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Naruto #1
Naruto, Vol. 1: Uzumaki Naruto
Naruto is a ninja-in-training with an incorrigible knack for mischief. His wild antics amuse his teammates, but Naruto is completely serious about one thing: becoming the world's greatest ninja!
UZUMAKI NARUTO
Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace, and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated. The adventure begins now!
UZUMAKI NARUTO
Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace, and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated. The adventure begins now!
187 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 1999
About the author
Masashi Kishimoto
918 books3,770 followersMasashi Kishimoto (岸本斉史 Kishimoto Masashi) is a Japanese manga artist, well known for creating the manga series Naruto. His younger twin brother, Seishi Kishimoto, is also a manga artist and creator of the manga series O-Parts Hunter (666 Satan) and Blazer Drive. Two of his former assistants, Osamu Kajisa (Tattoo Hearts) and Yuuichi Itakura (Hand's), have also gone on to moderate success following their work on Naruto.
Kishimoto's first work as a manga artist was Karakuri (カラクリ?), which he submitted to Shueisha in 1995. This earned him the Weekly Shōnen Jump's monthly "Hop Step Award" in 1996, granted to promising new manga artists. This was followed in 1997 by a pilot version of Naruto (NARUTO－ナルト－), published in Akamaru Jump Summer. In 1998, Kishimoto premiered as a Weekly Shōnen Jump artist with a serialized version of Karakuri in Weekly Shōnen Jump, but it proved unpopular and was canceled soon after. In 1999, a serialized version of Naruto began publication in Weekly Shōnen Jump and quickly became a hit.
Kishimoto's first work as a manga artist was Karakuri (カラクリ?), which he submitted to Shueisha in 1995. This earned him the Weekly Shōnen Jump's monthly "Hop Step Award" in 1996, granted to promising new manga artists. This was followed in 1997 by a pilot version of Naruto (NARUTO－ナルト－), published in Akamaru Jump Summer. In 1998, Kishimoto premiered as a Weekly Shōnen Jump artist with a serialized version of Karakuri in Weekly Shōnen Jump, but it proved unpopular and was canceled soon after. In 1999, a serialized version of Naruto began publication in Weekly Shōnen Jump and quickly became a hit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,715 reviews
November 19, 2010
japan is full of wackiness. this is a fact. have you ever seen tokyo gore police?? i have. it is wacky. so is visitor q. they airbrush the pubic hair in their porn, they make beer for kids, they sell soy sauce flavored kit kats, their game shows are mind-boggling, everything is cute and brightly colored and for some reason, they still love hair bands from the eighties like bon freaking jovi.
it is a land of wacky inventions:
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and wacky vending machines:
and wacky fashion:
i am kind of in love with a bunch of things i noted above, but still - wackytown.
but then there's manga. i am not going to be a convert to manga, the way i could go over to the kit kat darkside. i did read all the battle royale mangas a few years back. but i mean, i had read the novel, i had seen the movie - if they made a breakfast cereal, i would probably have tried that, too. i am a completist.
but naruto?? i am not going to read the other 48 of 'em.i am not even going to read one more of 'em. i don't really understand the allure of this series, what makes the kiddies plop down with like eighteen of them and plow through them as though they were enjoyable.
naruto himself is pretty annoying; always doing stupid shit to get attention and bragging that he is going to be the most awesome ninja of all time, but he just doesn't have the skills to back it up. i know people like this - big talk, but really annoying to be around. "oh, but it isn't his fault!! people don't like him because one time, there was this giant ghostly fox-creature terrorizing the town, and so they captured it and put it in naruto's belly when he was a baby, so that's why people don't like him. poor poor dear. oh, and also, he is kind of a turd". i don't care about his fox-tummy, i just got annoyed by his loudmouth antics.and reading "backwards" kind of makes me seasick.
and also the female character. oh, cool - girl ninja!! this is great progress in gender equality!! oh, but all she does is complain that she doesn't have much in the t&a department and she pines after a boy ninja who does not notice her and she is awful at being a ninja because of her infatuation with said ninja. so it kind of is a shame she doesn't have big knockers, cuz now she can't even become a high-end stripper when she realizes she is a dumb, shitty, ninja.
i feel like this lack of manga-interest might be a side effect of being old and crotchety and "get-off-my-lawn" and all that, but that's just the way it is, wackos!
