It has been said that there is no such thing as a new story anymore. When it comes to epic tales, conventions and tropes often dictate a plot does certain things, leaving only a few narrative frames behind for all stories to fit inside. It’s because of this fans can compare superhero stories from around the world, but that doesn’t mean the coincidences are spooky.

So, really, it isn’t too surprising to see people drawing connections between Naruto and Avengers: Infinity War. You don’t have to have an IQ like Shikamaru to pick out the similarities.

As you can see below, the Internet has a lot to say about the third Avengers film and its connection to Naruto. Sites like Twitter and Reddit have dedicated fans willing to comb through all their similarities, and they have already found plenty.

Avengers Infinity war is basically the War arc in Naruto Shippuden. Thanos is Madara who basically wants to collect the tailed beasts (infinity stones) in order to create a better world. He also suffered loss to attain power aka mangekyo (soul stone) — Ali San (@TheSanPlanet) April 27, 2018

Infinity War is a RIP-OFF of the Naruto series — Isa (@Isa_Got_Pride) April 27, 2018

Is it just me or is there A LOT in common between Avengers Infinity War and Naruto Shippuden? — ber (@HusseinBerjaoui) April 29, 2018

Infinity War was pretty much the same as Naruto Shippuden — Aaliyah (@bruh_aaliyah) April 27, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War...

aka Superhero/Space D&D set to a plot eerily similar of Naruto Shippuden. — Charlton Ellzey (@charltonsoffun) April 30, 2018

Didn’t you notice? Doctor Strange pulls a Kage Bunshin trick on Thanos. The Mad Titan uses a replacement jutsu against Gamora and even an All Mighty Push to throw a moon at Iron Man. Groot is the ultimate master of the First Hokage’s Wood Style, and Konan’s ability to shred people into papery ashes was seen through the Soul Stone in the end — and that is just the start.

If you dig deep into the fandom, you can find people connecting Avengers and its use of Infinity Stones to the Bijuu. In these scenarios, fans are going so far as to compare Vision to a Jinchuriki who’s housing a terrible power similar to a Bijuu. With the Black Order standing in for the Akatsuki, Thanos takes the place of Madara, and Vision finds himself walking down a similar road to the one Gaara traversed.

Of course, narrative tenants are just that; They act a plot tentpoles for every story out there, so no one is calling Avengers: Infinity War a fraud for copying Naruto. These superficial comparisons have drummed up conversation about the viability of anime stories in Western media and whether a live-action take on Masashi Kishimoto’s series could fare as well as an Avengers movie if done right. So, here’s to hoping Hollywood’s take on Naruto learns a thing or two from Marvel Studios’ latest project.

Do you see the connections between Naruto and Avengers: Infinity War? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!