8 things Naruto manga does better than the anime

Naruto is one of the most popular and successful animanga series that the world has ever seen. Having gained recognition from fans across the world owing to its well-written characters, fight sequences and good character arcs, the series continues to put out episodes and release manga chapters on a weekly basis.

Despite the anime being an adaptation of the manga, there are a ton of differences between the two. While the choice of medium is purely down to one’s preference, there are certain things that the manga has done better than its anime counterpart.

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Areas in which the Naruto manga scores better than the anime

1) Pacing

Naruto manga has better pacing compared to the anime adaptation (image via Pierrot)

One of the biggest problems that most fans have with respect to the anime series is its pacing. The unnecessary flashbacks reduce the intended pace for the story, making it easy for anyone to drop the series midway. However, since the manga is completely canon, the writing ensured that each panel had a lot happening, which retained the reader’s attention and interest.

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2) No filler content

The Naruto anime has a ton of filler episodes (image via Pierrot)

Another major reason why some Naruto fans find it difficult to watch the anime series is because of the amount of filler episodes in it. Shippuden, in particular, has too many filler episodes which ruin the pacing and overall experience for the viewer. Because it wasn’t a seasonal anime, the animation quality was also inconsistent in a few episodes. Fillers made the series quite difficult to watch and some of the newer fans certainly skip them and watch the manga canon episodes instead.

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3) Kishimoto’s art

Kishimoto's art style is quite appealing (image via Shueisha)

Kishimoto’s slightly little flawed writing might have affected both the characters and the overall plot of the Naruto series. However, one thing that he has absolute mastery over, is the art. The art style appeals to the average manga reader, with each panel being replete with information and details, thereby improving the overall reading experience. Additionally, the fight scenes were well-illustrated and didn’t face issues like other shonen manga series, where fights would be quite long.

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4) Narration of the story

Narration in the manga series is better (image via Pierrot)

Another reason why Naruto fans must read the manga is simply because that is the medium in which the original creator intended to narrate the story. The anime was forced to take certain calls which altered some of the scenes. The storytelling in the manga is better since it retains the pacing, characters and choice and order of events, in exactly the way Kishimoto had written it.

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5) Characters are more fleshed out

Characters are more fleshed out in the Naruto manga series (image via Pierrot)

Fans of the series felt that some of the characters were more fleshed out in the manga series, as compared to their anime counterparts. This could be because Kishimoto drew the characters in a manner such that the expressions were clearer in the manga. Characters like Orochimaru were quite intimidating in the anime, but seemed a tad bit more intimidating in the manga series.

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6) Consistency

Manga art is more consistent (image via Shueisha)

Anime series that release episodes on a weekly basis for years together will eventually face trouble with budget and consistency in animation quality. And Naruto is no exception to this rule. Furthermore, the series certainly seemed to have some trouble in matching the original style of art, as the manga managed to retain a higher level of consistency, making it more pleasant to read.

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7) The entirety of Shippuden

Naruto Shippuden could have been handled better in the anime (image via Pierrot)

There is no doubt that a lot of the fans have issues with Naruto Shippuden for obvious reasons. Shippuden had some of the best fights in the entire series, but it’s hard not to forget the sheer volume of episodes that were not fun to watch. While fillers can be made interesting, the fanbase certainly feels that the fillers in Shippuden are not up to standard. The series would have been fared better if Shippuden had received the right treatment.

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8) Fight scenes packed a punch and was dynamic

Might vs Madara fight in the Naruto series (images via Shueisha and Pierrot)

Some of the fight scenes in the Naruto series were very well-animated, like the Kakashi vs Obito fight scene. However, there were very few fights that had the same level of animation. The manga version of the Might Guy vs Madara fight was much better simply because the drawing in the manga panels were extremely dynamic. The animated counterpart seemed quite bland. A lof of fans pointed out that some of the fights in the animated series felt plain and static as opposed to the dynamic effect that the manga managed to produce.