Abstract

Cultural theorists have recognized the impact of popular media on history, culture, and society. Visual mediums like Japanese animation (Anime) and comics (Manga) have proven their impact on their consumers. Masashi Kishimoto’s globally popular manga and anime series Naruto is the subject of this case study, which examines its impact on viewers. The goal is to examine how the audience reacts to Naruto’s incorporation of religious and mythological elements and how pop culture phenomena among fans, such as anime pilgrimage and online fandom, impact these elements. Naruto utilizes elements from Japanese religion, mythologies, and folk traditions to create the fictional universe. Hence, this paper examines how mainstream media popularizes and reinterprets the elements or ideas it incorporates through the case study of Naruto. The study examines Naruto fandom online, including social media, blogs, and fan websites. It also focuses on in-depth discussions of the series with a focus on religious themes, the rise of anime tourism and theme parks, and the religious themes incorporated in Naruto.

Keywords: Religion, Anime, Naruto, Pop culture, fandom, Themed Park

Notes on Contributor
Department of East Asian Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Delhi, India. E-mail: ahmadshadaan@yahoo.in