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Ask almost any anime fan over the age of twenty-five how they got into anime, and there’s a decent chance Naruto comes up. Long before streaming made anime mainstream, Naruto’s was already running on after-school TV blocks, getting bootlegged on early internet forums, and turning “believe it” into a catchphrase half the internet still recognizes. It’s not a perfect show by any stretch, but it’s hard to overstate how much it shaped what an entire generation expects from a long-running shonen series.
Naruto Worth Watching?
If you can handle a long commitment and don’t mind some genuinely slow stretches along the way, yes. core story, a rejected, lonely kid who claws his way toward belonging and respect, still hits in a way a lot of newer shonen anime try to copy and rarely match. The character writing, especially around, Sasuke, and their found-family dynamic with the rest of Team 7, holds up even decades later.
Where it gets trickier is the sheer length. Between the original series and Shippuden, you’re looking at over 700 episodes, and a meaningful chunk of that is filler that doesn’t move the main story forward at all. Going in with realistic expectations about that pacing makes a huge difference in how much you enjoy the ride.
The Story
follows Naruto’s Uzumaki, an orphaned, troublemaking kid in the Hidden Leaf Village who’s secretly carrying a destructive nine-tailed fox spirit inside him, sealed there as a baby after it attacked his village. Shunned and underestimated by almost everyone around him, one goal is to become Hokage, the strongest and most respected ninja in the village, and force everyone who’s written him off to finally see him differently.
The early seasons of Naruto’s are mostly about found family and growing up, as bonds with teammates Sasuke and Sakura under their mentor Kakashi. As the story moves into Naruto’s: Shippuden, the stakes widen dramatically, pulling in a shadowy organization called Akatsuki, a wider ninja world at the edge of war, and increasingly complicated relationship with Sasuke, who chooses a much darker path. What keeps Naruto’s story grounded through all of that scale is that it never really stops being about identity, loneliness, and the people who choose to stick around anyway.
What Works: The Strengths of Naruto
- The emotional core is genuinely strong. Naruto’s arc, from the village outcast nobody wanted to deal with to someone who reshapes how that same village sees him, is one of the most satisfying character journeys in shonen anime, and it earns its big emotional beats more often than not.
- Sasuke and Naruto’s relationship carries the whole series. Their bond, rivalry, and eventual fallout is the emotional spine running through hundreds of episodes, and it’s written with more nuance than the average “best friend turned rival” shonen plot.
- The soundtrack is iconic for a reason. Tracks like “Sadness and Sorrow” and the various opening themes are still instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up watching this, and the music does a lot to elevate quieter, sadder moments.
- The fight choreography in the best episodes is genuinely excellent. When Studio Pierrot puts real effort behind a fight, like several of the Shippuden-era battles, it’s some of the most kinetic, creative action shonen anime has produced.
- The supporting cast is deep. Characters like Shikamaru, Hinata, Gaara, and Itachi all get enough development that the world feels lived-in rather than built purely to support Naruto and Sasuke.
What Doesn’t Work: Where Naruto Falls Short
- The filler is a real problem. Both the original series and Shippuden are infamous for stretches of anime-original episodes that exist purely to stall while the source manga catches up, and a lot of it adds little to nothing.
- Pacing inside fights can drag badly. Naruto has a habit of stretching single battles across multiple episodes with extended flashbacks and inner monologues, which can sap tension out of fights that should feel urgent.
- The animation budget is inconsistent. Some episodes, especially mid-series ones, noticeably cut corners compared to the show’s best moments, and the visual quality gap between a hyped fight and a regular episode can be jarring.
- A few side characters get sidelined for a long time. Several female characters in particular get less meaningful development than the main trio, something the show has been fairly criticized for over the years.
Direction & Technical Breakdown
| Department | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Direction (Hayato Date) | Strong on emotional beats, inconsistent pacing |
| Writing (based on Masashi Kishimoto’s manga) | Excellent core arcs, padded out by filler |
| Animation (Studio Pierrot) | Excellent in standout fights, uneven elsewhere |
| Music | Memorable, genre-defining soundtrack |
| Voice Acting (Japanese & English dub) | Strong performances across both versions |
| Character Writing | Deep for the leads, thinner for some side characters |
How Does It Compare?
