The Naruto fanbase altered the results of an official poll in favor of Sakura Haruno.
As detailed on Anime Senpai, the Naruto franchise conducted a global poll to determine what fans deemed the best fight scene in both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. This poll directly preceded a special polling event called NARUTOP99, which had fans vote for their all-time favorite character. The winning character will receive a special one-shot manga from Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto and a set of collectible figurines. At first, it appeared that fans had ranked Sakura and Lady Chiyo’s fight against Sasori the #1 best fight of the series. However, a Twitter user called LANZ (or @Zenin_woo) revealed that Sakura fans collaborated to illegitimately manipulate the results so that Sakura would come out on top.
LANZ exposed the fraudulent results on their page, explaining how certain fans had used VPNs and mass voting software, which allowed them to vote as many times as they wished without being detected. LANZ also discovered a chat group called “Sakura Daily Vote” that provided followers with tutorials on using mass voting software. They even managed to screenshot a message of the chat group owner instructing a follower on how to use a macro recorder. This particular group consisted of over 50,000 members, and it wasn’t the only one, as LANZ uncovered similar groups on Twitter, each one encouraging fans to vote.
Sakura Currently Ranks Third in the Poll
The Naruto franchise will announce the final results of the NARUTOP99 in April. Even though the voting period closed back in January, some Sakura fans are now encouraging their fellow members to manipulate the results of this poll as well. According to the contest’s official midterm report, Naruto‘s father, Minato, currently holds the #1 spot. The second and third-place spots are held by Itachi and Sakura, respectively.
Kishimoto’s Naruto manga series is now over, but the franchise’s legacy continues in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Although the series revolves heavily around Boruto and Sasuke, Sakura also makes appearances, albeit her role in the story is much more limited than in Naruto. Despite some contention around certain Boruto episodes, the series retains high viewership, allowing it to stand toe-to-toe with the shonen titan, One Piece. Part I of the Boruto anime ended on March 26. However, Pierrot has greenlit Part II for production, although the studio has yet to set a release window.
Naruto, Naruto Shippuden and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations are available to stream on Hulu.
Source: Twitter, via Anime Senpai