Naruto is synonymous with fillerBut it also shows why filler content isn't necessarily a bad thing. The anime premiered in 2002, long before seasonal releases became the norm for successful shōnen. The weekly release format was originally popularized by Dragon Ball and has dominated for decades. Some series like One Piece (which has very little filler content) still use it. A weekly anime is finally catching up to the source material and Fillers fill in gaps in airtime to keep fans happy and coming back. In the pre-streaming era of network programming, this was especially important.
Naruto and Naruto Shippuden account for 40.9% and 40.6% of the filler content, respectively.. Fans often assume that because a spin-off isn't an adaptation of the original, it's not worth watching without a compelling argument. Naruto is interesting precisely because it shows how a spin-off can make an adaptation temporarily unwatchable, but also provides depth that the source material lacks.. At its best, fillers can undermine and subvert the very idea of “the norm.”
The Case for Naruto's Spinoff
Fillers can bring unexpected dimensions to their origins
The most interesting Naruto spin-off is definitely the ANBU arc of Shippuden (volumes #349-361). Fans often forget how restrictive the manga format can be for stories. The manga and anime industries are different. Mangaka are under pressure to keep stories focused and maintain a dramatic pace that keeps readers connected to the core characters.
There is also the overwhelming pressure of audience ratings with each chapter. Readers have to like a chapter; the feedback and ratings of each chapter will dictate how a manga is told. There is no sacred word from the author that determines “canon” beyond any influence.
The spin-off provides an adaptation to overcome the manga's weaknesses.
The manga format means that the author's true intentions are sometimes distorted – for example, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure author Hirohiko Araki was prevented from “canonizing” women. The spin-off provides an adaptation to overcome the manga's weaknesses. No longer constrained by the need to faithfully adapt the source material, characters or locations that had not been prioritized could be given time.
For Naruto, the ANBU arc provides insight into Kakashi and Itachi. Because they needed to be explained more, and because the filler was done so well, it hardly felt like filler at all. For Itachi, it provided depth and increased the viewer's emotional investment in him. This made it so that when Obito (in canon) revealed Itachi's true past and motives with Sasuke, All of Sasuke and Itachi's interactions have greater foreshadowing.Their relationship is less like a depiction of Itachi through Sasuke and more like the relationship between Itachi and Sasuke.
Naruto has some world-building issues, as it is too character-focused. The focus on essential characters and the focus on Konoha's perspective, combined with the aforementioned limitations of the manga, leading to the underdevelopment of the world and its inhabitants outside of Konoha.. This is especially problematic when the plot of Shippuden revolves around jinchuriki from other lands being targeted by Akatsuki.
Naruto's side content shows that the world outside of Konoha's underdevelopment in the source material doesn't mean they aren't present in that world. In fact, it shows they can imagine. For example, the Three-Tails jinchuriki arc greatly benefited Naruto Shippuden by establishing the physical and emotional consequences of Akatsuki's presence and vendetta from the very beginning.
Meanwhile, Naruto Shippuden's “Paradise on Board” (episodes 223-242) does this differently, giving characters like Guy and Yamato a much-needed spotlight. The sideshow, like the characters themselves, tackles the arduous journey of temporarily leaving Konoha and its comforts.
In contrast, Naruto's Land of Tea and Land of Rice arcs show how filler can make such a journey more believable. While Naruto takes place primarily in Konoha, Naruto Shippuden's plot takes place across the world; these early attempts at world-building make for a smoother transition as Naruto's scope extends beyond Konoha's borders.
Naruto's sidekicks can be terrifying too
Fillers can easily confuse and numb the mind.
Both source material and spin-offs are always at risk of losing narrative momentum. Manga, however, are somewhat protected from that risk because of their limitations. Just as spin-offs can expand on the source material, It also has the potential to become nauseatingly disruptive.. Unbound by a set script, filler can get away with a lot. This inevitably means that a lot of filler doesn't help convey the story being adapted.
Naruto Shippuden's Infinite Tsukuyomi (episodes #427-450) content seamlessly blends with the original source material's original dream sequence. Unfortunately, It does not show the same restraint.. Over the course of 23 episodes, only four character dreams are explored. While Tenten, Tsunade, and Killer Bee's dreams have their sweet spots, they're not very memorable. Tsunade's dream also drags on too long, overstaying its welcome as she trudges through Jiraiya's book. Karin's dream, on the other hand, is a surprising development for an underappreciated character.
Shippuden's laborious flashbacks are notoriously bad. However, even good flashbacks can be Damage due to filler depends on availability of source material. Set between Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, the Chunin Exams spin-off is a worthwhile watch. However, it is not a worthwhile watch during the height of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Naruto Shows How Canon Cheats
Naruto Rips Up The Idea That Fillers Can Be Used
The canon/filler binary is unstable and precarious. Filler arcs actually become continuous with the source material, weaving their additions into the “canon.” The anime adaptations of Naruto have somewhat established their own identity through the charm (and annoyance) of their subplots. The viral tweet below illustrates how the adaptation's unique features, like the soundtrack, are intimately tied to Naruto as a franchise, Naruto as a character, and the presence of supporting characters — for better or worse.
Filler is not just a way to kill time until the “real” story returns. In fact, It sets a secondary benchmark that combines source and filler. The story is no longer just the mangaka's. It expands to include the voices and contributions of countless others: writers, animators, directors, etc. Filler is not an unfortunate, ill-timed reflection on mainstream authenticity. It is nothing more than adding story to the story, as the limitations of one medium navigate the limitations of another. Adaptation is acceptance.
Canon bows can suffer from similar problems as fillers. They can drag, dull, and attract.
The differences between the Naruto manga and anime—whether in medium, plot, intention, or presentation—are what set them apart and vice versa, to talk about the Naruto series as a whole. Sometimes the story the adaptation adds is great; sometimes it's not. Canonical arcs can suffer from the same problems as spinoffs. They can be long, boring, and engaging. The big question isn't necessarily about canon versus non-canon storytelling. It's about good versus bad storytelling.
While it's not uncommon to say that one shouldn't ignore a spin-off because it's good, it's rare to say that one should ignore the source material because it's bad. That doesn't mean one should ignore the source material. Just wanted to make the point that fillers are reflexively (and unfairly) dismissed.
One of the most interesting things about Naruto's spin-off is that one can build one's own canon law. Consider one redditor’s detailed list of Naruto Shippuden subreddits. It doesn’t just describe which subreddits to skip and which to watch. It actually goes so far as to specify instances where one might want to watch them. Deidara fans get the “Artist’s Aesthetic” subreddit; for mecha fans, “Mecha Naruto.” In addition to “skip” and “watch,” some subreddits (like “White Zetsu’s Trap”) just get an “It’s Okay,” leaving it up to the viewer to decide.
Spin-off adaptations provide something that the nature of a strict adaptation cannot. Naruto shows that spin-offs, once created, are just as inseparable from the series' canon as the source material. At a time when seasonal releases of individual installments dominate and strict adaptations are considered better by default, Naruto shows that religious adherence to the source material is not the only way—or even the best or “right” way—to adapt a work.