‘Naruto’ Is Hiding a Genius ‘Dragon Ball’ Reference in Plain Sight

Naruto and Dragon Ball are two of the most influential and iconic anime series ever released, garnering international recognition and widespread popularity that solidified their status as household names in pop culture. When the late Akira Toriyamafirst wrote Dragon Ball and its even more popular follow-up, Dragon Ball Z, he pushed the medium of anime to new heights by setting the precedent and blueprint for generations of shōnen that followed. Masashi Kishimoto‘sNaruto was one of the most notable successors to DBZ, becoming one of the “Big Three” manga alongside One Pieceand Bleach due to their unmatched commercial success for Shōnen Jump in the 2000s.