One PieceandNarutoare two pillars of shonen anime that have captivated fans for decades and inspire new work to this day. They both have anundeniable influence and have forever shaped the anime industry. Yet, as both series stretched into hundreds of episodes, a noticeable strain began to reveal itself. The weekly anime format leads to the series catching up too quickly with their manga counterparts, leading to filler episodes and arcs made to stall for time. Often, at the expense of pacing and story cohesion.
Dragon Ball Zalso followed a similar path to stall for time instead of catching up to the manga. This led to drawn-out scenes, battles, and even entire non-canonical story arcs throughout the series. However, rather than allowing this version to stand untouched, Toei Animation made a rare moveyears after the series' release and reworked the show intoDragon Ball Z Kai.
Naruto and One Piece Are Overrun With Filler
Currently, One Piece Is Approximately 9% Filler, While Naruto Is Approximately 41% Filler
While fillers often have a bad reputation, not all of them are without merit. Some arcs offer fun side stories, character development, and sometimes lighthearted breaks from intense main plots. That said, bothNarutoandOne Piecehave become known for the sheer volume of fillerthroughout their runs.Naruto,in particular, stalled for nearly two years with non-canonical content before transitioning toShippuden.One Piecealso continues to weave in filler arcs and scenes to this day.
The problem isn’t with the filler itself, but rather, how it disrupts the main storyline.These arcs often interrupt emotional momentum and weaken the pacing. InNaruto,filler arcs follow major plot climaxes, dulling their impact. While it doesn’t have nearly as many fillers,One Piecefaces similar problems with its padded-out pacing. Although manga readers appreciate focused storytelling, anime-only viewers often wade through content that feels aimless or repetitive at times. This results in a fragmented narrative and a weakened connection to the stakes of each series.
Dragon Ball Solved Its Filler Problem Through Dragon Ball Z Kai
Dragon Ball Z Kai Offered a More Streamlined Viewing Experience for Fans
Dragon Balladdressed the pacing issues that filler creates head-onwith the release ofDragon Ball Z Kai. This addition was more than a remaster of the series; it was a complete restructuring of the originalDragon Ball Zanime,trimming nearly 100 episodes of filler. By allowing the anime to align more closely with the manga,Kaicreated a version of the story that felt sharper, faster, and overall, more engaging. Major arcs like the Saiyan and Frieza Sagas hit harder without lengthy power-ups or detours, allowing for the tension to land with a stronger impact.
“Offer New Possibilities”: A Dragon Ball Remake Is Inevitable, And Its Top Creators Are Down For It
The original Dragon Ball anime could certainly use a remake with modern technology, and it seems that creatives in the franchise are OK with the idea.
What makesKaias effective as it is comes from its respect for the source material. It doesn’t add to or reinterpret Akira Toriyama’s work, and the result is a version ofDragon Ball Zthat feels more authentic. WhileNarutoandOne Piecerely on extended content to maintain their broadcast schedules,Kaiproves that cutting down on filler can enhance a series' legacy. In doing so,Kaialso acknowledges the evolving expectations of audiences who seek a more faithful and streamlined experience.
Filler Can Be Good, but Too Much of It Dampens the Storyline
Naruto and One Piece Have a Lot To Gain by Cutting Down on Filler
IfNarutoandOne Piecefollowed inDragon Ball Z Kai’sfootsteps, both could offer more authentic versions of their stories without losing their identity. ImagineNarutowithout the nearly three hundred episodes of filler throughout the franchise, orOne Piecewithout the extended scenes and anime-only arcs slowing the pacing. These series have strong foundations with characters and themes that resonate deeply with fans, but theirstorytelling is often buried beneath content that’s made to stretch runtimes. A remastering of these series wouldn’t erase what made them so loved by fans; in fact, it could easily do the opposite.
Ultimately,filler isn’t inherently bad as it can serve to explore characters more closelyand provide breaks in the narrative. However, when it’s overused, it dampens the narrative flow and emotional payoff.Dragon Ball Z Kaiproved that cutting down on the excess scenes and non-canonical arcs sharpens a story’s impact. As anime continues to grow in popularity,the demand for more faithful adaptations increases among fans. ShouldNarutoandOne Pieceembrace aDragon Ball Z Kai-style remake, it could strengthen their legacies and appeal to both longtime fans and a new generation entirely.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
Naruto
Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists' children and returning faces.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
