By admin 
In a landmark moment for anime enthusiasts worldwide, Naruto Ninja Cards, the franchise’s inaugural officially licensed digital card game, has officially launched. Available as a free-to-play application on both the App Store and Google Play, this innovative offering promises a deeply engaging "gamified card-collecting experience." Players can now immerse themselves in the vibrant world of Naruto by collecting iconic characters, uncovering exclusive artwork, and participating in real-time strategic battles with friends.
Behind this ambitious project is Sekai, an independent studio with dual bases in Paris and Tokyo. What might appear as a streamlined digital venture is, in fact, the culmination of five years of dedicated development and unwavering passion. Sekai’s journey to securing the rights for Naruto Ninja Cards is a testament to their perseverance and deep appreciation for the beloved ninja saga.
The genesis of Sekai can be traced back to 2021, when the studio initially launched as an anime-focused startup. Following extensive brainstorming and developmental discussions, the core team of four set their sights on obtaining official licensing from Japanese broadcaster TV Tokyo. While the Naruto universe has seen a proliferation of unofficial apps and projects over the years, securing approval from the intellectual property (IP) owner is a rare and significant achievement. Remarkably, TV Tokyo not only partnered with Sekai but also made a strategic investment in the studio, marking a pivotal moment as their first investment in a Western company since their backing of Crunchyroll.
Samy Therain, co-founder and CEO of Sekai, articulated the immense effort involved in this endeavor. "We spent a year and a half in Japan convincing the IP’s owners to trust us, and became the first foreign studio ever licensed to build this," Therain stated. "We’re giving our soul to this project. Half a million fans felt it, and showed up before we ever asked. Today’s launch is theirs.” This sentiment underscores the deep connection Sekai feels to the Naruto fandom and their commitment to delivering an experience that honors the spirit of the series.
The strategic investment from TV Tokyo signals a significant endorsement of Sekai’s vision and capabilities. Hiroaki Saiki, Head of Global Distribution at TV Tokyo, echoed Therain’s enthusiasm, emphasizing the crucial role of genuine passion in driving the game’s success. "The Sekai team’s genuine passion for ‘Naruto’ is what truly resonates with fans worldwide," Saiki commented. "I trust that their care, patience, and deep understanding of the series’ core spirit will drive the success of this product!" This collaborative spirit and shared vision are foundational to the game’s promising future.
Further bolstering Sekai’s backing is a notable roster of investors, including Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park – a band whose music has long been intertwined with the Naruto fan-edit community – NBA All-Star Rudy Gobert, Skycatcher, Makers Fund, and Alexis Ohanian’s fund 776. This diverse group of investors highlights the broad appeal and potential perceived in Naruto Ninja Cards.
The game’s reception since its soft launch on February 5th has been nothing short of extraordinary. According to Sekai, the app has already garnered an impressive 500,000 downloads, with a staggering 93% attributed to organic search. This remarkable organic growth is a testament to the game’s inherent appeal and the effective marketing strategies employed by Sekai. The team attributes this early triumph to several key factors: "never-before-seen hand-drawn artworks, Easter eggs hidden for those who know the series by heart, and updates shaped by fan feedback since day one." This focus on authentic fan engagement and high-quality content has clearly resonated with the dedicated Naruto fanbase.
However, the path to this triumphant launch was far from smooth. Just a few years prior, the Naruto Ninja Cards project teetered on the brink of collapse, a stark reminder of the challenges inherent in securing IP rights and navigating complex international partnerships. After months of diligent effort at licensing expos and networking events, a series of high-profile introductions, including meetings with figures like Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, Crunchyroll founder Kun Gao, and former Toei Animation boss Kanji Kazahaya, paved the way for Sekai’s initial meeting with the TV Tokyo team in January 2022.
The subsequent year and a half was a period of intense negotiation, relationship-building, and immersion in Japanese culture, as Therain and his team dedicated themselves to securing the coveted license. Yet, despite the progress made, Sekai found themselves inexplicably "ghosted" by TV Tokyo, leaving them in a state of uncertainty and despair. "When they don’t reply to one email, you know something is wrong, and so that’s what happened. And for a month, we had no news," Therain recounted to Variety.
This unnerving silence prompted Therain to take drastic action. "So that’s why I flew. I flew again to Japan, and I wanted to get a chance to go to them. That’s why my hotel room was across the street from their office because I knew, when I’m there, I need to be available if they want to talk to me. I’m right across the street, and so we went there with two of my co-founders and we waited a bit." This dramatic act of commitment underscores the depth of Sekai’s belief in the project.
