The 2000s were a truly magical time to grow up. Some of the most successful and captivating cartoons and anime aired during the time. Rushing back home just to catch an episode of Ben 10 or Naruto was probably the golden time of life you will never get back.
Still, these nostalgic series will forever hold a place in the hearts of fans. But did you ever think that these two mega-successful series from different continents would ever refer to each other?
Some fans noticed a startling Naruto reference when they rewinded some old Ben 10 episodes.
The Sneaky Naruto Reference in Ben 10
Merry Christmas is the third episode of Ben 10, season 3. The episode features an evil entity called Mr. Jingles who inhabits a cursed Christmas theme park called Holiday Village. Max’s RV, the Rust Bucket, broke down in the middle of a desert when they found this eerie place and decided to go inside.
However, once they enter, Max gets forcefully taken by Mr. Jingles, who claims that Max is Santa Claus. An elf called Elsgood warns Ben and Gwen that unless they leave, they will be transformed into elves.
By the end of the episode, the trio is able to escape the curse by helping Mr. Jingles deliver all the gifts. When they return to Holiday Village, the curse is lifted, and they meet Mr. Elsgood, the elf who had warned Gwen and Ben, now an elderly man with three grandchildren.
A fan observed that the three grandchildren look extremely similar to the students in Team Ebisu from Naruto. Team Ebisu consisted of Sarutobi, Udon and Moegi. Team Ebisu was introduced in chapter 253 of Naruto that was released in April 2005. The Merry Christmas episode on the other hand was released on December 11, 2006. Clearly, someone from the Ben 10 character design team was a Naruto fan.
The hairstyles of the three children, right down to their bands are quite similar. The color schemes are a bit altered with the Moegi lookalike being a boy. In fact, the boy who looks like Moegi even has a lollipop design on his t-shirt that is quite similar to the Konoha symbol.
Why the Similarity is a Pleasant Surprise
Naruto began airing on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block in September 2005. It received a positive response as people were fascinated by this new genre of show. Anime reached popularity in the US around the 1990s; during the time Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, and other anime began airing. In the late 1990s, Toonami introduced Neon Genesis Evangelion, Pokemon, Digimon, and other anime to the US audience.
Thus, anime was not as popular in the US as it is now. Yet, Naruto could inspire character designs for Ben 10, another ultra-successful cartoon. This is not only unexpected but also enough to make any Naruto fan proud. Heck, even Masashi Kishimoto would be proud if he came across this fact.
You can read Naruto on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
