Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto and Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece have been two of the most popular Shonen series that have become the faces of the industry. These two titles have taken the anime and manga industries to new heights, as the series features lovable protagonists who have an illusory dream that can be achieved.
While Naruto Uzumaki has achieved his dream of becoming the Hokage, Luffy has yet to become the Pirate King. However, one constant topic has always been the center of a heated debate, namely, which of the two anime is superior to the other.
Though the opinions of the fans may vary, Kishimoto-San’s stellar work has far surpassed Oda-Sensei’s magnum opus. The latter work features five intriguing instances in r/Naruto that the former show has not featured, and fans talk about them to finally put an end to the raging debate.
5) The Chunin Exam Arcs
The Chunin Exam Arc in Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto is one of the darkest arcs of the Shinobi series. The saga looked like a competitive exam on the surface but on a much deeper level, a dark reality brooded, that quickly raised the stakes as it was a battle between life and death.
The tone progressively darkens as the plot continues, where the young Shinobis are ready to do everything at their disposal to survive and make a name for themselves in the ninja world.
However, the shinobis were not the only threat that lurked in the Forest of Death because it was filled with lethal traps. To make matters worse, Orochimaru, one of the main antagonists, was introduced in this arc. Hence, this left a psychological toll of war that left the budding ninjas with the trauma of witnessing their comrades die.
4) Hyuga Clan’s Cursed Seal
Kishimoto-San has featured a ton of forbidden jutsus and techniques in Naruto that are exclusive to each clan. Naturally, these clans do not refrain from using these techniques on others due to the social influence they have in their respective villages.
One such instance was how the main Hyuga family used the cursed seal technique on the members of the Branch family so that they could be their loyal protectors and save the Byagukan from falling into the wrong hands.
Though Oda-Sensei’s One Piece has not shied away from mentioning vice-like slavery, he did not delve deep enough into this aspect, which makes Naruto far greater.
3) Obito Did Not Shy Away From Murdering Children
Even though Obito Uchiha is often portrayed as a broken hero by the fans of the show, the crimes he committed behind the mask are heinous and morbid. After he was declared dead during the Third Ninja War after he saved his teammates from getting crushed by a boulder, he wore a mask and named himself Tobi.
His moral compass diverted as he discarded his ethics and humanity, making him an agent of chaos. Once an idealistic Shinobi, he turned into a cold-blooded killer as he took the lives of children when the massacre of the Uchihas took place.
Though Oda-Sensei has featured several hero-like characters turned villains, they never crossed the line by taking the lives of innocent children.
2) People Alienated and Insulted Shinobis for Saving the Lives of their Teammates
The theme of isolation is one of the main reasons that Naruto Uzumaki had one of the most terrible childhoods in anime history, and fans felt pity for the protagonist when he was a kid. However, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was not the first kid to be isolated by the people of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Sakumo Hatake, the father of Kakashi Hatake, was one of the most skilled and proficient Shinobis that the Hidden Leaf Village had produced. He was called Konoha’s White Fang, as his foes feared his very presence on the battlefield.
However, the people of Konoha did not hesitate to isolate him and shower him with insults when he felt that the need to save his teammates was far greater than accomplishing the mission.
When the village crossed the boundaries with their insults, the Shinobi could not take it anymore, it forced him to commit suicide and leaving his son, Kakashi Hatake, an orphan.
1) Naruto is a Show Teaching Young Shinobis to Become Trained Assassins
While on the surface, Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto seems like an innocent show that showcases Uzumaki Naruto striving hard to achieve his dream of becoming the Hokage, but when watched with a deeper aspect, it shows how the Four Ninja Villages tend to train assassins.
Not only the protagonist but every character featured in the show is a trained assassin, even the good guys like Jiraiya, Might Lee, Minato Namikaze, etc. Moreover, it trains young children to become assassins so that they can become mercenaries who can bring profits to their village.
These five instances stated by the fans showcase that Naruto is a much darker show than Oda-Sensei’s One Piece; the latter is much more optimistic and revolves around freedom, and emphasizes how one should not stop pursuing their dream.
On the other hand, Masashi Kishimoto not only showcased life lessons, but also featured some messed up ideas in the show when watched at a deeper level.
Naruto can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
