Naruto Universe Expands as New Minato Anime Project Officially Announced

So, if you told me a few years ago that a Naruto anime project would start off 2026 and it wouldn’t be from Japan, I’d have said you’re hallucinating shadow clones. But here we are – there’s word on a brand new Naruto anime and the twist is it’s being worked on by a Chinese studio. If you thought all Naruto business stayed strictly in Japan, well, surprise.

Hold Up – Naruto Outsourced to China?

Here’s how this quirky bombshell dropped: The local government site from Lijin County, China, blurted out in a post that Huahan (Dongying) Animation Co., Ltd. is currently hard at work animating for both Naruto and One Piece. (That original post is in Chinese, so most of us are relying on slightly-robotic translations, but the gist holds up.)

Now, for clarity – they’re an outsource shop. The post says they're 'meeting deadlines for multiple animation projects, including orders for One Piece and Naruto.' These 'orders' almost definitely mean they’re handling parts of episodes or segments for the main studios – not launching their own original Naruto series from scratch. This is super common in anime (and, honestly, lots of TV production). Outsourcing is just how tons of anime gets made these days, it’s just rare to see the subcontractors publicly called out.

The Studio in Question, and the Random Crossover Video

Little background: Huahan (Dongying) Animation is billed as the 'first South Korean-funded enterprise' in the local industrial park – don’t let that make things messier, they’re based in China. They usually work behind the scenes for Japanese and Korean companies, so their name’s probably new to you unless you’re really deep in the credits.

There was also a video floating around on Chinese social media (Weibo, naturally) that supposedly relates to the big One Piece remake Wit Studio is doing. The strange bit? It shows not just One Piece characters like Buggy and Cabaji, but also Akaza from Demon Slayer for absolutely no explained reason. Don’t expect crossover canon – this is probably a reel or showreel for hiring or pitching… or just the result of an editor having fun. Still, unexpected.

So, What Exactly Is This Naruto Project?

Honestly, nobody outside of the involved studios knows. As of now, the official info is literally just 'Chinese studio is animating Naruto stuff for Japan.' No word if it’s a remake, a movie, or some side-story episode. Speculation is swirling, though – especially about what flavor of Naruto we might be getting.

Some folks (possibly wishfully thinking) are hoping it’s more Minato Namikaze content. If you only saw him as 'Naruto’s dad who’s either dead or a quick flashback,' you’re not alone. He was a key figure in the Fourth Shinobi World War and taught heavy-hitters like Kakashi and Obito, but we only got snippets of his life. There are already fan animations about Minato out there, which tells you he’s a hot pick for focus if anyone ever breaks out the adult-colored pencils.

But for now, that’s fan headcanon and not at all confirmed. The truth is, this project could be about literally anything, including the most random filler arc possible. We just have to wait and see.

'The animation team at Huahan (Dongying) Animation Co., Ltd. has been working intensively to meet deadlines for multiple animation projects, including orders for One Piece and Naruto.'

Need-to-Know Recap: Naruto Original Anime (for context)

• Title: Naruto
• Studio: Studio Pierrot
• Genre: Adventure, Martial Arts
• Premiered: October 3, 2002
• IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
• MyAnimeList Rating: 8.02/10
• Streaming: Crunchyroll, Netflix

Final Take + Where to Watch

I’m as curious as you are if this is the start of a serious trend or just one blip in Naruto’s weird, wild journey. If you want to marathon the original series and refresh your memory while waiting for this mysterious new installment, all episodes of Naruto are streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix. And if you prefer the manga, Viz Media has you covered in both their app and website.

What do you think this new Naruto project could actually be? Would you be up for a Minato series, or is there another corner of the ninja world you hope gets the spotlight? Hit the comments and let’s speculate wildly together.