Naruto: Shippuden season 16
Anime original season focusing on Kakashi Hatake's ANBU years.
The sixteenth season of *Naruto: Shippuden* is an anime-only story arc drawn from Part II of Masashi Kishimoto's original manga. It centers on Kakashi Hatake's long tenure within the ANBU Black Ops. Hayato Date directed the season, with production handled by Pierrot and TV Tokyo. It originally aired in Japan from February to May 2014. The English dub premiered on Adult Swim's Toonami block, running from July 11 to November 7, 2021. The DVD collection, titled *Kakashi: Shadow of the ANBU Black Ops*, was released on October 1, 2014. Two opening themes were used: "Tsuki no Ōkisa" by Nogizaka46 (episodes 349–356) and "Guren" by Does (episodes 357–361). The ending themes were "Niji" by Shinkū Hollow (episodes 349–356) and "Flame" by Dish (episodes 357–361).
Quick Facts
- Bg Colour
- #000000
- Num Episodes
- 13
- Network
- TV Tokyo
- First Aired
- 2014-02-06
- Last Aired
- 2014-05-08
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The sixteenth season of Naruto: Shippuden is an anime original story arc that departs from the main manga plot to explore the past of Kakashi Hatake. It depicts his time as a member of the ANBU Black Ops, the covert elite force of the Hidden Leaf Village. The season aired in Japan from February to May 2014 on TV Tokyo.
Reader's Guide
This season is significant as it expands the backstory of Kakashi Hatake, a central character in the Naruto series, by showing his early career in the ANBU. It provides context for his later personality and skills. The season's English television debut on Adult Swim's Toonami block in 2021 introduced it to a wider Western audience. The DVD collection, released in Japan on October 1, 2014, was titled Kakashi: Shadow of the ANBU Black Ops. The season's opening and ending themes were performed by Nogizaka46, Does, Shinkū Hollow, and Dish.
Did You Know?
- The season is an anime original story not directly adapted from the manga.
- Its English television debut was on Adult Swim's Toonami from July 11 to November 7, 2021.
- The DVD collection was released on October 1, 2014 under the title Kakashi: Shadow of the ANBU Black Ops.
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