it is a land of wacky inventions:
[image error]
and wacky vending machines:
and wacky fashion:
i am kind of in love with a bunch of things i noted above, but still - wackytown.
but then there's manga. i am not going to be a convert to manga, the way i could go over to the kit kat darkside. i did read all the battle royale mangas a few years back. but i mean, i had read the novel, i had seen the movie - if they made a breakfast cereal, i would probably have tried that, too. i am a completist.
but naruto?? i am not going to read the other 48 of 'em.i am not even going to read one more of 'em. i don't really understand the allure of this series, what makes the kiddies plop down with like eighteen of them and plow through them as though they were enjoyable.
naruto himself is pretty annoying; always doing stupid shit to get attention and bragging that he is going to be the most awesome ninja of all time, but he just doesn't have the skills to back it up. i know people like this - big talk, but really annoying to be around. "oh, but it isn't his fault!! people don't like him because one time, there was this giant ghostly fox-creature terrorizing the town, and so they captured it and put it in naruto's belly when he was a baby, so that's why people don't like him. poor poor dear. oh, and also, he is kind of a turd". i don't care about his fox-tummy, i just got annoyed by his loudmouth antics.and reading "backwards" kind of makes me seasick.
and also the female character. oh, cool - girl ninja!! this is great progress in gender equality!! oh, but all she does is complain that she doesn't have much in the t&a department and she pines after a boy ninja who does not notice her and she is awful at being a ninja because of her infatuation with said ninja. so it kind of is a shame she doesn't have big knockers, cuz now she can't even become a high-end stripper when she realizes she is a dumb, shitty, ninja.
i feel like this lack of manga-interest might be a side effect of being old and crotchety and "get-off-my-lawn" and all that, but that's just the way it is, wackos!
January 4, 2024
Re-Read 1/3/24:
Since the last second-read and a full-watch of the anime minus the filler since then, I decided to go back to the roots and re-read the whole series once again.
One thing say about this first volume: it's childish, but what else can we expect about a group of 12-year-olds? Most of the gags are pretty silly, but the later call-backs are actually pretty freaking divine. To remember the first kiss in the weight of all that happens later? How about the Thousand Years of Pain, re-done 2 more times later to fantastic effect?
I admit, however, that comparing THIS volume to the seriousness and the true heart of later just doesn't do any of it justice.
But then, Kishimoto was really just getting going, making it all up on the fly at this point.
The seriously good writing comes later.
Original Review:
I'm pretty much a die hard fan of this series, and now that it's done, I'm sad.
For the sake of my aching heart, I'm going to reread it again and revel in its moments of light-heartedness, its pain, its desperate hope.
Well, there was a bit of pain in the first volume, a lot of light-heartedness, and a taste of the promise to come. The nine-tailed demon fox is still far off on the horizon, but for now, we've got cute character exploration and distant goals. Pretty standard for most manga, really, but it's the heart in the series that keeps me coming back for more.
True heart. I always look for that in anything I read, and it doesn't matter one bit where I find it, as long as I find it.
The reason I keep coming back for this manga is because it never lost heart, including more and more until it fair burst upon the land. Huge effects and battles, the end of the world, you name it, it's here... but it's the characters that make it really shine. If you like your peeps to level up, then you'll love this series.
Volume one is but a tiny, tiny taste of some really great stuff, but it's how the people change and grow that brings me to my inevitable tears.
Since the last second-read and a full-watch of the anime minus the filler since then, I decided to go back to the roots and re-read the whole series once again.
One thing say about this first volume: it's childish, but what else can we expect about a group of 12-year-olds? Most of the gags are pretty silly, but the later call-backs are actually pretty freaking divine. To remember the first kiss in the weight of all that happens later? How about the Thousand Years of Pain, re-done 2 more times later to fantastic effect?
I admit, however, that comparing THIS volume to the seriousness and the true heart of later just doesn't do any of it justice.
But then, Kishimoto was really just getting going, making it all up on the fly at this point.
The seriously good writing comes later.
Original Review:
I'm pretty much a die hard fan of this series, and now that it's done, I'm sad.
For the sake of my aching heart, I'm going to reread it again and revel in its moments of light-heartedness, its pain, its desperate hope.
Well, there was a bit of pain in the first volume, a lot of light-heartedness, and a taste of the promise to come. The nine-tailed demon fox is still far off on the horizon, but for now, we've got cute character exploration and distant goals. Pretty standard for most manga, really, but it's the heart in the series that keeps me coming back for more.
