A part of the so-called “Big Three” along with One Piece and Bleach, Naruto is considered one of the best anime and shonen series ever. With its heartwarming and emotional story full of hope and love, this is an anime that everyone should watch.
If you are planning on watching this show, you may be concerned by its length. Or, you might feel that the story will be complicated. Don’t worry! This article will provide you with the most important information you need to know before watching this epic and unforgettable ninja adventure.
What is Naruto about?
Naruto Uzumaki is a boy who doesn’t have any friends and family because a dangerous monster called the Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed in him. He dreams of recognition and acceptance, so he makes a goal to become the Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
The series follows Naruto’s journey to make his dream a reality, so be prepared for a one-of-a-kind adventure full of ups and downs, a lot of hard training, persistence, friendships, love, loss, and many memorable fight scenes.
In what order should you watch Naruto?
There is only one order you should watch or read Naruto (it’s also a manga). Masashi Kishimoto created a chronological and linear story that covers 7 years of Naruto’s life and a continuation that’s focused on his son, Boruto, set 12 years after the original series.
The order you should watch Naruto is:
- Naruto (2002-2007)
- Naruto: Shippuden (2007-2017)
- Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017-present)
There are also some movies in between that aren’t directly related to the story. We would recommend watching The Last: Naruto the Movie after the 493rd episode of Naruto: Shippuden.
Should you watch the fillers in Naruto?
This is one of the main concerns people have about watching this show. Apart from the common concern that the anime has too many episodes, it also has too many fillers for some viewers. For those that don’t know, fillers are episodes that aren’t related to the main story, and this series has a filler percentage of 41%.
In our opinion, this shouldn’t be a concern. If you want, you can skip the fillers and watch only the main (canon) episodes. It won’t take away from the enjoyment. If you decide to do this, be sure to use a filler guide.
Where to watch Naruto
As a very popular and older anime, the Naruto series are available on many streaming services like Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, and Funimation. However, not every country has the same catalog of series, so if you can’t find Naruto on some of these platforms, try another streaming service or use a VPN.
If you are a collector, or simply like that old-school feeling of watching movies and shows in a physical format, you can also buy all of the Naruto series and movies on Blu-ray from stores like eBay or Amazon.
Other Anime similar to Naruto
If you’ve finished this show and want more like it, there are some other top-quality shonen series that you may enjoy. We can recommend watching the longest and one of the most epic series ever, One Piece.
If you are not ready to commit to a longer show, there are some other amazing ones like Bleach, the Dragon Ball series, Hunter x Hunter, Black Clover, and My Hero Academia, as well as some shonen boxing anime like Ashita no Joe or Hajime no Ippo.
Even if these shows share the same shonen concept, we don’t recommend comparing them to Naruto or any other series, as every anime has its own unique story and characters.
Final Words
Despite its length, Naruto is one of the best, if not the best ever, anime series. It’s a show that got many people into anime, and it influenced many other animes that came after. It’s considered one of the most important anime of all time, so if you consider yourself a fan of the medium, you can’t miss Naruto.
This classic has everything that makes an anime great. Even people who aren’t anime fans love it for its story, characters, and combat. If you were on the fence about watching this series, we hope that this beginner Naruto guide helped you make the right decision.
