It looks like "No Boy No Cry" is also a line from "Tough Boy," the opening of the second season of Fist of the North Star. That series aired back in the 80s. It looks like this manga and OVA were contemporaneous with the earlier parts of the Naruto anime in the early 00s. I'm inclined to think the mother's transformation line is a North Star reference, given how the characters act and the general tone of this series.
Trying to pin down exactly when the phrase first appeared versus when that particular Naruto opening ran sounds like more trouble than it's worth. We could just leave it unlinked and say it's uncertain.
It looks like "No Boy No Cry" is also a line from "Tough Boy," the opening of the second season of Fist of the North Star. That series aired back in the 80s. It looks like this manga and OVA were contemporaneous with the earlier parts of the Naruto anime in the early 00s. I'm inclined to think the mother's transformation line is a North Star reference, given how the characters act and the general tone of this series.
Trying to pin down exactly when the phrase first appeared versus when that particular Naruto opening ran sounds like more trouble than it's worth. We could just leave it unlinked and say it's uncertain.
Anyone else care to weigh in?