Naruto’s is usually grouped with One Piece and Bleach as part of anime’s so-called “Big Three” era of long-running shonen, and the comparison holds up reasonably well. Compared to One Piece’s sprawling adventure-of-the-week structure, Naruto’s stays more tightly focused on its central cast and their personal growth. Against more modern shonen like Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto’s feels slower and less visually consistent, which makes sense given the era it was made in, but it also spends a lot more time letting its characters sit with their emotions, something newer, faster-paced shows don’t always prioritize.
OTT Release — When & Where to Watch
Naruto: Shippuden are both available on Crunchyroll and Hulu, which together cover the full series without gaps. Netflix also carries the complete series in many regions, alongside Amazon Prime Video, and select seasons are accessible on Peacock. For viewers who just want to start without committing to a subscription, the original Naruto series is also streaming for free, with ads, through Viz Media’s official YouTube channel.
The franchise’s movies are more scattered across platforms due to licensing, so if you want to watch a specific film, it’s worth checking Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video individually rather than assuming one platform has them all.
Who Should Watch This Film?
Watch it if you:
- Want a long-form coming-of-age story with real emotional payoff
- Enjoy character-driven shonen over pure spectacle .
- Don’t mind skipping filler episodes to stay focused on the main story
Skip it if you:
- Need consistently high animation quality throughout
- Get frustrated by drawn-out fight sequences with heavy flashbacks
- Aren’t willing to commit to a series this long, even with filler skipped
Part 1: Naruto (Original Series – 220 Episodes)
| Arc Name | Episode Range |
|---|---|
| Introduction / Academy Days | Episodes 1–6 |
| Land of Waves Arc (Zabuza & Haku) | Episodes 7–19 |
| Chunin Exams Arc | Episodes 20–67 |
| Konoha Crush Arc (Orochimaru’s Attack) | Episodes 68–80 |
| Search for Tsunade Arc | Episodes 81–94 |
| Sasuke Recovery Arc | Episodes 95–107 |
| Filler Episodes (Mostly Anime-Original Stories) | Episodes 108–135 |
| Land of Tea / Akatsuki Introduction | Episodes 136–151 |
| Sasuke vs. Itachi & Final Arcs | Episodes 152–220 |
Part 2: Naruto: Shippuden (500 Episodes)
| Arc Name | Episode Range |
|---|---|
| Homecoming Arc | Episodes 1–8 |
| Kazekage Rescue Arc (Gaara) | Episodes 9–32 |
| Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Arc | Episodes 33–53 |
| Hunt for Itachi Arc | Episodes 54–71 |
| Three-Tails Arc | Episodes 72–88 |
| Itachi Pursuit / Pain Introduction | Episodes 89–112 |
| Fated Battle Between Brothers (Itachi vs. Sasuke) | Episodes 134–143 |
| Pain’s Assault Arc | Episodes 152–175 |
| Five Kage Summit Arc | Episodes 176–196 |
| Past: Konoha’s History Arc | Episodes 197–220 |
| Shinobi World War / Confining the Jinchūriki | Episodes 221–242 |
| Birth of Naruto Arc | Episodes 243–251 |
| Fourth Shinobi World War Begins | Episodes 296–321 |
| Obito’s Story / War Continues | Episodes 322–361 |
| Naruto vs. Sasuke Final Arc | Episodes 462–480 |
| Tale of Naruto & Sasuke (Series Finale) | Episodes 493–500 |
Final Verdict
Naruto earned its place as one of anime’s most influential shonen series for a reason. Its core story about an unwanted kid fighting to be seen still resonates, its central relationships are written with more care than most shows attempt, and its best moments, the fights, the soundtrack, the quieter emotional scenes, are genuinely great. The filler and pacing issues are real, and skipping them is almost a rite of passage for new viewers, but underneath all of that bulk is a story that earned its legacy honestly.
Quick FAQ: Naruto
FAQ: Where can I watch Naruto online? A:Naruto: Shippuden stream on Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video, with the original series also free on YouTube via Viz Media.
FAQ: How many episodes does Naruto have in total? A: The original Naruto series has 220 episodes, and Naruto: Shippuden adds another 500, bringing the combined total to 720 episodes.
FAQ: Is it okay to skip the filler episodes in Naruto? A: Yes. Most long-time fans recommend skipping filler arcs, since they don’t affect the main story and mainly exist to pace around the source manga.
FAQ: Do I need to watch Naruto before Boruto? A: Yes. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is a direct sequel, and a lot of its emotional weight depends on knowing the original characters and story first.
FAQ: Is Naruto still worth starting in 2026? A: Yes. The story and character writing hold up well even today, and modern streaming access makes it far easier to start than it used to be.
