Junko Takeuchi
Naruto Uzumaki (voice)
Overview
Two years after the events of the Fourth Great Ninja War, the moon that Hagoromo Otsutsuki created long ago to seal away the Gedo Statue begins to descend towards the world, threatening to become a meteor that would destroy everything on impact. Amidst this crisis, a direct descendant of Kaguya Otsutsuki named Toneri Otsutsuki attempts to kidnap Hinata Hyuga but ends up abducting her younger sister Hanabi. Naruto and his allies now mount a rescue mission before finding themselves embroiled in a final battle to decide the fate of everything.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
6 min readThe Red Scarf and the Weight of Waiting
I’ve rewatched The Last: Naruto the Movie three times now, and each time, the same moment gets me: Hinata, alone in her room, knitting a red scarf by the light of a single lamp. The camera lingers on her fingers, the yarn slipping through them like time itself. It’s a quiet scene, almost mundane, but it carries the weight of a decade of unspoken love.
This is the film’s secret heart—not the moon crashing toward Earth, not the final battle on a lunar landscape, but the slow, patient accumulation of small gestures that finally force Naruto to see what’s been in front of him all along.
That scarf is the film’s most eloquent argument for why The Last exists at all. For years, Naruto was a story about ambition, rivalry, and the bonds of friendship, but romance was always an afterthought—something hinted at in blushes and awkward glances but never given room to breathe. The manga’s epilogue, which jumps ahead to show Naruto and Hinata married with children, left a gaping question: How? How does the boy who spent his entire adolescence pining after Sakura end up with the girl who loved him silently for just as long? The Last is the answer, and it’s an answer that hinges on this scarf, this moment, this quiet act of devotion.
The film’s greatest strength is its willingness to slow down. The first act is almost leisurely by shōnen standards, letting us settle into the rhythms of a world at peace. Naruto, now a young adult, is still the same impulsive, loudmouthed ninja at heart, but the years have softened his edges.
He’s not the reckless kid who charged into battle without a plan, but he’s also not yet the Hokage he’ll become. This in-between space is where The Last lives, and it’s where the film’s emotional core takes root. The problem isn’t that Naruto doesn’t love Hinata—it’s that he doesn’t know he loves her.
And how could he? For most of the series, his emotional vocabulary was limited to "Sakura" and "I’ll become Hokage!" Hinata’s love was a background hum, easy to ignore when the world was always ending.
The film’s solution to this problem is its most daring choice: it forces Naruto to experience Hinata’s perspective. Through a series of dream sequences—part genjutsu, part narrative device—he relives her memories: the bullying she endured as a child, the way she’d watch him from afar, the quiet despair of loving someone who never looked back. These scenes are the film’s emotional climax, and they’re devastating precisely because they’re so simple.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of The Last: Naruto the Movie: Canon Conflicts, Voice Actor Reactions, and Fan Backlash
The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014) marked the franchise’s first canonical film, bridging the gap between Naruto Shippuden and the epilogue of Masashi Kishimoto’s manga. But while the movie promised closure for fans, its production stirred up drama—from creator involvement to mixed reactions from the cast and audience.
Kishimoto’s Canon Seal of Approval
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRxNUgOT1Yw
Unlike previous Naruto films, The Last was positioned as essential viewing, directly tying into the manga’s ending. A key selling point was Kishimoto’s hands-on role. In an interview tied to the film’s release, Kishimoto confirmed the movie’s events were canon, even scripting the story himself [6]. This was a rare move for the creator, who typically left anime adaptations to Studio Pierrot. The film’s director, Tsuneo Kobayashi, helmed the project, though details about his collaboration with Kishimoto remain scarce 
. Rumors suggest Kishimoto’s involvement was a response to fan criticism of earlier non-canon films, but no official statements confirm this.
Voice Actors’ Mixed Reactions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IV9o8NroaM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqZYknG_Kp8
The film’s Japanese voice cast—including Junko Takeuchi (Naruto) and Nana Mizuki (Hinata)—had worked together for over a decade by 2014. Yet their reactions to The Last were surprisingly candid. In a behind-the-scenes clip, Takeuchi and Jun Fukuyama (Toneri) joked about the film’s romantic focus, with Takeuchi playfully calling it a "love story" rather than a typical Naruto battle [4]. Meanwhile, a separate video featured Takeuchi and Kazuhiko Inoue (Kakashi) discussing the emotional weight of the finale, though neither delved into production challenges [8].
The most telling response came from fans. While the soundtrack earned a solid 7.4/10 rating , the film itself scored a middling 5.5/10 on SensCritique, with nearly 2,200 votes . Criticism centered on its pacing and tonal shift from action to romance—a departure that left some viewers cold.
Fan Backlash and Legacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMPUWhm8lF0
The Last’s divisive reception didn’t stop Studio Pierrot from doubling down on romance in later projects (see: Boruto). But at the time, the backlash was vocal. A YouTube essay titled "Why The Last Naruto The Movie Is Awful" racked up views, arguing the film’s rushed character arcs and underwhelming villain undermined its emotional stakes [7]. Even the soundtrack, praised for its orchestral score, couldn’t salvage the film’s reputation for some.
Still, The Last remains a milestone as the franchise’s first canonical movie. Its flaws—whether in storytelling or execution—highlight the risks of pivoting a battle-hardened series toward romance. For better or worse, it set the tone for Naruto’s transition into its next generation.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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