Guidance from industry insiders suggested that this impasse might signify the deal’s impending dissolution. The situation took a critical turn when Sekai learned that the fundamental roadblock was the lack of approval from Naruto creator, Masashi Kishimoto. "And then I get a call telling me it’s over," Therain lamented. "Then I’m like, what can we do? It’s either we start with another IP from the ground up, and so it’s going to take a lot more time, or I don’t know – find something, do something."
The team found themselves at a loss, with Therain recalling a moment of profound despair where he called his wife in tears from a Tokyo hotel lobby. "The dream is over. It’s over. It’s just over. And she’s like, ‘What? Why? What happened?’ So I tell her, ‘The author said no,’" Therain shared. "And you can’t talk to the author. You can’t get an audience with him. Once he says no, goodbye. And she’s like, ‘That’s great news!’ I’m like, ‘What didn’t you understand? The author said no.’ And she reminded me that the entire adventure was under the, let’s say the protection of Naruto, and our motto as a company was ‘Live your own shonen adventure’ or ‘Live like a shonen,’ which literally means when something goes bad, just fight for it."
This pivotal conversation with his wife served as a powerful catalyst, reigniting Therain’s determination. Inspired by the very spirit of the character he aimed to honor, Therain penned a heartfelt letter to Masashi Kishimoto. "So I just went home, and I wrote a letter to the author of ‘Naruto,’ not knowing if he would get it or read it or anything, I just put it on paper."
Therain eloquently explained his approach, drawing a direct parallel to Naruto‘s signature "talk no jutsu," the power of words. "Because that’s what Naruto does. Naruto is famous for what we call talk no jutsu, which is literally the power of words," Therain elaborated. "And so, whenever he beats an enemy, it’s never with his fists. It’s after they exhausted all the weaponry and the magic and all this stuff. That’s when they start talking, and he turns the bad guy into a good guy because in ‘Naruto,’ no bad guy is bad entirely. You can turn anything into anything else. So I wrote on paper what ‘Naruto’ meant to me, every reason why I loved him, and how he changed my life, how he was there all the time, every time. And I ended it with [a part] which was exactly like Naruto: ‘I don’t know if you’re going to say like ‘Sorry, yeah,’ but no matter what happens, basically I will try again and again and again. Akiramenai, I will never give up because this is my ninja way. And this is what you taught me with ‘Naruto,’ Sensei.’”
While Therain remains tight-lipped about the precise details of the subsequent events, he confirmed that following the submission of his letter to TV Tokyo, the deal received the crucial approval from Masashi Kishimoto himself. "It was a beautiful loop, in a way, because I was in this moment where everything seemed lost, and I felt like Naruto, and I was listening to the music and I was crying because I was like, this is just reality matching with the dream," Therain reflected. "So after that, the dream came true, basically." This profound personal resonance with the Naruto narrative undoubtedly fueled the game’s development and its eventual success.
Looking ahead, Sekai has ambitious plans for the Naruto Ninja Cards ecosystem. The immediate focus for the remainder of the year is on "product iterations," which includes continuous updates and expansions to the game. With a highly engaged Discord community of nearly 1,410 members, Sekai is committed to incorporating fan feedback to shape the game’s direction. "On Discord, we have almost 1,410 people, and we’re known to reply to everyone to take into account what they ask for, to steer the product into the direction of what people really want, so there’s a lot of product shipping," Therain explained. The team is dedicated to releasing new sets of cards every three months, ensuring a consistent stream of fresh content and opportunities for players to collect their favorite characters.
Beyond the digital realm, Sekai’s IP deal with TV Tokyo encompasses broader initiatives. The studio is actively exploring the creation of "additional anime-inspired AAA games" and, perhaps most excitingly, "live events." Therain alluded to plans for "live events in stadiums like no one has ever seen before," collaborating with individuals from Hollywood and leveraging their investor network. The vision is to create immersive experiences that go beyond conventional fan gatherings.
"But we really want to create events that will feel to people after they participated in these events that they can’t go to any other type of event ever again. We call that the ‘Super Bowl of Anime.’ So we really, really want to bring the epicness that we feel when we watch a Naruto fight to a real live stage, and that obviously involves pyrotechnic effects, holograms, and things like that. That’s very important to us," Therain declared, painting a picture of a truly spectacular and unforgettable fan experience.
The launch of Naruto Ninja Cards represents more than just a new mobile game; it signifies a significant step forward in how beloved anime franchises can engage with their global audiences in the digital age. Sekai’s journey, marked by perseverance, passion, and a deep understanding of the Naruto ethos, has culminated in a product that promises to captivate fans and set a new benchmark for licensed anime collectibles.
