Almost 2 million copies were sold in France in 2021 according to the publisher Kana. “Or a tome bought every 15 seconds”, rejoices Christel Hoolans, general manager of the publishing house contacted by franceinfo. Suffice to say that the manga has not been forgotten. It even came out of its category of “shonen” to conquer boys and girls alike, transcending generations.
This anniversary year should still satisfy the fan community since Kana plans to deliver from March a complete reissue of Masashi Kishimoto’s work, in double volume, in large format, with original visuals and in color. What more ? This reissue already claims to be a collector’s item because it will only be intended for the French public, this public so fond of the apprentice ninja.
The epic of Naruto also continues through feature films and its variation “Boruto”, in bookstores and on animated platforms. The credits and songs of the series “Naruto” They will be the subject for the first time in France of a cine-concert. The musical universe will be performed by a symphony orchestra at the same time as a 2h20 film from the 220 episodes of the animated film will be shown.
Fifty musicians will be on stage.“For that, we had to arrange the scores, we enriched certain parts while integrating certain traditional instruments which are very present in the music of Naruto”, explains Julien Vallespi, producer of the show (Un pour tous production) and musical director.
Among them: the shamisen, a sort of three-string banjo, the shakuhachi, a bamboo flute, or the taiko, a large traditional drum usually played standing. They will coexist with more pop instruments like the guitar or the drums. Prestigious guests from Japan are also expected.
Our interview with Julien Vallespi:
The Culture Fact of France Info @CedricCousseau
The spectable “Naruto Symphonic Expérience” is therefore the meeting of several cultural universes. “It is undoubtedly the opportunity to introduce a live orchestra to an audience that is not used to listening to classical or going to the opera ”, adds Julien Vallespi, impatient to finalize the recruitment of musicians and to start rehearsals in April. The symphony orchestra led by conductor Sylvain Audinovski will then perform in Paris in October, at the Dôme de Paris, before going on tour throughout France.