Narutois easily one of the most popular and recognizable shonen series around.The land of Konoha, the wealth of adventures, and harrowing events that occur in the village have become the stuff of legends. Kishimoto has certainly carved a rich legacy in the annals of anime history, withBorutostill driving forward on the massive popularityNarutoestablished.
RELATED:Naruto: The Strongest Jutsu In The Series, Ranked
As is the case with most popular shonen series, most people would be up in arms when it comes to recommending the manga or anime for the best experience possible. While the anime certainly has its draws, the positives of reading the manga can’t be ignored by both fans and newcomers alike.
7There’s No Filler In The Manga
Perhaps the best part about the manga is the fact thatit doesn’t feature any content that wastes the reader’s time. The anime can’t really boast about the same, given its tendency to completely bombard the show with copious amounts of filler.
Most anime viewers need to either check up on filler episodes online or bear through them, which can get rather arduous at times. The final stretch ofNaruto’s first run is particularly to blame for this, featuring more than a hundred episodes of filler that were meant to prevent the show from overtaking the manga.
6The Pacing Of The Manga Is Excellent
Due to a lack of filler or additional content, the manga’s pacing can be quite excellent at times. There’s always something or the other that’s going on in the show, which leads to readers being positively hooked as they blast through all the chapters of the manga.
RELATED:Naruto: Sasuke’s Best Jutsus/Techniques
The anime’s pacing can also be great, but not all the time. The high amount of filler coupled with dragged-out scenes and flashbacks do end up taking their toll on the series, which can feel like somewhat of a drag to get through at times.
5Kishimoto’s Art Style Is An Absolute Treat
Masashi Kishimoto is easily one of the most gifted mangakas around, and one need only look at his stellar art inNarutoto understand why this is the case. Fromexcellent character designstoawe-inspiring battles, Kishimoto certainly knew when to crank up the heat inNarutowith a single stroke of a pen.
However, one has to admit that his creativity does end up waning by the end of the series, with most panels feeling more phoned in than usual. This might be a fault of the needlessly long Fourth Shinobi World War arc, but it still doesn’t take away from Kishimoto’s artistic accomplishments inNaruto.
4Some Of The Scenes In The Manga Are Way More Brutal
It’s common for anime series to not feature as much gore as in their source material. This is especially true for anime that airs in timeslots where such gore might be completely inappropriate. GivenNaruto’s immense popularity, it’s only a given that the anime would air in a prime time slot where too much gore was a strict no-no.
As a result, some of the more brutal scenes inNarutoend up feeling way more impactful in the manga. After all, Kishimoto had no restrictions in comparison to the anime, which led to some of the scenes in the manga being particularly gory and gruesome.
3Tenten And Temari’s Fight During The Chunin Exams Remains Intact In The Manga
The Chunin Exams feature some of the most iconic moments inNaruto, but there’s one fight that didn’t get the love it deserved. During the battle againstTenten and Temari, the focus of the anime shifts toan argument between Ino and Sakurainstead.
RELATED:Naruto: All Akatsuki Members Ranked By Strength
While this might be a small change, the fact that the anime’s interpretation of the Chunin Exams — one of the more notableNarutoarcs — ended up omitting one fight is a pretty big deal. This is especially damaging since both Tenten and Temari aren’t able to showcase their abilities in a proper battle, which is a pretty major disservice to both characters.
2The Manga Shows The Story Exactly How Kishimoto Intended It To Be
There are several small changes made in the anime that aren’t present in the manga. Regardless of the reason they might’ve been implemented, one can’t deny that the very act of changing aspects of the creator’s story is a major annoyance in itself, regardless of how minor the alteration might’ve been.
Some viewers can be rather particular about this, which is whyNaruto’smanga is the better alternative for them. Each and every scene is left intact and exactly how the creator wanted them to be, which is one of the biggest selling points of pretty much any manga in comparison to its anime.
The most obvious reason to read the manga over the anime is that readers will be completely up-to-date with the story. Meanwhile, anime viewers will always have to be content with the fact that they’ll be way behind the manga at all times.
This is the case forBorutoviewers, who have to wait to witness one of the most epic moments in the entirety ofNaruto’s New Era. In fact, it’ll be a miracle if these viewers haven’t been spoiled about these recent developments already.
