The original "Naruto" pilot comic ran as a 45-page single-issue story in the summer 1997 edition of "Akamaru Jump." An altered version eventually ran in "Akamaru Jump's" parent publication, "Weekly Shonen Jump." "Naruto" began publication in 1999 and continues as of 2011. By 2007, the manga had sold over 69 million volumes, according to Anime News Network, making it one of the most popular manga in history.
In addition to the manga, "Naruto" also appears in video form. Two anime series, "Naruto" and "Naruto Shippuden," follow some of the same content as the manga, and were released in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Viz airs English-subtitled versions of the series on its website and on several licensed sites. The company also produced five OVAs and seven films based on the series, three light novels and an assortment of video and trading card games.
While "Naruto" includes many elements from historical Japan, this fantasy series is actually set in an unnamed fictional world. The five major countries of this world have names based loosely on the four Greek elements, with the addition of lightning. The world also includes elements of the Chinese Zodiac, which are expressed as a series of hand signs. While several characters in "Naruto" are ninja, they have little to do with Japanese historical ninja.
The titular character, Naruto, is a Jinchuriki host, or a human who has had a magical "tailed beast" sealed into his body. In Naruto's case, this beast is a nine-tailed demon fox, similar to the traditional Japanese kitsune. In Japanese myth, kitsune are trickster foxes that can turn into people. They are known for their mischievous tendencies and ability to mimic the appearance of living humans. Kitsune may be associated with the god Inari, but not always. More powerful kitsune have more tails -- up to nine -- and may retain these tails both in human and fox form.