Naruto’s Nostalgic Live Concert Made Me Cry Like a Baby

Naruto aired its first episode in Japan on October 3rd, 2002, and came to English-speaking audiences via Viz Media in 2005. I was 13 years old, and it only took a few months before I was deeply hooked on the series. The tragic-yet-optimistic protagonist, silly jokes, and terrifying battles were a captivating trifecta. What would happen to Naruto? Would he finally make friends? Would he ever learn to read the expiration date on a milk label?

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As of this year, I am 33 years old. I traded my Konoha headband and cheap orange Naruto jacket for a four-year-old son, a day job, and The Great British Bake Off. Most of my anime collectibles and manga sit in a weatherproof trunk in our garage, gathering dust. It has been nearly 15 years since I last watched an episode of Narutoand even longer since I picked up a manga, which was why it was so surprising when I got a notification one night while cooking dinner about a special event happening at our local performing arts center.

The Naruto Symphonic Experience came to my town. This special showing combines the first 220 episodes of the franchise, the whole original Naruto runtime, into a two-and-a-half-hour experience punctuated by a live orchestra and singers. It’s one of those nostalgic throwbacks that took me from trying to flip hamburgers with a toddler hanging off my leg back to a wild, ninja-loving teenager in the blink of an eye. I could smell the Suncoast in the mall, feel the blisters from ninja shoes bought at a local anime convention, and hear “Fighting Dreamer” blaring off an old burned CD.

I called my childhood best friend, and we booked our tickets within ten minutes of seeing the advertisement.

The Naruto Fandom Shaped My Love of Anime

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Media is a curious and powerful sculptor of young identities. Much of what we watched as kids leaves a lasting impression on our hearts and has the power to shape what we enjoy in adulthood. Whether it’s reminiscing about Blue’s Clues or Blueygenerations form deep attachments to the messages and memories connected with the things we watch and then share with our peers.

In the ’00s, Naruto, Bleachand One Piece were considered the “Big Three” of anime. Everyone was into at least one of these franchises, if not all of them. They dominated cosplays at conventions, drew huge groups of anime-loving teens together, and acted as a bonding experience for anyone deep in nerd culture. My friend group was Naruto at full speed. It was something we talked about at school, watched on the weekends, and wore to our very first anime conventions.

So much of my early teens was spent with a headband tied around my neck. Even to this day, I still have it tucked in a box of precious keepsakes alongside a broken Kunai and battered notebook filled with original character doodles. It’s a reminder that at one point in my life, I wasn’t embarrassed to show off what I loved. I was proud of it, and I took parts of it with me wherever I went.

Naruto was a stepping stone into other anime and manga as well. I went from ninjas fighting horrific evils to Black Cat, Rurouni Kenshin, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicleand Inuyasha. My love of fast-paced action, deep character turmoil, and emotional connections between characters was foundationally etched by my time with Narutoand I was hungry to find it in any other media I could get my hands on. I was also fortunate to grow up in a time when Manga was easier to get than ever before. We weren’t quite at easy streaming options for anime, but that was easily fixed with YouTube’s vast library of low-quality, chopped-up episodes of popular titles.

I would also say that Naruto helped shape me into the writer I am today. It was the first time I paid particular attention to the way action and narrative rose and fell, and I still fall back on those elements when writing today. My partner calls this your “creative toolbox”, filled with important influences that help shape the way we imagine worlds and build our own artistic identities.

The Naruto Symphonic Experience Reconnected Me to Myself

I went to the concert in a pair of green shorts and a black T-shirt, no extras or accessories to add any flair. It has been years since I’ve had anything with anime printed on the front. I expected the crowd to be primarily parents with younger kids. The new generation of Naruto fans. When we walked into the theater, instead of kids in outfits or teens looking for a way to pass an evening, I found myself surrounded by people my age. It was a whole performing arts venue loaded with fans who likely sat on their living room floors decades earlier, staring at the first episode the day it aired, just like me.

Some of the attendees looked like I did – dressed in something non-assuming, shuffling with the embarrassment that comes from being a covert anime fan. Others were dressed in full cosplay. Sakuras, Narutos, and Sasukes stood in line for drinks or at the merch booth, talking excitedly. Additionally, there were parents with younger kids, but both age groups were dressed in a way that clearly stated their love of the series stemmed from sharing it as a family.

We filed in, took our seats, and the lights dimmed. The orchestra struck the opening chords to “ROCKS” by Hound Dog, and everyone around me started to sing – the same song I used to sing while getting ready for middle school a lifetime ago.

I sat and watched as iconic scenes from the show were brought to life by the music. I remembered how I felt watching specific scenes for the first time. I shivered as songs I hadn’t listened to in years came back to me word-for-word. The show was punctuated by cheers and screams as everyone in the audience caught sight of their favorite characters, and the entire experience ended with the room on their feet, screaming the lyrics to “Fighting Dreamer” as the orchestra played in front of us.

I am very glad that I wasn’t the only one who started crying. It had been such a long time since I’d felt so connected to a full room of people, and it reminded me why this show meant so much to me. Naruto wasn’t just an anime I watched growing up, it was a connection point to other people. It was the chance to be a part of a community that enjoyed the same things and wanted to celebrate them together.

For just a minute, we were all able to set down everything in our lives, and simply enjoy something together without worry or stress. No bills, no anxiety about the state of the world, just pure fun and joy at loving something with others.

I Am Still a Naruto Fan

After the Naruto Symphonic Experience, I went home and dug out the old box with all my manga. All the volumes have lived in that box since I got married, put away to make way for the ‘more grown-up’ appearance I was trying to project. I’ve started putting them back on the bookcase in my office, because I shouldn’t shut up such an important part of who I am. I also realized while watching the show that I’ve forgotten so much of the important plot, making now the perfect time to jump back in and enjoy the series with fresh eyes and a new perspective.

I want to reconnect with the kid in me who loved the series. I also want to continue finding ways to connect with others like I did while watching the show. I am still a Naruto fan. I’m an anime fan, and that doesn’t have to change. It’s easy to lose that when life takes over and everything always feels overwhelming.

In a few years, I want to introduce my kid to the series and hopefully, pass on my love of Naruto to him. I don’t want to hide what makes me who I am, or act like I’m only interested in reading the dictionary because I get shy about it. More importantly, I don’t want him to shut away what he loves like I did. He should celebrate those things, enjoy the connections it will bring him, and revel in being part of a world that creates beautiful art that unites communities.

The Naruto Symphonic Experience was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to, from the performance to the connection. If you are a Naruto fan, it is definitely worth seeing. Who knows, it might reawaken a hidden child inside of you, too.

Check out the Naruto: The Symphonic Experience website here to find ticket options and tour dates if you don’t want to miss out!