What is the Naruto Holiday Special?

The holidays are just around the corner, and you know what that means: It’s time to break out the holiday specials and movies that we love to watch every year. Most of these are Christmas specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas and movies like The Polar Express (and, of course, It’s A Wonderful Life).

Though there are plenty of holiday specials and movies to choose from in America, did you know that occasionally there are holiday specials that come from anime? They are rare, but they do get made. In the case of Naruto, there is a holiday special that many may be unaware of. What is the special about and how can you watch it?

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Are Anime Known for Holiday Specials?

If you are a hit anime series, chances are there is a holiday special of some kind (whether the title takes place on planet Earth or not). For the same reason American shows have holiday specials, anime will take advantage of the holidays with their own specials and episodes. Most of the time they are non-canonical, but fans are usually happy to see them. Even if the series doesn’t have a holiday special per se, the producers will usually produce special artwork and advertisements celebrating major holidays in Japan.

What Are Some Notable Holiday Specials?

Pokemon is famous for several holiday specials that involve Santa Claus. Sailor Moon S: The Movie takes place during Christmastime (and even has a Halloween-inspired episode during the first season). Romantic comedies like Love Hina and Maison Ikkoku feature holidays like Valentine’s Day and Christmas predominantly in several episodes of the series. Heck, even Dragon Ball Z has a (now mostly lost) holiday special that aired one time only. As a rule of thumb, romance and comedies tend to lean heavier into holidays than action and adventure series, which is why the existence of a Naruto holiday special is so significant.

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What is the Naruto Holiday Special About?

Since Naruto takes place in a fictional world, the holiday it celebrates is a (mostly) fictional version of Christmas that revolves around the Rinne Festival, a winter holiday celebration in Konohagakure (the Hidden Leaf Village). Originally a time for praying for the deceased, the Rinne Festival has evolved into a holiday where friends and loved ones exchange gifts. The episode was timed to be released during the Christmas season (it actually first aired in Japan on December 25, 2010), which was more than perfect timing.

In the special – titled Christmas is the Last Chance for Love! (which is the first half of episode 39 of the spin-off series Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals) – Naruto and his friends celebrate the festival by participating in various activities and reflecting on the importance of family and friendship. Being part of the spin-off series, the episode primarily focuses on Lee and his friends. Fans will be happy to see that Naruto does make an appearance (and plays a substantial role compared to other appearances he makes in this show).

The special (which is only about 15 minutes) involves all the kids competing to finish a race so that they can be the first to select a gift from the white elephant gift exchange. As predicted, both Naruto and Rock Lee want Sakura’s present (while Hinata wants the gift from Naruto). Along the way, most of them find themselves in traps where they must decide on continuing the race or staying behind and helping someone who has no plans for Christmas. In the end, everyone learns a lesson about what the true meaning of Christmas means (though, as predicted, the birth of a certain savior isn’t part of that message).

As with most episodes of the spin-off, the holiday special is a stand-alone story whose place in the main series canon is debatable (though Sasuke isn’t in it, so chances are pretty good this takes place during the Shippoden episodes). It even has enough good cheers that people who aren’t that familiar with the franchise could watch it and understand the basic premise. Is it essential holiday viewing? Eh…probably not. It’s unlikely to replace A Charlie Brown Cristmas or Frosty the Snowman anytime soon. Considering how rare holiday specials are for anime shows though (and it’s short length), it is an easy watch for the holiday season.

The Naruto holiday special can be viewed on Crunchyroll, Peacock, and Tubi.

A popular shonen anime based on Masashi Kishimoto’s manga, Naruto follows its eponymous shinobi’s journey as he goes from his town’s outsider to its hero.