Quote from SmallLady
Actually its not only ninjas, its the way super-fast people run in anime. Check out some anime other than Naruto that required a big run with empty hands and no flying - and all characters run the same way with hands trailing behind them. Good example: Tenchi Muyo GXP - the main character - Seina rides on Bicycle competing with Tenchi running on foot. Tenchi runs with hands trailing behind him.
I would call this "running anime-style" and I don't really know why most anime use this way to draw running characters.
I have thought of couple of reasons why japanese mangaka (or is it anime- only?) would do it
#1 Its current fad in japan for kids/teenagers to run that way
#2 some really old but really famous anime (or movie) character used to run that way and now most of anime industry copies that style because it looks good on screen (not in real life though)
#3 Animators are really lazy and don't want to waste their time drawing the running characters in realistic way especially in long series such as Naruto
#4 There was some study or conclusion somewhere that to run this way is to minimize air friction
I would call this "running anime-style" and I don't really know why most anime use this way to draw running characters.
I have thought of couple of reasons why japanese mangaka (or is it anime- only?) would do it
#1 Its current fad in japan for kids/teenagers to run that way
#2 some really old but really famous anime (or movie) character used to run that way and now most of anime industry copies that style because it looks good on screen (not in real life though)
#3 Animators are really lazy and don't want to waste their time drawing the running characters in realistic way especially in long series such as Naruto
#4 There was some study or conclusion somewhere that to run this way is to minimize air friction
I'm really not sure about this, but I think possibly real ninja ran like that years ago. Like, you're not going to be swinging your needles and shuriken around while you're running, are you?