Over the years, the story ofNarutohas captivated, excited, and inspired millions of people around the world, and while theanimeis widely beloved, age has widened its cracks that aremakecan fix. The anime based on author Masashi Kishimoto’s manga concluded with its 720th episode airing in 2017. While many of those episodes were filler, even the canon episodes suffer from issues that makeNarutoless enjoyable than it could be to watch.
Many iconic anime series, such asDragon Ball Z,One Piece, andNaruto, worked to adapt the long-running mangas while their stories were still being written. Those shows mean a lot to many people worldwide, but their weekly release schedules forced many unnecessary inclusions, including hundreds of filler episodes and dramatized pacing to help fill each episode’s time slot. However, cutting out non-canon material is only one of thebig improvements aNarutoanime remake can provide.
How Anime Is Created & Consumed Has Changed A Lot SinceNaruto’s Debut
NarutoandNaruto ShippudenAired From 2002 to 2017
WhenNaruto’s anime first began in 2002, its episodes began to adapt multiple manga chapters every week. Before long, the anime ran the risk of catching up to Kishimoto’s manga. This is a common problem that several anime series have remedied in different ways. The franchise isinfamous for having hundreds of filler episodes that make up at least forty-one percent of the entire anime, but they can be easily skipped with ahelpfulNarutofiller guide. Unfortunately, even that won’t spare newer viewers from the frustrating constraints created by the weekly episode model Naruto was created within.
Seasonal anime releases have become more common in the current age of entertainment, which ideally allows anime production companies more time to create and polish a batch of episodes before they are released. Shows likeMy Hero Academia,Demon Slayer, andJujutsu Kaisenhave adapted that model with great success, and in most cases, it allows their stories to have the incredible animation and presentation they deserve. After watching seasonally released anime, rewatchingNarutoepisodes becomes a different experience than fans might remember.
Naruto’s Anime Suffers From More Than Lackluster Filler Episodes
Even Canon Episodes OfNarutoHave Their Share Of Filler Material
Now that the entireNarutostory has been told, an anime remake can adapt Masashi Kishimoto’s legendary tale with drastically improved pacing. A modernizedNarutoadaptation would not need to dedicate a few minutes at the start of every episode to summarize past episodes, a feature that can feel like a waste of time when watching several episodes in a row instead of one a week as they were initially released. This also includes flashback sequences recounting events that modern audiences may have watched recently and need no reminder of.
Without the pressures of creating an eighteen to twenty-one-minute anime episode to fill a television’s coveted weekly timeslot, different direction choices can enhance the pacing of a newNarutoadaptation. For example, during the Chuunin Exam finals, there are more than a few moments when episodes cut away from the battle to hear commentary from other characters watching the battles. While those moments can be vital in helping audiences understand the action unfolding, there are also plenty of moments specifically made to pad time, like long scenes devoted to a nervous Choji eating chips while watching his friends fight.
Naruto’s First Major Arc Is Secretly One Of Its Most Important For A Few Reasons That Are Easy To Miss
Skipping Naruto’s first major arc, The Land of Waves mission, robs newer fans of several vital character moments that dramatically improve the story.
While it still has its issues, part one ofNarutois regarded as having much better pacing compared to the story’s second part included inNaruto Shippuden. Moments, especially during the Fourth Shinobi War arc, were packed with flashbacks that consistently slowed the momentum of theNarutoanime’s most emotionaland dramatic story beats. Still, theNarutoadaptations from Studio Pierrot are remembered fondly and continue to grow the fanbase, but a remake can tell the manga’s story even better.
Cherished Series Have Gotten The Remake Treatment, And It’sNaruto’s Turn
Dragon Ball,One Piece, andBleachHave Each Received New Opportunities ThatNarutoAlso Deserves
Naruto’s author, Masashi Kishimoto, andOne Piece’sEiichiro Oda were rival mangaka who became close friends. The super-powered pirate adventure series recently announced its own remake project that will re-adapt the beginning of that story with modern technology and a different studio than the currently ongoing Toei adaptation. However,One Pieceis not the first popular anime to receive an anime remake at a time that felt too soon, but it exceeded expectations in a way that fans hope aNarutoremake can someday accomplish.
