Disney's Secret Jutsu

Naruto Shippuden will air on Disney.

That’s six words I never thought I’d string together, but these are strange times indeed. Apparently Disney’s quest to reclaim the young male demographic didn’t stop with their acquisition of Marvel. They’re really going to bat to grab the attention of the little guys.

This news is interesting not just because of who will be airing Shippuden, but because of who won’t be. Specifically: Cartoon Network. Naruto has been the centerpiece of CN’s Toonami block for years and it was always assumed that they would take on Shippuden as well.

There was a time when Toonami was the anime enthusiast’s best friend. Three hours of afternoon programming and another two hours of UNCUT programming at night. They pioneered the way for anime on television on a scale that hasn’t been matched since. Even Adult Swim, Cartoon Network’s adult oriented block which has actually branched off to become its own network, was essentially spawned from Toonami’s Midnight Run.

Toonami is no longer the anime powerhouse it used to be and hasn’t been for a long time, but Naruto has been something of a give-in for them for years now. In fact, I think it may be the only anime they still air. (They never should have taken off One Piece.)

So what will happen now that the story of the world’s most obnoxious ninja will be continuing on Disney XD?

Well, for fans of Naruto (at least those who aren’t already watching subbed episodes from Viz.com) it could be bad, or at least, neutral. The show will of course be edited for content, but whether Disney’s standards will stricter than Cartoon Network’s is unknown. One good thing to note is that unlike the case with Marvel, Disney doesn’t own the show, or even the distribution license. Viz will still be dubbing it so you won’t be hearing Robin Williams as Asuma anytime soon. Viz likely won’t be giving it the 4Kids treatment either by replacing the music with horribly manufactured rap or editing all the kunai into suction cup darts.

My prediction is that there will be less blood and a few more cuts in content. Probably not many more edits than what Cartoon Network would have required.

The more interesting question is what is Disney going to do next? They have Marvel. They have Naruto. What massive entertainment property is next on their sights?