Naruto Director Hayato Date Admits That He Now Finds The Anime’s Pacing Quite Slow

Speaking at a recent panel discussion, Naruto director Hayato Date addressed the anime’s pacing, admitting that the progression feels slow when he looks back on the series now.

Date’s comments came at the Anime India event held in Mumbai during a panel conversation, where he was asked how he approached the pacing of episodes in Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden.

Date responded by saying that when he looks back at the Naruto anime today, he finds its pacing quite slow compared to the standards of modern Japanese animation.

“Back then, 20 years ago, I think that was what I considered my ideal timing. Looking at it now, Japanese animation has definitely become much faster. When I look back at [Naruto], even though I thought it was good at the time, seeing it today makes me think, ‘How slow!’” Date said.

The director added that if he were to helm a new project today, it would definitely have a better pacing. However, he noted that it still wouldn’t be as fast as modern anime titles.

According to Date, his reluctance to match the current narrative speed was due to the traditional pacing of Japanese Kabuki theatre, which remains ingrained in his directorial style.

“I am still Japanese after all. I think traditional Japanese pacing—like the use of pauses (ma) in Kabuki—is naturally ingrained in me. So even if I were to create something new, while I wouldn’t make it as slow as before, I don’t think I would make it as fast as things are now,” he said.

Date then explained how continuous fast pacing negatively impacts the audience’s viewing experience by not allowing them moments to rest during high-intensity sequences.

He instead, loved to use a pause, as seen in Kabuki plays, to give viewers a chance to breath and calm down.

“When viewers watch non-stop action, they hold their breath. If you keep that going without a break, the viewers will struggle to breathe and suffocate. So right before they run out of breath, I gauge the timing to let them exhale and calm down,” he said. “While I had the help of many talented people, that final timing comes down to a process called ‘cutting’ (editing), where I watch the entire sequence myself and have them make adjustments, saying, ‘This part is a bit too fast,’ or ‘This part is too slow.'”

Hayato Date served as the director for both the original Naruto anime and its sequel, Naruto: Shippuden, with the series airing from October 2002 to March 2017. This is the first time that he has visited India.

In the same panel, the director also talked about how he ignored preferences of overseas audience while making the Naruto anime, keeping only the Japanese viewers in mind.

Naruto anime will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2027, with plans for numerous new releases officially in development to mark the milestone.