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Given the nature of the industry, the animation quality in making an anime like the Naruto series requires tons of work. The aforementioned series has been going on for a few decades and has featured several fights and scenes with amazing animation quality.
However, not all scenes and episodes had great animation. A series with hundreds of episodes is expected to have inconsistencies now and then, and Naruto is no exception. Let’s take a look at some of these episodes from both ends of the spectrum.
Scenes in Naruto that failed to hit the mark with their animation quality
1) Naruto vs Pain
The animation of this fight was decent, for the most part. However, certain frames weren’t drawn well, and it was quite obvious to the viewers. The infamous “My pain is greater than yours” scene was drawn in a manner that warped the shape of Pain's face, which was quite hilarious.
2) Surprise Attack! Naruto's Secret Weapon (episode 45)
The overall animation in this episode was quite mediocre, to say the least. The choreography of the fight between Naruto and Kiba was lackluster and the transition between certain scenes felt a little choppy as well.
The show was quite new at that stage, and the animation quality was not great. However, this episode was quite bad compared to some of the episodes such as the one that featured the fight between Gaara and Rock Lee.
3) Sakura vs Ino (Chunin Exams arc)
Fans consider this to be one of the worst fights in the entire Naruto series for numerous reasons. One of the main reasons was the fact that Ino was stronger than Sakura at that stage, but the fight ended in a draw.
Another reason why fans hate this episode was due to the poor fight choreography and animation, which was well below par for a shonen anime series.
4) Team Guy and clones
Team Guy was fighting their clones in the Kazekage Rescue Mission arc. The animation of this scene was quite bad, and some of the frames were so poorly drawn that the characters looked slightly warped.
The episode didn’t really have many fans that enjoyed the scene. Additionally, Tenten fighting her clone was extremely boring and the fanbase was quite upset with how this episode turned out.
5) A Dangerous Mission! A Journey To The Land of Waves (episode 6)
This episode was a filler and certain parts were enjoyable owing to the comedy. The protagonist constantly threw tantrums which led to some funny lines in this episode.
However, the animation was sub-par and it had a ton of still frames compared to the rest of the episodes that were featured in the series. The transition was slightly choppy in a few areas and could have been improved.
Instances that featured top-tier animation
1) Kakashi vs Obito
There is absolutely no doubt that this was one of the best fights in the series, especially when we look at it from a technical standpoint. The animation and the fight choreography were even better.
The fight between Kakashi and Obito constantly transitions between the present and the past which was seamlessly connected using the well-choreographed moves. In terms of animation quality and overall execution, this fight was exceptional, to say the least.
2) Naruto vs Sasuke (Final Valley)
This was another beautifully executed fight sequence that had a good mix of stunning visuals from the ninjutsu and well-drawn frames for taijutsu as well. The overall animation quality was high and they managed to utilize the colors well since they contrasted the characters and their respective ninjutsu. Fans were certainly shocked during this scene owing to its animation quality.
3) Rock Lee vs Gaara
Despite the show being in its early stages, this fight had an amazing fight scene and had everyone hyped for the Chunin Exams arc. For a taijutsu fight to be well-animated, since Rock Lee was a taijutsu specialist, the overall execution of this scene depended a lot on the fight choreography which the animation team successfully nailed. This fight certainly stood the test of time and that is a testament to the overall animation quality as well.
4) Might Guy vs Madara
This is yet another great fight in the Naruto series and there were many elements that fans thoroughly enjoyed. Might Guy was able to overwhelm the Ten-Tail Jinchuriki Madara. This episode was a masterclass on creating stunning visuals and effectively utilizing the colors. The overall animation quality was unmatched. This particular scene hyped the entire fanbase.
5) Naruto vs Kaguya
The fanbase was a little upset with the way this fight was handled from a script perspective since Kaguya lost to Naruto. However, when we look at it from a technical lens, the set of episodes that featured this fight was phenomenal.
The animation was great and the visuals that the team created when Naruto involved all the Tailed Beasts were enthralling. This was not the best fight overall, but the animation quality was up there, to say the least.
Much like most shonen series, there will be slight inconsistencies when it comes to animation. One of the main reasons for such inconsistencies could be budget distribution. However, the series provided the fanbase with some of the most memorable fight scenes and top-tier animation.
