By Casey Baseel, RocketNews24

The rumors of Naruto’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Sure, last November marked the end of creator Masashi Kishimoto’s manga, after an amazing 15 years of serialization collected into 72 volumes. But while manga fans no longer get to see their ninja pals in the pages of weekly anthology Shonen Jump, elsewhere Naruto and company have been popping up all over the place.

The anime TV series is still ongoing, and last December’s "The Last: Naruto the Movie" isn’t as conclusive as it sounds, as there’s another Naruto theatrical feature scheduled for release in August. Then, of course, there’s the highly anticipated stage adaptation of the series.

And if all that’s still not enough for you, there’s an exhibition of Naruto artwork set to open in Tokyo and Osaka soon, with a sneak peak just a week away.

Over 150 pieces of artwork from the series will be displayed at the event, which is set to open April 25 at the Tokyo Mori Arts Center Gallery, which is part of the Roppongi Hills entertainment complex.

In addition to the two-dimensional artwork, visitors will also be able to see famous scenes form the anime and manga franchise recreated in three-dimensional space.

The exhibition’s website also promises a special video, exclusively viewable at the event, which will be played on a 10-meter screen.

At just about any art museum, you’ll find a souvenir shop selling merchandise featuring the pieces currently on display. The Naruto Exhibition is no different, as its map shows the very last stop before the exit to be a store that will be selling Naruto straps, folding fans, bags, and T-shirts specially designed for the event.

Even if you’re not in the mood to drop some extra yen at the store, though, you won’t be going home empty-handed. All attendees will receive the Naruto Exhibition Official Guest Book, which contains a 19-page non-serialized Naruto manga drawn by Kishimoto himself. Purchasers of premium advance tickets (which are just 100 yen more than regular advance tickets) will also receive the Naruto Exhibition Premium Fan Book, featuring yet another 19-page non-serialized manga.

The exhibition officially opens at the Mori Arts Center Gallery on April 25, but if you can’t wait that long, a portion of the featured artwork, including pieces autographed by Kishimoto, will be on display in Roppongi Hills’ West Walk section, where it can be viewed free of charge, from March 2 to 4. On June 28, the Naruto Exhibition packs its bags and moves to Osaka, where it opens at the Osaka Culturarium at Tempozan on July 18 and runs until September 27.

Advance tickets for the Tokyo event can be purchased between now and April 24 at Lawson and Mini Stop convenience stores, or online here through Lawson’s La Ticket network. Using your ninja stealth powers to sneak in without paying is, of course, prohibited.

Source: Fashion Press

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Six new cast photos from Naruto play released as Teams 8 and 10 get ready to take the stage -- Evangelion? Cool. Katana? Cool. Evangelion and katana? Very cool! -- Massive Warhol exhibit visits Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, over 600 works on display

© Japan Today