The inconsistencies of the journey from manga to anime have always been rough for the Naruto series. Probably one of the most glaring examples of Studio Pierrot’s creative liberty with the series is of nerfing Kabuto’s Reanimation Jutsu. This essentially contradicts the whole purpose and point of the Jutsu.
Kabuto’s Nerf Was Totally a Naruto Anime Exclusive
Being a coinstigator of the Fourth Shinobi World War in the Naruto series, Kabuto assisted Obito in the war by providing him with several shinobi from the past using the infamous Edo Tensei, also known as the Reanimation Jutsu. The reanimated shinobi were the primary fighting force for Obito’s cause.
However, during one of the sequences, Studio Pierrot decided to add an anime-only scene that not only changed the course of the war but also contradicted the whole purpose of the Reanimation Jutsu. The scene showed Kabuto picking up the reanimated pieces from the board at night, essentially getting rid of all the reanimated people attacking the Allied Shinobi Forces.
This new addition from the animation studio doesn’t really make sense, as the primary advantage of a reanimated body is having no fatigue and a deep reserve of stamina. In doing this, Kabuto did not benefit anything for himself, but rather provided recuperating time to the Shinobi Forces, his enemies. The whole sequence felt like Studio Pierrot’s way of giving the Allied Shinobi Forces a handout.
With this small nerf decision, Studio Pierrot changed the whole narrative of the war, as nothing like that was present in Masashi Kishimoto‘s manga. If the reanimated soldiers were to continue fighting as intended by the mangaka, the opponents would have been at a massive disadvantage, which was the whole point, flaunting the prowess of the reanimated shinobi.
The Reanimation Jutsu was a Crucial Part of the Shinobi World War
The Four Reanimated Hokage | Credits: Studio Pierrot
From the beginning of the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Reanimation Jutsu was an essential part of the proceedings. Several past shinobi were brought back to life during the war and were under Kabuto’s control. With Kabuto being the one person controlling all the shinobi, he was basically the orchestrator of the whole course of the battles, except for Obito, who gave instructions from the shadows.
Kabuto’s selection of shinobi to reanimate was also a key factor in the war. From the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to Madara Uchiha himself, every one of the reanimated shinobi provided a touch challenge, often rattling the Allied Shinobi Forces.
While this was Kabuto’s side of the story, the Allied Shinobi Forces also benefited from the Reanimation Jutsu. Towards the end of the war, the Four Hokage of the past- Hashirama, Tobirama, Hiruzen, and Minato- were also brought back to life and aided the Shinobi Forces. All in all, this demonstrates just how the whole war would have been incomplete without the reanimated shinobi in the mix.
A few pieces of information about the Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden series:
TITLENaruto/Naruto: ShippudenSTUDIOStudio PierrotGENREAdventure, Martial ArtsRELEASE DATEOctober 3, 2002 (Naruto)February 15, 2007 (Naruto: Shippuden)IMDb RATING8.4/10 (Naruto)8.7/10 (Naruto: Shippuden)MAL RATING8.02/10 (Naruto)8.28/10 (Naruto: Shippuden)WHERE TO WATCHCrunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Do you think Studio Pierrot’s decision to add the scene and nerfing Kabuto’s Edo Tensei made a huge change in the plot, and they should have stuck to the manga story? Or did it actually add a needed variation to the story? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.
All episodes of Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden are available to watch on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video.
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