True heart. I always look for that in anything I read, and it doesn't matter one bit where I find it, as long as I find it.
The reason I keep coming back for this manga is because it never lost heart, including more and more until it fair burst upon the land. Huge effects and battles, the end of the world, you name it, it's here... but it's the characters that make it really shine. If you like your peeps to level up, then you'll love this series.
Volume one is but a tiny, tiny taste of some really great stuff, but it's how the people change and grow that brings me to my inevitable tears.
July 16, 2020
Naruto, Vol. 01: The Tests of the Ninja (Naruto, #1), Masashi Kishimoto
Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks to gain recognition from his peers and also dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. The story is in two parts, the first set in Naruto's pre-teen years, and the second in his teens. The series is based on two one-shot manga by Kishimoto: Karakuri (1995), which earned Kishimoto an honorable mention in Shueisha's monthly Hop Step Award the following year, and Naruto (1997).
Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace, and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated. The adventure begins now!
تاریخ خوانش روز بیست و هشتم ماه ژانویه سال 2017 میلادی
عنوان: ناروتو: آزمون نینجا: کتاب یک از سری؛ نویسنده: ماساشی کیشیموتو؛
ناروتو عنوان یک مجموعه مانگای پرطرفدار است، که توسط «ماساشی کیشیموتو» نوشته، و تصویرسازی، و بر اساس آن چندین مجموعه ی انیمه نیز ساخته شده است؛ نخستین قسمت «مانگای نار��تو» در شماره ی چهل و سوم هفته نامه ی «شونن جامپ»، در سال 1999میلادی، توسط انتشارات «شوئیشا» به چاپ رسید، و چاپ آن همچنان ادامه دارد؛
مجموعه انیمه ی «ناروتو»، توسط استودیو «پیرو» تهیه میشود؛ نخستین قسمت انیمه ی ناروتو، در روز سوم ماه اکتبر سال 2002میلادی، از شبکه ی تلویزیونی «تی.وی توکیو» پخش شد؛ سری نخست «انیمه ی ناروتو» شامل دویست و بیست قسمت است؛ سری دوم این مجموعه نیز، با نام «ناروتو: شیپودن»، از روز پانزدهم ماه فوریه سال 2007میلادی، تا روز بیست و سوم مارس سال 2017میلادی، در پانصد قسمت پخش شد؛ علاوه بر مجموعه های انیمه، استودیو «پیرو» تاکنون یازده فیلم سینمایی، و چندین «او.وی.ای» نیز تهیه کرده است؛ با به پایان رسیدن مجموعه های «مانگا»، و «انیمه»، ادامه ی داستان، توسط پسر «ناروتو»، «بوروتو اوزوماکی» با عنوانهای «بوروتو: ناروتو» برای نسلهای بعدی دنبال میشود، او قصد دارد در ازای تعقیب رویاهای پدر خویش، راه نینجایی خود را دنبال کند؛
درونمایه ی داستان «ناروتو»، بیشتر درباره ی نینجاهای دارای قدرتهای مافوق طبیعی، و استفادهٔ آنها از چاکرا، برای جنگیدن است؛ شخصیت اصلی این ماجرا نینجایی نوجوان، و پرشور و شوق، به نام «ناروتو اوزوماکی» است، که تلاش دارد، توجه و احترام اطرافیانش را نسبت به خود جلب کند؛ بزرگترین آرزوی وی اینست که روزی «هوکاگه (بالاترین مقامی که یک نینجا میتواند در کونوها، وطن ناروتو به دست آورد)» شود؛
