Naruto

Naruto
Publisher: Studio Pierrot
Type of Anime: TV
Genre: Martial Arts, Action, Adventure, Comedy
Watched Subbed/Dubbed: Subbed

Twelve years ago ago, a demon fox with nine tails appeared. His tail was powerful enough to cause mountains to crumble and tidal waves to form with only a swing. The Shinobis fought long and hard to contain the demon until one Shinobi, Fourth Hokage, sacrificed his life to seal it.

Onwards to the present: Naruto is the mischievous orphan of Konoha (Hidden Leaf Village) who dreams that one day the people of the village will acknowledge him and that he will become as well respected as village's 4 Hokage (leaders). Now, however, Naruto does whatever he can to drum up attention but mostly incurs their wrath rather than compassion. Only his teacher, Iruka, shows him kindness - which is somewhat ironic because Naruto is his worst student and in danger of failing his Academy graduation exam for the third (and final) time.

On the day of Naruto's graduation, Mizuki contrives a plot to steal the Hokage's Scroll of Seals which includes several forbidden ninja techniques. That plot requires Naruto to break in and steal the Scroll and give it to him. When the villagers learn that Naruto has taken the scroll, Iruka goes after him and finds himself in the middle of the plot, where it looks as if Mizuki will take Iruka's life to get his hands on the Scroll. Luckily Naruto has mastered one of the forbidden techniques and can use it to not only defeat Mizuki but also graduate from the academy.

Soon, Naruto is well on his way to becoming a full-fledged ninja. And because ninja work in teams, Naruto finds himself partnered with the girl he has a crush on, Sakura, and the boy she has a crush on, Sasuke. He and Sasuke soon become rivals and their sensei, Kakashi, must go to great lengths to teach his young Genin the value of teamwork.

Naruto starts off with a lot of slapstick but quickly becomes more intense as these newly minted ninja must come to terms with the realities of the outside world. This is one anime where they aren't afraid to show blood or death. The fight scenes range from typical punch/kicks to special bloodline techniques specific to clans.

For the most part, the anime is well paced, although sometimes the story arcs do move slowly. The story really starts to pick up in the mid-20s when Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are reunited with their fellow classmates for the prestigious Chuunin exam, which will drastically change the lives of the genin involved and the make up of Konoha.

The world of Naruto is richly complex. It is a mixture of old and modern society with power lines and tvs within villages but where ninja techniques are substituted for mass weaponry and medicine. People tend to travel on foot and send messengers rather than traveling by car or plane or calling someone on the phone.

The countries are set up similar to the politics of feudal Japan. Each operates as a separate political entity, presumably ruled by a monarch, though occasionally, countries will sign peace treaties with other countries. Hidden Villages are places within countries where citizens are trained to become ninja. Ninja are a valuable economic resource for countries because they complete missions for anyone who's willing to pay. Missions are ranked according to their difficulty and dangerousness and priced accordingly. They can include anything from gardening and housework to protecting a key person from assassination to fighting in war.

Naruto, for instance, lives in Konoha which is the ninja village of Fire Country. Konoha has a reputation for first class ninjas and receives a number of jobs each year. However, it does have its enemies, including those who are jealous of Konoha's success and those who were once Konoha nin but left the village to pursue their own agendas.

This anime has something for everyone. There are rivalries between clans, family turmoil, love triangles, friendly competition between rivals, and good hearted comradery between teammates. 150 episodes later, I'm amazed at how much the characters have grown and developed.

Like all long running shonen anime, Naruto has its ups and downs. At times, the animation is simply amazing, with crisp moves and highly detailed character designs with the occasional 3D technique thrown in for added depth. Other times, you can tell they are running low on funds. Characters are somewhat deformed or drawn in a different style from other episodes. For the most part, however, the animation is top notch for shonen.

The characters are really what makes Naruto worth watching. Initially, the anime focuses on Naruto and his two teammates but soon broadens the spectrum to include the other two genin teams as well as characters from other countries. Naruto is a good-hearted, mischievous boy who wants nothing more than to be accepted and acknowledged by his fellow villagers. Throughout the show, we watch as he grows from an annoying class clown to someone who shapes the lives and gives hope to the people he comes into contact with.

Most of the characters are a delight to watch as they struggle with being shinobi in this super competitive and highly dangerous environment. They deal with everyday concerns like unrequited love, lack of self confidence, broken families, over-demanding parents, and wanting to feel accepted for who they are. The more you learn about the characters, the more you come to like them and want to know more.

Taken from Click here