Since this year, Masashi Kishimoto’s famous manga has been reissued in France in an exclusive collector’s edition. So, is it worth it?
Naruto is back in force
Since March 2022, fans and neophytes of Naruto have had the opportunity to discover or rediscover the manga of Masashi Kishimoto in a new box. Produced by Kana, the historical publisher of Naruto in the French-speaking world, this new version revisits the original 72 volumes in a new format of 36 volumes. History to celebrate as it should be the 20 years of the French edition of the work on the universe of ninjas.
You will have easily deduced it: each volume includes two works from the original publication. The tomes are both larger (140 × 213 mm) and better filled with nearly 400 pages to devour per volume. In order to delight collectors, Kana had the idea of integrating a timeline depicting Naruto’s evolution through the ages, from his childhood to the denouement of the manga. The rendering promises, with the expression “Naruto Hokage” which can be guessed.
Even if the artworks of the jackets remain unchanged compared to the original format, the print quality of the Hokage edition is guaranteed: a selective varnish has been applied to the logo and heavyweight paper is used on each volume.
New content to read with pleasure
In addition to the classic pages that we all know, the publisher has reserved some good surprises for its readers, who will be able to discover aspects hitherto unknown to the general French public. We will cite the color pages as they were pre-published in the magazine Shonen Jump (these are in black and white in the classic edition), but also:
- the color pages of the pilot chapter of Naruto (which had never been published before);
- interviews and special files
Enough to immerse yourself completely in a universe that has charmed millions of people all over the world, to the point of making Naruto a manga from the “Big 3”.
How many volumes are there in the Hokage Edition of Naruto?
So far, only the first two volumes (which include the original volumes 1 to 4) have been released in France, the May 6, 2022 exactly. But be patient, because the next four will arrive this summer to cover the entire arc of the Chunin Exam and the introduction of Itachi Uchiha. Volume 3, which includes volumes 5 and 6 of the original work, arrives next July 13. The road to 36 volumes is still long.
In the meantime, you can order the first two volumes and read them without delay.