Naruto Fans Agree Hidan And Kakuzu Got Better Treatment In The Anime Than The Manga

The Akatsuki is the perfect example of villains done right, as the rogue shinobi group works behind the scenes to capture every tailed beast. They work in pairs, but arguably the scariest two have to be Hidan and Kakuzu, as both utilize jutsus that prevent them from dying. "Naruto" introduces fans to the two fairly early in "Shippuden," as Shikamaru and Asuma ambush them. The fight that ensues is one of the most emotional in the entire series, as Hidan kills Asuma, leaving Team 10 to share a heartbreaking final moment with their sensei and showcasing that sometimes the villains win.

Team Asuma later gets their revenge on the two Akatsuki with the help of Kakashi. Shikamaru takes Hidan by himself, outsmarting and blowing his body to pieces before burying him alive. In the manga, Shikamaru lights a cigarette to deal the final blow to Hidan, but the anime switches things up, having him use Asuma's lighter instead.

The change from cigarette to lighter isn't the only creative liberty "Naruto" chose to use when adapting the source material. The fights are much shorter in the manga, while the anime extends them, adding more drama and emotion. In typical "Shippuden" fashion, the show gives Asuma plenty of flashbacks leading up to his death, which weren't in the manga. Surprisingly, Shikamaru grieving his sensei is also considered filler. However, "Naruto" fans agree that these changes only improved the manga's arc, solidifying it as one of the anime's most emotional moments.

"Naruto" fans took to Reddit to discuss Hidan and Kakuzu, specifically how their anime versions are superior to their manga counterparts. u/Spinosaurus23 agreed the two Akatsuki members got better treatment in the anime, saying, "Mostly because the battle was extended and had stellar animation." u/CaptainKungPao138 was shocked by how much shorter the villains' arc was in the manga, believing that "Naruto" is the only series whose anime far exceeds its manga.

u/Somm0742 thinks the anime did a masterful job adapting and expanding on the manga arc, saying that the time it takes to show Asuma through flashbacks made it one of their favorite moments from "Naruto." "The arc itself and its overall progression were really greatly done in the anime. Asuma was given a bit of backstory [however filler-esque it may be]," they said. "Then the grieving period of Shikamaru, the conversations between him and his father, then the battles, the badass duo from the Akatsuki, the tactical war play."

It seems the only issue "Naruto" fans take with Hidan and Kakuzu's extended time in the anime is how the latter met his end. Many mentioned that Naruto showing up to defeat Kakuzu didn't feel right, with many wishing someone from Ino-Shika-Cho took him out. "[The] only bad thing was how Kakuzu died, it was pretty fast, should have been longer and harder for Naruto to kill him," another user said. u/ironside-420 had a similar opinion, picking Kakuzu's death as the only part of the arc they didn't like, while u/garciakevz said the inclusion of Naruto made the victory seem less special.