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Naruto: Sasuke Retsuden is all set to receive an anime adaptation following the success of the manga. Instead of a standalone anime, the spin-off will be incorporated into the ongoing Boruto series. While the news has not been officially released, several reputed sources have confirmed it.
According to the sources, the published chapters of Sasuke Retsuden Manga will be adapted into two Boruto episodes: episode 282, Sasuke Retsuden: Infiltration, and episode 283, Sasuke Retsuden: Star Lines.
Sasuke Retsuden anime adaptation and episode release date announced
According to the leaks, Episode 282 will be aired on January 8, 2023, and episode 283 will be aired on January 15, 2023. As usual, the episodes will be broadcast on TV Tokyo at 5.30 pm JST before being simulcast at the following international times on their respective days:
- Pacific Time – 12.30 am
- Central Time – 2.30 am
- Eastern Time – 3.30 am
- British Summertime – 8.30 am
- Central European Summertime – 9.30 am
- Indian Standard Time – 2 pm
- Philippine Time – 4.30 pm
- Australian Central Daylight Time – 6 pm
The simulcast will be available on Netflix, Hulu, and VRV for international viewers.
Current status of the manga
Sasuke Retsuden: The Uchiha Descendant and the Heavenly Stardust is a spinoff novel of Masashi Ishimoto’s Naruto series, written by Jun Esaka and illustrated by Kishimoto Himself. The light novel was later turned into a manga adaptation illustrated by Shingo Kimura under Kishimoto’s supervision, stylized as Naruto: Sasuke’s Story - The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust by VIZ. The manga maintains a bi-weekly serialization on Shueisha’s online magazine, Shonen Jump +, and is available on Mangaplus, VIZ, and the Shonen Jump app.
So far, the manga has published four chapters with a 5th scheduled to be published on Sunday, December 18, at 12 am JST. The story features Sasuke infiltrating a prison to acquire an antidote for Naruto, who has been poisoned. The spinoff also focuses on Sasuke and partially on Sakura, and is praised for its layered portrayal of their relationship.
Needless to say that the light novel is not long enough to merit an adaptation of its own. Given that the story takes place during the Boruto timeline, it seems prudent to adapt the novel to the ongoing anime. Boruto is infamous for its overwhelming number of filler episodes. However, considering that Kishimoto approved and supervised the Sasuke Retsuden series, these episodes can be considered semi-canon.
Final thoughts
Naruto fans have long wanted an exploration of the romance between Sakura and Sasuke. Not only did they feel that the main series mistreated Sakura as a character, but it was also evident that it never gave the dynamic between her and Sasuke a proper chance to bloom positively. As a result, readers always felt that their relationship was one-sided and unhealthy, to the point that some consider it to be toxic.
Sasuke Retsuden does a fantastic job of expanding upon Ishimoto’s foundations of this romance and brings Sasuke’s feelings for his wife to light. It establishes the dynamic of mutual respect and trust that the two have and gives validity to their decision to spend their lives together and start a family. Hopefully, the anime adaptation will provide the same clarity for the viewers that the manga did for the wider reader base.
