Face It, the Naruto Anime Made Its Main Romance Controversial for No Good Reason

The relationship between Sasuke and Sakura has often been considered one of the most divisive romances among Naruto fans. While the characters involved in this love story did find their happy ending, there is no doubt that they went through many hurdles to obtain it. Still, many fans are unsure if this couple was meant to be, as Sasuke’s behavior used to indicate that he could barely stand Sakura.

These doubts were woefully made worse due to the many changes the anime series went out of its way to include in their relationship. When compared, the attitude manga Sasuke shows when near his future wife is completely different from his anime counterpart. To make the boy seem colder and unempathetic, the anime almost ruined one of its most pivotal relationships and forced its main female character into a pointless decades-long controversy.

Sasuke Never Despised Sakura in the Manga

The Anime Gave Viewers a False Idea of Sasuke's True Feelings

When he was first introduced in the Naruto anime, Sasuke was presented as a brooding and unfeeling boy who cared about only himself. His entire life was dictated by a quest for power and vengeance, with his only known goal in life being the death of Itachi, his older brother. Although his time with the original members of the beloved Team 7 did bring him actual joy, viewers could still see how annoyed he could become with them, especially Sakura. Being near his female comrade was almost always a burden for Sasuke, as proven by his constant scowls and angry looks.

It is due to this that it may come as a shock for anime-only fans to learn that Sasuke was never supposed to act so annoyed when interacting with his future wife. The attitude he demonstrated in the original manga tells a completely different story. Sakura’s approaches, while sometimes awkward for the Uchiha, were never outright rejected, as he seemed to somewhat enjoy the attention of the girl. Many of the moments fans remember of Sasuke ignoring or being cold towards Sakura were altered in the anime to make it seem that way.

One of the best examples of these changes comes from episode #2 of the anime, during which the genin of Team 7 introduced themselves to their teacher, Kakashi. In the show, when Sakura implies that she is in love with Sasuke, the boy simply ignores her, maintaining an angry look. The manga shows that the girl’s words did affect the Uchiha, with him blushing after learning that Sakura has a crush on him. What the anime tried to depict as an unhealthy and toxic obsession with Sasuke, was depicted as an average teenage attraction in the manga.

Sasuke and Sakura Have So Much Chemistry in the Manga

The Original Story Does Imply a Romance Is Blossoming

Among the big changes between the Naruto anime and the original manga, the growing attraction between Sakura and Sasuke is one of the most confusing ones. In the pages of his book, the creator, Masashi Kishimoto, gave fans various moments of these characters flirting and enjoying each other’s company. In chapter #36 of the manga, after Team 7 arrives at the Academy for the Chunin Exams, Sasuke can be seen winking at Sakura while complimenting her for her Genjutsu detection abilities. This action immediately gives the girl a boost in confidence and proves the boy enjoys being around her.

The anime decided to alter this scene, showing Sasuke half-heartedly calling Sakura smart, with no major change in attitude or behavior. This trend would only continue down the line, with Studio Pierrot, one of the most important names in the industry and the company behind the anime, arbitrarily making Sasuke act as if Sakura annoyed him. At various points in the series, the Uchiha was shown as angry or uncomfortable when the girl initiated contact. In the manga, he would often kindly ask Sakura to let him go, mostly due to his unfamiliarity with physical contact.

Sakura’s Desire To Retrieve Sasuke Made Much More Sense in the Manga

Anime Fans Used To Question Her Decisions

For most Naruto anime-only fans, the strong impulse Sakura had to bring Sasuke home during the Shippuden series made little to no sense. The viewers of the show, unaware of the true significance of these characters’ confusing relationship, only saw an obsessive woman trying to save her childhood crush. This was an understandable view, as the anime did make their relationship seem unhealthy and abusive. Sakura’s actions have been heavily criticized for many decades by fans, all because of the changes made by the anime.

Followers of Kishimoto’s work were very aware that Kunoichi was not trying to save the terrorist who tried to kill her during the Shippuden anime. Sakura was desperately trying to recover the shy but caring boy who stole her heart as a child. Like Naruto, she knew that the Sasuke they once knew could not have suddenly disappeared, as he was much more than just a revenge-obsessed killer. When studying their relationship with knowledge about the manga, it becomes clear that the anime failed Sakura by making her motives to save Sasuke invalid.

Sasuke’s Growth Also Suffered Greatly in the Anime

​​​​​​​The Anime Took Away a Large Portion of His Complexity

Even though a large majority of the changes Sasuke went through were reflected during his interactions with Sakura, there is no doubt that they also hurt his overall character development. For many fans, the Uchiha will always be an unlikeable and pretentious boy who betrayed everyone in his life for power. Yet, the character was never meant to be simplified in such a way. The original version of Sasuke was emotional, expressive, and kind to the people he considered important.

Although he did try to keep his emotions in check, he was often unable to demonstrate the joy being near his teammates brought to him. Sasuke was created to be one of the best rivals in anime history, a title that his manga version more than deserves. His anime counterpart, although an amazing character, lacks the depth and humanity that the original version possesses. In an attempt to make him a darker character, the anime took away several traits that made Sasuke such a cherished part of the franchise.

While Sakura and Sasuke’s relationship did suffer from the changes made to the story by the Naruto anime, there is no doubt that they are one of the cutest and most wholesome couples in the series. It might have taken them time to find their happiness, but fans are glad that they were able to overcome the obstacles together.