Hayato Date, the director behind the original Naruto anime and Naruto: Shippuden, has offered a candid look at the series’ pacing and admitted that some of it feels surprisingly slow to him today.
Speaking during a panel at Anime India in Mumbai, Date was asked about the way he handled pacing while directing Naruto and its sequel. Looking back more than two decades later, the director acknowledged that Japanese animation has changed considerably, with many modern series moving through their stories at a much faster pace.
Date explained that his approach made sense to him when Naruto was being produced, but his perspective has changed with time.
“Back then, 20 years ago, I think that was what I considered my ideal timing,”
he said.
“When I look back at [Naruto], even though I thought it was good at the time, seeing it today makes me think, ‘How slow!’”
The director added that if he were making a new anime today, he would likely adjust his approach and create something faster. However, Date does not believe he would adopt the extremely rapid pacing found in some contemporary anime.
Hayato Date Explains the Kabuki Influence Behind Naruto’s Pacing
Date’s comments suggest that Naruto’s slower moments were not simply the result of stretching material across a long television run. Instead, his directorial philosophy was influenced by traditional Japanese performance, particularly the concept of ma, or deliberate pauses, associated with Kabuki theatre.
“I am still Japanese after all,”
Date explained during the Anime India panel. He said that this traditional sense of timing remains naturally embedded in his creative approach, meaning that even if he directed another project today, he would still leave room for pauses rather than constantly pushing the story forward.
For Date, those breaks can be particularly important during action sequences. He believes that continuously maintaining intense action can exhaust viewers, making moments of calm necessary for the audience to recover before the next major sequence.
“When viewers watch non-stop action, they hold their breath,”
Date said. He explained that he tries to identify the moment when viewers need to
“exhale and calm down,”
using editing to control the rhythm of a scene.
Date also described the final editing process as an important part of achieving that balance. While he worked alongside numerous talented staff members, he personally reviewed sequences and requested adjustments when individual cuts felt too fast or too slow.
Hayato Date directed the original Naruto anime and subsequently served as director of Naruto: Shippuden, which concluded in 2017. His appearance at Anime India also marked his first visit to the country, where he discussed his experiences working on one of anime’s most internationally recognized franchises.
The original Naruto anime is approaching its 25th anniversary in 2027, making Date’s reflections particularly relevant as the franchise continues to receive new projects and anniversary plans.
