One towheaded titan is journeying to American drive-thrus.
On July 17, Burger King confirmed to TODAY.com that a collaboration with “Naruto,” the wildly popular anime universe, is coming to its restaurants this summer.
The burger chain says its latest King Jr. Meal toys are inspired by the animated ninja Naruto Uzumaki and his adventures to become the Seventh Hokage.
Starting July 21, the toys will come with the purchase of a King Jr. Meal and be available at participating BKs nationwide for a limited time, while supplies last — and given that “Naruto” is one of the most popular animes of all time, they likely won’t be around for long.
The collaboration includes eight characters from the show, including Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi and more. The two brands released a collaboration in France in January, and since then, fans have hoped Naruto would come to the U.S., too.
Burger King says it’s “tapping into the cultural legacy of one of anime’s most beloved franchises,” but if you’re unfamiliar with the manga series or don’t know a child with streaming access, “Naruto” was the most popular kids’ TV show in 83 countries last year, found one study by the independent publication TheToyZone. It was also the most streamed anime franchise on Hulu and Netflix over the past three years.
Naruto fans who live in California can get an added bonus: If they visit participating restaurants in their state, they can grab a King Jr. Meal for only $3.99 from July 14 through early October. The toys are available upon request.
Burger King seems to be following in the animated footsteps of its biggest competitor: McDonald’s, which has been tapping into the fervent anime fandom for its recent collabs.
In February 2024, the Golden Arches temporarily turned into “WcDonald’s” in a manga-inspired makeover.
Then, in September, McDonald’s partnered with the makers of Genshin Impact to make two limited-edition products for lovers of the popular digital game.
