A live-action Naruto movie is in the works, and while it could pan out better than expected, there are some serious challenges to adapting Masashi Kishimoto’s manga and its anime for the big screen. Naruto is one of the “Big Three” anime alongside One Piece and Bleach, and its popularity makes it ripe for a live-action adaptation. However, the fact that Naruto is so well-loved is a double-edged sword. While an adaptation will have a built-in audience, those established fans are likely to be extra critical if the movie doesn’t do the source material justice.
Adapting an anime for live-action is no easy feat, especially one that leans heavily on fantasy elements. As Naruto takes place in a world full of ninja with extraordinary abilities, it falls into this category — and raises concerns about what a live-action iteration might look like. Even if the movie nails the visual aspect of the story, it will also need to hit all the important beats. That could be another challenge, especially with an anime as extensive as Naruto.
8 Naruto’s Story Is Too Long To Tell In A Single Movie
The Film Will Need Sequels (Or Major Plot Changes)
Including the original series and Shippuden, the Naruto manga consists of a whopping 700 chapters — and the anime clocks in at 720 episodes. Needless to say, Naruto’s journey is a lengthy one, and it will be difficult to capture in a movie’s runtime. While different arcs can be broken up across multiple movies, a theatrical run risks losing important elements of the story. And that’s assuming the Naruto film is given sequels. Unfortunately, many anime adaptations that are unsure of getting follow-ups try to squeeze the entire story into one movie. This often leads to unpopular changes and a rushed narrative that loses the magic of the source material.
7 A Movie Will Struggle With Naruto’s Huge Supporting Cast
A Naruto Movie Can’t Flesh Out All Its Characters
Even if a movie format can cover all of Naruto, it will struggle to flesh out the manga and anime’s large supporting cast. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are the biggest characters, and a live-action film is likely to dig into each of their motivations and goals. However, Naruto features a huge number of beloved side characters, from wise mentors to other young ninjas. A movie’s runtime will require some aspects of the source material to be cut. The side characters’ arcs will probably be first on the chopping block, which is a shame. These side stories are what make Naruto great, and a movie would feel empty without them.
6 Naruto’s World Requires A Lot Of Exposition
The World-Building Would Fare Better On TV
Like any fantasy property, Naruto‘s world is vast and complex. Everything from the politics to the ninjas’ abilities will be a lot for newcomers to digest, and a movie isn’t the best format to deliver such a large amount of exposition. This is why fantasy stories fare better on TV, and Naruto would likely do better as a TV show than as a film. If a movie tries to explain Naruto‘s world-building, it’s likely to run into one of two problems. Either it will feel too overwhelming for viewers and cause them to disengage, or it will make sense but feel dull and drawn out.
5 Naruto’s Humor May Not Translate Well To Live-Action
The Anime’s Jokes May Feel Flat Or Awkward
Anime often features over-the-top humor, and Naruto is no exception. From its main character’s ridiculous antics to Jaraiya’s tendency to spy on women for “research,” Naruto features no shortage of cartoonish humor. Sakura’s angry outbursts fall into this category, too, and it’s hard to imagine any of these scenes translating well to live-action. Naruto‘s humor would probably come off as awkward or flat performed by real actors. As the source material’s lighthearted comedy perfectly balances its darker, more serious moments, it’s a necessary part of the story. However, capturing it in a live-action movie will be a major challenge.
4 A Live-Action Naruto Movie Will Need Great Effects And CGI
It Will Be Noticeable If Its Effects Are Cheap Or Cheesy
Naruto‘s power system and fight sequences will require a lot of CGI, and viewers are sure to notice if the movie uses cheap or cheesy effects to bring these things to life. From the different forms of jutsu to the Jinchūriki transformations, there are a lot of elements that will require great effects to look as good as they do in the anime. Depending on the live-action Naruto movie’s budget, it might be a challenge to succeed on that front. Netflix’s One Piece is proving that even outlandish fantasy stories — like those following a rubber boy — can look decent on-screen. However, this just sets the bar higher for Naruto‘s movie.
3 The Anime’s Fights Are Too Drawn Out For A Film
Naruto’s Fight Sequences Will Inevitably Be Reduced
The Naruto anime is full of action, but its most climactic moments usually consist of multiple fights going on at the same time. These fights drag out over the course of multiple episodes, and it won’t be possible to fit them all into a movie’s runtime. The live-action Naruto will inevitably have to cut some of the action from the source material, which means chapters like the Sasuke Retrieval arc will be severely reduced. These parts of the story make Naruto a thrilling experience, and shrinking them down could hurt the movie’s chances of success.
2 Naruto’s Two Different Parts Could Hinder Its Narrative
The Live-Action Naruto Could Feel Unbalanced
The Naruto anime and manga are split into two parts — Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden — and both have different overarching plots and villains. While incorporating Kishimoto’s retcons into a Naruto movie series early could give it an advantage, the lack of coherency between the two portions of the story might make the adaptation feel unbalanced. It’s hard to say if this could work in a movie’s favor, giving its sequels the opportunity to cover different arcs. However, it could leave newcomers questioning how it all comes together.
1 A Naruto Movie Has To Overcome The Negativity Around Anime Adaptations
Anime Adaptations Still Have A Bad Reputation
Although Netflix’s live-action One Piece seems to be proof that the anime adaptation curse is broken, it’s much easier to adapt a long-running series for television than for the silver screen. There’s yet to be a movie adaptation as successful and well-received as One Piece, so the live-action Naruto may still struggle to win viewers over. In general, anime adaptations still have a bad reputation, as many of them have flopped at the box office or been poorly received. Even if the live-action Naruto film overcomes all the other obstacles it faces, it will still need to convince audiences that it’s worth turning out to theaters for.
