Well, the popularity of Guts and Count manga can be quite subjective. It often depends on factors like the storylines, art styles, and marketing. Sometimes, one might be more popular in one country or among a certain age group, but not necessarily everywhere or for everyone.
Naruto's animation was related to the manga. In animation production, there would sometimes be some changes to the manga plot, especially in terms of character setting, plot development, and plot twists. For example, in the 69th episode of Naruto, Kishimoto made changes and supplements to the plot of the manga so that the audience could better understand the development of the story.
The question of whether the animation plot would be the same as the manga plot could not be answered with certainty. Although Naruto and anime had different storylines and character settings, there were some similarities between the two. For example, the important characters in Naruto had unique skills and abilities. Their battles and storylines were often related to background stories and historical events. Therefore, in the animation production, the storyline might be adapted and adjusted to meet the audience's taste and market demand while retaining the characteristics of the manga.
In the manga, Guts' character development is explored more deeply. The anime might focus more on visual action scenes. Also, the art style can vary, with the manga having a certain grittiness that the anime might not fully replicate.
The 'Guts' anime is a fairly close adaptation of the manga. It keeps the key elements intact, like character development and major plot points. However, there might be some added background details or minor character expansions to flesh out the story in the anime.
Naruto comics and animation were usually not synchronized. Although the manga and the animation were produced by the same company, the manga might be released earlier than the animation because the progress of the manga was faster than the animation. In addition, there were some differences between the production of comics and animation, such as the quality of the picture, sound effects, and dubbing. Therefore, the plot of Naruto manga and anime may be different and there may be a time lag in some cases.