Naruto is 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, with Boruto still driving forward on the massive popularity Naruto established.
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.
7 There's No Filler In The Manga
Perhaps the best part about the manga is the fact that it 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 of Naruto'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.
6 The 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.
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.
5 Kishimoto'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 in Naruto to understand why this is the case. From excellent character designs to awe-inspiring battles, Kishimoto certainly knew when to crank up the heat in Naruto with 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 in Naruto.
4 Some 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. Given Naruto'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 in Naruto end 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.
3 Tenten And Temari's Fight During The Chunin Exams Remains Intact In The Manga
The Chunin Exams feature some of the most iconic moments in Naruto, but there's one fight that didn't get the love it deserved. During the battle against Tenten and Temari, the focus of the anime shifts to an argument between Ino and Sakura instead.
While this might be a small change, the fact that the anime's interpretation of the Chunin Exams — one of the more notable Naruto arcs — 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.
2 The 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 why Naruto's manga 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.
1 The Manga Is Ahead Of The 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 for Boruto viewers, who have to wait to witness one of the most epic moments in the entirety of Naruto's New Era. In fact, it'll be a miracle if these viewers haven't been spoiled about these recent developments already.