At her latest appearance at Nostalgia Con 2025 in Houston, Texas, Malie Flanagan revealed how Naruto’s iconic line, ‘Believe It,’ was removed after 18 episodes of the dub airing in the US (via CBR). Here, she cited fan backlash for the removal of the catchphrase, saying:
People hated it when I said ‘believe it.’ And then it was replaced with ‘you know.’ You’ll notice I only said it in the first 18 episodes, and then it just kind of went away.
Flanagan was also joined by the original JP voice actor of the character, Junko Takeuchi. The EN dub voice actor of the titular protagonist of Naruto also opened up about her experience working on the anime.
The reason for the backlash stemmed from the repetitive nature of the phrase, which was also an inaccurate translation of the original japanese version of the dialogue penned by Mangaka Masashi Kishimoto. Thus, the line had to eventually be retired from the show.
Despite Flaws, Naruto’s English Dub Is Considered One of the Best
Despite it not being perfect, as seen in the intro, from an overall perspective, the EN dub of Naruto is still considered one of the best in the industry, and for very good reasons. To start with the obvious, some of the most exceptional performances in voice acting were witnessed in the series by the viewers.
These include the breathtaking voice of Neil Kaplan, the iconic EN VA of Madara Uchiha. In addition, despite a few misses in translation, the original tone of the series wasn’t tarnished in any manner. All the silliness was as well preserved as the more grave emotions and expressions from the Japanese version.
And probably the most important of all, there were minimal amounts of censorship during the translation of the series. Even during the scripting phase, the dialogues were adapted for an English-speaking audience in mind, which led to these lines feeling natural and not just a one-to-one translation, like the change of the original ‘Dattebayo’ to ‘You Know’.
Thus, even after almost 20 years since the original run ended, the EN voice work in the series still sits at the top.
Top 3 Moments From Naruto That Hit Hard in All Languages
A still from Naruto | Credits: TV Tokyo and Crunchyroll
While the effect of the dialogues might be somewhat lost in translation in the creation of dubs, the emotions a scene can develop stay, like some of the saddest backstories in the series. Thus, here are 3 moments from the anime that transcended lingual borders through just the impact of the scene.
3. Death of Zabuza and Haku
One of the earliest and most devastating tragedies in the series occurs with the death of the feared assassin Zabuza and his apprentice, Haku. In his final moments, the once stone-cold killer breaks down in grief over Haku’s loss, revealing the depth of emotion and humanity hidden beneath his hardened exterior.
2. Gaara’s Backstory
Gaara’s tragic childhood, where he was hated, feared, and even betrayed by his own caretaker, mirrors Naruto’s pain but is amplified even more. As seen in the Assassin of the Moonlit Night episode, his sole motive of winning the contest was to get a shred of recognition and empathy from his village, similar to what Naruto’s motives were.
This again drives home the empathy-driven narrative of the series, which makes you feel for the bad guy.
1. Revelation of Naruto’s Loneliness
Right from the beginning, the story highlights Naruto’s isolation and the pain of being shunned by the entire village. The scene of him sitting alone on the swing as other kids are picked up by their parents is heartbreaking.
Below is additional information regarding the events discussed above.
EventEpisodeIMDb RatingRevelation of Naruto’s LonelinessEpisode 1: Enter: Naruto Uzumaki!7.9/10Gaara’s BackstoryEpisode 76: Assassin of the Moonlit Night8.2/10Death of Zabuza and HakuEpisode 19: The Demon in the Snow9.0/10
What are your most fond memories of watching Naruto? Tell us in the comments below.
Naruto is currently streaming on Crunchyroll (US).
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
