For the most direct route through Masashi Kishimoto’s complete original story, start with Naruto manga chapter 1 and read through chapter 700. Choose the anime if you would rather experience the story through voice performances, music, color, and animation—and are comfortable with adaptation differences and anime-original material.
What is the difference between the Naruto manga and anime?
The manga is Kishimoto’s original work, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. It concluded in 2014 at 700 chapters. The anime is an adaptation that began broadcasting in 2002. The official Naruto site provides those series-history details.
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| 1 |
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Naruto Box Set 1: Volumes 1-27 with Premium | $138.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Naruto Box Set 3: Volumes 49-72 with Premium | $137.09 | Buy on Amazon |
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Naruto Box Set 2: Volumes 28-48 with Premium | $131.24 | Buy on Amazon |
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Naruto 3-in-1 Omnibus Complete Collection (24 Books) Manga Series Set, by Masashi Kishimoto (24... | $329.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The distinction matters: the anime is not simply the same story presented in motion. Adaptation can add or rearrange material, and the two forms are made through different processes. Kishimoto has discussed the practical differences, including how animators work with lenses and angles. That means the anime can offer a distinctive visual interpretation, while the manga gives you the original sequence of pages and story.
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How do the formats compare?
| What matters | Manga | Anime |
|---|---|---|
| Story source | Kishimoto’s original story, complete in 700 chapters. | An adaptation of the manga, with anime-original material and adaptation changes. |
| How you experience it | Read the story at your own pace through black-and-white pages. | Watch voiced, colored, animated scenes with music and performances. |
| Pacing and extra material | A direct path through the chapters, without anime-only episodes. | Anime-original material can add scenes or character moments and may slow progress through the central plot. |
| English “Believe it!” catchphrase | Not present in the English manga. | A translation choice used in the English anime dub. |
The catchphrase difference is documented in a Naruto localization interview. Alexis Kirsch, then identified as VIZ Media’s editor-in-chief of the English edition of Weekly Shonen Jump, said: “Actually, ‘Believe it!’ is a translation used in the anime, but it doesn’t appear in the manga version at all.” VIZ is identified in that interview as the American publisher responsible for the English edition.
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Kishimoto has also described animation as a different production challenge: “First off, there’s a huge difference in the amount of material they have to draw. And they have to worry about the lens, about the angles.” The official interview with Kishimoto illustrates why the anime’s visual choices are not just a page-by-page reproduction.
Which should you choose?
Choose the manga for the most direct complete story
Read the manga if you want Kishimoto’s original story in its completed form, prefer controlling your own pace, or want to avoid anime-original episodes. The series’ 700-chapter conclusion makes the route clear: begin at chapter 1 and continue to chapter 700.
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Choose the anime for performance and animation
Start with the anime if voice acting, music, color, and animated action are central to how you enjoy a story. Its added or altered material is not automatically a drawback: anime-original episodes can offer more character material, even when they do not move the main plot forward.
Use both if you want the original story and its adaptation
You can read the manga first and then watch the anime for its performances and visual interpretation, or watch first and read afterward to follow the original story. Neither order is required; the choice depends on whether you value a direct route or an audiovisual presentation more.
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Where should you start?
Manga-first route
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Start with Naruto chapter 1.
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Read through chapter 700 to reach the manga’s conclusion.
Anime-first route
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Begin with Naruto episode 1.
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Continue with Naruto Shippuden.
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If you want to skip anime-original material, consult a current episode guide and decide which episodes to omit.
Filler labels are guide classifications, not an official ruling on franchise canon. The Naruto episode guide is a practical navigation aid, but it is secondary editorial coverage rather than an authoritative episode-to-chapter map. Its guide also notes that filler can contain additional character material. Skip it if you want to prioritize the main plot; watch it if you are open to extra material.
How large is the series?
The official Naruto site states that the manga has sold more than 250 million print copies worldwide, although the consulted page does not state the date for that figure. It is a measure of the series’ global reach, not a reason to prefer one format over the other.
Quick Recap
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- Viz Media
- The world’s most popular ninja comic
- Naruto is a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief.
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