What is the Naruto Christmas Special?

Key points

• Anime series often have holiday specials like Pokemon and Sailor Moon.
• The Naruto Christmas special features the fictional Rinne Festival in Konohagakure.
• The Naruto Christmas Special, “Christmas is the Last Chance to Love!” is available on Crunchyroll, Peacock and Tubi.

The holidays are upon us, and you know what that means: It's time to release the holiday specials and movies we love to watch every year. Most of these are Christmas specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas and similar films The Polar Express (and, of course, It's a wonderful life).

While there are many movies and holiday specials to choose from in America, did you know that sometimes there are holiday specials that come from anime? They are rare, but they are made. In case of Narutothere is a special holiday that many may not be aware of. What is the special about and how can you watch it?

Is anime known for Christmas specials?

If you're a hit anime series, chances are there's a holiday special of some kind (regardless of whether the title is set on planet Earth or not). For the same reason that 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-canon, but fans are usually happy to see them. Although the series does not have a holiday special per se, the producers usually produce special illustrations and advertisements celebrating major holidays in Japan.

What are some noteworthy special offers?

Pokémon is famous for numerous Christmas specials involving Santa Claus. Sailor Moon S: The Movie takes place during the Christmas season (and even has a Halloween-inspired episode during the first season). Romantic comedies like I love Hina AND Maison Ikkoku feature holidays such as Valentine's Day and Christmas predominantly in several episodes of the series. Heck, even Dragon Ball Z has a (now mostly lost) Christmas special that only aired once. As a general rule, romance and comedies tend to lean more into the holidays than action-adventure series, which is why the existence of a Naruto the holiday special is so meaningful.

What is the Naruto Christmas special about?

From Naruto is set 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 of prayer for the deceased, the Rinne Festival has evolved into a celebration where friends and loved ones exchange gifts. The episode was supposed 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 – entitled Christmas is the Last chance for love! (which is the first half of episode 39 of the spin-off series Rock Lee and his ninja friends) – Naruto and his friends celebrate the holiday by participating in various activities and reflecting on the importance of family and friendship. Being part of the spin-off series, the episode mainly focuses on Lee and his friends. Fans will be happy to see Naruto make an appearance (and play a substantial role compared to other appearances he makes in this show).

The special (which only lasts about 15 minutes) involves all the kids competing to finish a race so they can be the first to select a gift from the White Elephant Gift Exchange. As expected, both Naruto and Rock Lee want Sakura's gift (while Hinata wants the gift from Naruto). Along the way, most of them find themselves in traps where they must decide whether to continue the race or stay behind and help someone who has no plans for Christmas. In the end, everyone learns a lesson about what the true meaning of Christmas means (though, as expected, the birth of a certain savior is not part of that message).

As with most of the spin-off episodes, the Christmas special is a stand-alone story whose place in the main series canon is questionable (though Sasuke isn't present, so it's very likely that this takes place during Shippoden episodes). It also has enough appeal that people who aren't familiar with the franchise can watch it and understand its basic premise. Is this essential holiday viewing? Eh…probably not. It is unlikely to be replaced A Charlie Brown Christmas OR Frosty the snowman anytime soon. Considering how rare Christmas specials are for anime shows (and it's short-lived), it's an easy watch for the holiday season.

THE Naruto the holiday special can be seen on Crunchyroll, Peacock and Tubi.