Naruto: 5 reasons why there should be a remake (and 5 why it's a bad idea)

Naruto celebrated its 20th anniversary on October 3, 2022. The creator of the series, Masashi Kishimoto, had previously stated that projects were planned to commemorate the occasion, and many fans have speculated whether this implies a remake.

Animes have been remade before, with notable successes including Dragon Ball Z Kai and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Naturally, Naruto fans are anticipating the release of such information in the near future.

Here are five reasons why a remake of the entire series would be a good idea and five reasons why it would not be.

This article contains spoilers from the Naruto and Boruto series.

5 reasons why there should be a Naruto remake

1) Animation has come a long way

To celebrate Naruto's 20th anniversary, Studio Pierrot and VIZ Media's YouTube channel have released a ten-minute video montage featuring some of the series' most iconic scenes that have all been reanimated.

Animation has come a long way since the series first aired. The style used is phenomenal and does justify a remake.

Similarly, Studio Perriot's Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has blown fans away with the advancement of its animation.

2) Fans are still interested in the story

Naruto Uzumaki (Image via Masashi Kishimoto/Studio Pierrot)

Even twenty years after the initial release of Naruto, fans all over the world are still interested. The anime ended in March 2017, but its popularity continues to grow. It has truly stood the test of time and has garnered a devoted following.

Fans are still waiting awaiting new content from the franchise. As such, a remake of the original series would be an absolute treat.

3) There are tons of canon material left to be animated

Kakashi, Guy, and Mirai in Boruto (Image via Masashi Kishimoto/Studio Pierrot)

The light novels have tons of material that obviously needs to be animated. A couple of light novels are already being adapted into manga for the 20th anniversary celebration.

However, we have yet to see the Sakura Hiden or Sasuke Retsuden novels adapted for the screen. Even something like Konoha Shinden: Steam Ninja Scrolls, which was included in the Boruto series, was unfairly adapted because of all the changes introduced. This is something that fans would like to see rectified.

4) A remake without fillers would do justice to the story

Itachi Uchiha (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Naruto is a well-balanced series that has something in it for everyone. It has some incredible fight scenes and heartbreaking moments, but it also has some hilarious and heartwarming moments. Unfortunately, it is notorious for having a lot of filler content.

The filler episodes drag the story out to the point where even diehard fans consult lists to ensure a filler-free viewing experience. A quick and snappy remake that eliminates all the fillers would make the series extremely engaging.

5) A remake can fix the ending

Kaguya (Image via Masashi Kishimoto/Studio Pierrot)

Fans of the series had mixed feelings about the War. While it had a happy ending and did many things right, many of Kishimoto's decisions left fans wanting more.

The most common complaints from fans concerned the fates of the villains, specifically Madara, Obito, and Kaguya. A remake can undo some plot points while improving the overall story.

5 reasons why a Naruto remake is a bad idea

1) The excitement will only be limited to the execution

A remake of the anime would lack the excitement and sheer joy of seeing it for the first time. There will be no suspense as the episodes progress because fans are already aware of major events and plot twists. However, it will still be an enjoyable and comforting experience.

The entertaining elements would then be limited to the reworked visual content and nostalgic sentimentality.

2) The series is very slow

(Image via Masashi Kishimoto/Studio Pierrot)

Naruto is rife with fillers. In addition to fillers that distract from the plot, the series is extremely slow. At times, the story does not even progress for the entire episode.

Today's anime series are action-packed and without detours. They are able to keep the audience engaged throughout the season.

The anime's slow pace and myriad side stories makes it difficult to hold the audience's attention for extended periods of time.

3) Length of the series

Sasuke (Image via Masashi Kishimoto/Studio Pierrot)

The task of remaking the entire Naruto series, with or without fillers, will be far too demanding. The total number of episodes from the original series and Naruto: Shippuden add up to a total of 720. Even if it is remade without any filler episodes, the series will be extremely long.

More importantly, it would necessitate a significant investment of both money and time. Regarding time, Naruto: Shippuden has not aged much and the animation is decent. Another issue is that there will be low revenue returns because the majority of the population will not watch the series religiously.

4) Repetition of the flaws in the narrative

There are numerous plot holes and inconsistencies in characters of the series. For example, because of the way Itachi was portrayed as a villain, fans of the series could easily conclude that his redemption was a last-minute decision.

It is unrealistic to expect a simple remake to fix everything. Even if it appears to be a good idea, it will demand a significant amount of time and energy.

5) It would clash with the Boruto series

Boruto (Image via Masashi Kishimoto/Studio Pierrot)

Boruto: Naruto Next Generation is the sequel to the original series. Boruto has been criticized for being underdeveloped and for characters failing to connect with the audience. Like it or not, Boruto is the logical continuation of the story and franchise.

Remaking the series now would only complicate matters for itself and Boruto.

To conclude, there has been no such confirmation that there will be a Naruto remake. While it does sound exciting as fans of the series will get to rewatch their favorite anime in better quality, practically speaking, there are a lot of downsides to the idea.

Instead of remaking the entire series, a much more pragmatic option would be to remake only the original series which ran for 220 episodes.

Edited by Prem Deshpande