One Piece Remake Gets First Look With New Art & Staff Information
Wit Studio has finally revealed the first glimpse of the upcoming One Piece remake, revealing new concept art and the talented staff involved.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodis regarded as one of thebest anime of all timeand has proved how successful it can be to go all-in on remaking a series that’s already been adapted. While fans can hopeThe One Piececan reach those same heights, it’s a peak that aNarutoanime remake could reach and even surpass. It’s a project many fans want to see happen, but creating such a production might also require a new animation studio because Studio Pierrot has a lot on its plate.
Studio Pierrot Crafted TheNarutoAnime But May Be Too Busy To Do It Again
Pierrot ProducedNaruto,Naruto Shippuden, and TheBorutoAnime While Also Making Other Projects
Many anime production companies struggle to release more than a dozen episodes of a series a year, making the fact thatStudio Pierrot once produced a new episode of bothNarutoandBleachweekly for many yearsa nearly unbelievable accomplishment. While the very talented studio is no longer producing nearly the same quantity of anime, it has increased the quality of its work, which is increasingly apparent withrecent projects likeBleach: Thousand-Year Blood Warand theBlack Clover: Sword of the Wizard Kingmovie.
The anime forNaruto’s sequel series,Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, was also produced by Studio Pierrot but joinedBlack Cloverin the land of hiatus as the anime series are on pause while the mangas (which both release much slower thanNarutodid on Shonen Jump) generate more content to adapt. It’s a sign of how much the anime industry has changed becauseNarutoused to release months and even years of filler episodes instead of pausing production to allow more manga to be written. But that is not to say that all filler was a bad thing.
Many OfNaruto’s Best Moments Were Not Featured In The Manga
MostNarutofans who were reading the manga and watching the anime as it was released eventually grew frustrated with the consistent filler arcs, many of which failed to expand the beloved world and its characters meaningfully. But Studio Pierrot’s adaptation ofNarutoalso included a fair amount of incredibly intense, heartbreaking, and beautiful filler material, some of which are regarded as some ofNaruto Shippuden’s best episodes, thanks in large part to the production team being given freedom in their direction and writing to add on to what was published in the manga.
Naruto’s 4 New Episodes: Everything We Know So Far
In a pleasant surprise to Naruto And Naruto Shippuden fans across the world, new episodes of the classic ninja anime are currently in the works.
Several scenes inNaruto Shippudenthat still remain in fans' heads were technically filler because they were not featured in the manga. Pierrot’s additional scenes included moments like Shikamaru’s breakdown with his father after Asuma’s death, the detailed beatdown of the Shinobi Alliance by the hands of Edo Madara, and Obito’s stunning battle against Kakashi were all significantly heightened in the anime. And in the right hands, more moments could be remade with the same level of direction and passion that those iconic scenes were created with.
If creative licenses are granted to a talented enough team, beloved moments fromNarutothat were previously made with extremely limited timing and budget can be remade with more extravagance and emotional visual storytelling with far better pacing. While it is already one of the world’s most popular franchises, aNarutoanime remake could thrill existing fans, attract new generations of viewers, and present Masashi Kishimoto’s inspirational story with the modern adaptation it deserves.
Naruto
Cast
Naruto is an action-adventure anime series based on the manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. The titular Naruto Uzumaki is a fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit sealed inside him, which once wreaked havoc on his village. Shunned by his community yet determined to earn their respect, Naruto dreams of becoming the greatest ninja, the Hokage. This series follows his journey through the Ninja Academy as he continues to train and grow, hoping to prove himself to his peers- and himself.
Naruto: Shippuden
Naruto: Shippuden follows Naruto Uzumaki as he returns to Konoha after two and a half years, facing new challenges and enemies, including the Akatsuki organization. The series continues Naruto’s journey and growth as a shinobi while navigating complex alliances and adversaries.
