Experiencing Anime In a New Way at ‘Naruto: The Symphonic Experience’

Anime continues to grow in popularity, and with that growth comes new ways to experience the world of anime. Naruto: The Symphonic Experience is a live, two-hour event featuring scenes from the iconic anime, synchronized with a live orchestra. Believe it!

*Photo from Naruto: The Symphonic Experience’s* *official website*

The Rise of Anime in North America

For decades now, anime (a style of Japanese film and television animation) has grown in global popularity and influence. Back in the early 2000s, many anime fans had to scour websites such as YouTube and Megavideo to find mere fragments of episodes. Now, anime is more accessible than ever, allowing new and veteran fans to access it on their favorite streaming platform or through their local library. On top of increased accessibility, there are new ways to consume and experience anime, including through video games, conventions, and the newest medium to hit the scene: concerts.

Experiencing Anime Sonically

While some of the most beloved elements of anime include the eccentric character designs, extensive worldbuilding, and thrilling showdowns, these stories would not be the same without the music that accompanies them. From the exhilarating opening themes to the sinister chords that play when a villain makes their entrance, the soundtracks of anime pull us into new worlds and transform the storylines into an immersive experience.

*Photo from Viz Media’s* *official website*

The History of Naruto

Naruto is an anime based on Masashi Kishimoto's manga (a style of Japanese comic book) with the same title. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja whose dream is to become the leader of his village. It premiered in Japan in 2002 and in North America in 2005. Naruto is part of the “Big Three” in anime, alongside One Piece and Bleach, all dominating the anime industry in the mid-2000s due to their massive popularity, sales, and cultural impact.

Naruto: The Symphonic Experience

Naruto: The Symphonic Experience was announced in December 2024 by Viz Media, the company that publishes, licences, and distributes Naruto. The official website states, “NARUTO: The Symphonic Experience combines iconic scenes from the anime with a live symphonic orchestra performing the original score.” This unique event “brings Naruto’s story and music to life in an epic, immersive way for fans to enjoy together.” The tour lineup consisted of 58 stops in North America, encouraging fans to “get in tune with their musical chakra”.

My Personal Recap of Naruto: The Symphonic Experience

Being a Naruto fan, band geek, and orchestra geek, I already knew that I wanted to attend this amazing event, but once I saw that my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama was listed as a tour stop, I knew that I had to go all out. I put on my Tsunade cosplay (a costume that represents a specific character), strapped up my heels, and headed to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. When I arrived, the line was out the door. Fans travelled far and wide to experience this immersive adventure.

*Photo from* *Morgan of the Leaf’s Instagram*

Inside, the lobby had a concession stand, merch table, and a backdrop to take photos in front of. A lot of concerts nowadays surprisingly do not have backdrops to take photos at, so I was thankful to have an area to pose and channel my inner hokage! (That’s the title for the leader of the village.)

When I entered the concert hall, the room was buzzing with fans ready for the show to begin. There was a projector for the scenes to play on and the orchestra was directly underneath it. As I walked to my seat, I received several compliments on my Tsunade cosplay. I love the energy at anime events and I am thankful to receive positive words about the time and effort that I put into bringing fictional characters to life.

The show opened with the two lead vocalists, Caleb Hyles and Lauryn Alexandria (a.k.a. Toasty Marshmallow) coming to the stage. Caleb is a singer, songwriter, and voice actor with a voice that makes you feel empowered and ready to fight. Lauryn is a multitalented performer and content creator. I became a fan of hers back in 2022 when I saw her hilarious “Anime Girl Dates a Hood Guy” series. Afterwards, I found out that she also did covers of various anime songs. I had never seen a Black woman sing in Japanese before and it was so inspiring to watch her thrive in her craft! Witnessing her as the female lead vocalist for this show made me so emotional and showed me that anime can give you the opportunity to follow your dreams in real life. Whether it’s singing, playing an instrument, animation, voice acting, makeup, or costume design, the world of anime provides endless opportunities to showcase your talents to the world.

Lauryn and Caleb warmed up the crowd with a fun, interactive exercise. When one of them yelled “Naruto!” the crowd would yell “Sasuke!” I loved that they started the show off with crowd participation, especially since it’s a long-running joke that a lot of the dialogue from the show is the two of them yelling each other’s names.

The lights dimmed and the show began. Throughout the night, we watched, listened, and cheered along as the story of Naruto unfolded. The show was in Japanese (the original language of the anime) with English subtitles and covered the original Naruto series, providing us with a unique blend of anime and live orchestration. The instruments included brass, woodwinds, strings, keys, percussion, and Japanese instruments such as the shakuhachi (played by Kelsey Chin) and the taiko (played by Wolfgang Finn), giving the audience an authentic cultural experience. The show also included LED lights, bringing a chromatic element to the show by matching the lights with the colors and moods of the scenes.

The show ended with a sing-along and the energy in the room was invigorating! We gave the performers a standing ovation and some of us even shed tears. Some of the performers took pictures with attendees and even signed autographs. This performance didn’t just evoke emotions around Naruto’s story, it also reminded us of the solid community that this amazing anime has built worldwide.

The Accessibility of Anime

Although anime is more prevalent than ever, some people may get discouraged by the commitment it takes to watch some anime. The original Naruto series has 220 episodes, and that may intimidate some viewers. However, with the rise of anime concerts such as Naruto: The Symphonic Experience, fans now have the opportunity to experience highly-acclaimed anime in a unique format that allows new fans to get a taste of anime without the pressure of watching hundreds of episodes and allows veteran fans to either rekindle the love they had for a classic anime or fuel the flames on a passion that was never extinguished.

Naruto: The Symphonic Experience is currently on tour in North America and ends on May 18th, 2025.