Board Thread:Episode Discussions/@comment-25319479-20150910121534/@comment-26518343-20150912145632

Ajr1218 wrote: Omnibender wrote: SP also has a problem with either compressing or stretching things too much. Some fillers, they really drag on with things that don't build up, or they rush through things that could. A lot of these filler arcs seem to be the story equivalent of a procrastinator writing an essay. A notable example is the Chuunin Exams flashback arc. The story progressed very, very slowly with lots of viewpoints and scenes, but was cut short because they ran out of time to properly conclude it. The only manga-canon scene in the arc (Naruto going 4-tailed against Jiraiya) was also shoved in and heavily neutered. It's a matter of pacing and knowing how much to put in. Can't put too many story elements into a short filler, shouldn't make a small plot point last an entire season.

That aside, I kinda do like this setup, but it seems to be more like it'd fit neatly in around 5 episodes rather than 2.

The arc dropped the ball by not having tournament fights for the final round. They definitely spent too much time focusing on how to pass the first exam and too much time in the desert.

I'd like to know if they intended on having the third round cancelled from the beginning or overextended themselves running around the desert and were told to wrap it up right away.