چکیده ی داستان «دوازده سال پیش از آغاز داستان، موجودی شرور و افسانه ای به نام «کیوبی (روباهی غول پیکر با نه دم)» به کونوها حمله میکند؛ چهارمین هوکاگه با استفاده از یک طلسم، و قربانی کردن خود، موفق میشود کیوبی را داخل بدن ناروتوی تازه به دنیا آمده، زندانی کند.؛ ناروتو پسری یتیم است، و اکثر مردم (بزرگسالان کونوها) او را همان کیوبی میبینند، و از او نفرت دارند.؛ بنا به فرمان هوکاگه ی سوم، هیچکس حق ندارد، در مورد رویدادهای رخداده ی مرتبط با حمله ی کیوبی، حرفی بزند؛ برای همین، همسالان ناروتوو، همچنین خودش، چیزی در این مورد نمیدانند.؛ با این وجود، و رفتار بزرگسالان، و تأثیر رفتار بر روی فرزندانشان، ناروتو دوران کودکی خود را، بدون هرگونه رابطه ی صمیمانه، و دوستی سپری میکند.؛ نتیجه اینکه، ناروتو برای جلب توجه، دست به انواع و اقسام شیطنت، و خرابکاری میزند.؛ در آغاز، ناروتو بدترین شاگرد مدرسه ی نینجاها است؛ اما با تلاش فراوان، قدرتهای خودش را افزایش میدهد، و بالاخره فارغ التحصیل میشود.؛ پس از فارغ التحصیلی، نینجاهای مبتدی، به گروههای سه نفره تقسیم میشوند.؛ ناروتو نیز به همراه «ساسوکه اوچیها (بهترین شاگرد مدرسه)»، و «ساکورا هارونو (که ناروتو به او علاقمند است)»، در یک گروه قرار میگیرند.؛ تعلیم آنها را هم «کاکاشی هاتاکه»، یکی از بهترین نینجاهای کونوها (که همیشه ماسکی بر صورت دارد)، به عهده میگیرد...؛»؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 26/04/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks to gain recognition from his peers and also dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. The story is in two parts, the first set in Naruto's pre-teen years, and the second in his teens. The series is based on two one-shot manga by Kishimoto: Karakuri (1995), which earned Kishimoto an honorable mention in Shueisha's monthly Hop Step Award the following year, and Naruto (1997).
Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace, and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated. The adventure begins now!
تاریخ خوانش روز بیست و هشتم ماه ژانویه سال 2017 میلادی
عنوان: ناروتو: آزمون نینجا: کتاب یک از سری؛ نویسنده: ماساشی کیشیموتو؛
ناروتو عنوان یک مجموعه مانگای پرطرفدار است، که توسط «ماساشی کیشیموتو» نوشته، و تصویرسازی، و بر اساس آن چندین مجموعه ی انیمه نیز ساخته شده است؛ نخستین قسمت «مانگای نار��تو» در شماره ی چهل و سوم هفته نامه ی «شونن جامپ»، در سال 1999میلادی، توسط انتشارات «شوئیشا» به چاپ رسید، و چاپ آن همچنان ادامه دارد؛
مجموعه انیمه ی «ناروتو»، توسط استودیو «پیرو» تهیه میشود؛ نخستین قسمت انیمه ی ناروتو، در روز سوم ماه اکتبر سال 2002میلادی، از شبکه ی تلویزیونی «تی.وی توکیو» پخش شد؛ سری نخست «انیمه ی ناروتو» شامل دویست و بیست قسمت است؛ سری دوم این مجموعه نیز، با نام «ناروتو: شیپودن»، از روز پانزدهم ماه فوریه سال 2007میلادی، تا روز بیست و سوم مارس سال 2017میلادی، در پانصد قسمت پخش شد؛ علاوه بر مجموعه های انیمه، استودیو «پیرو» تاکنون یازده فیلم سینمایی، و چندین «او.وی.ای» نیز تهیه کرده است؛ با به پایان رسیدن مجموعه های «مانگا»، و «انیمه»، ادامه ی داستان، توسط پسر «ناروتو»، «بوروتو اوزوماکی» با عنوانهای «بوروتو: ناروتو» برای نسلهای بعدی دنبال میشود، او قصد دارد در ازای تعقیب رویاهای پدر خویش، راه نینجایی خود را دنبال کند؛
درونمایه ی داستان «ناروتو»، بیشتر درباره ی نینجاهای دارای قدرتهای مافوق طبیعی، و استفادهٔ آنها از چاکرا، برای جنگیدن است؛ شخصیت اصلی این ماجرا نینجایی نوجوان، و پرشور و شوق، به نام «ناروتو اوزوماکی» است، که تلاش دارد، توجه و احترام اطرافیانش را نسبت به خود جلب کند؛ بزرگترین آرزوی وی اینست که روزی «هوکاگه (بالاترین مقامی که یک نینجا میتواند در کونوها، وطن ناروتو به دست آورد)» شود؛
چکیده ی داستان «دوازده سال پیش از آغاز داستان، موجودی شرور و افسانه ای به نام «کیوبی (روباهی غول پیکر با نه دم)» به کونوها حمله میکند؛ چهارمین هوکاگه با استفاده از یک طلسم، و قربانی کردن خود، موفق میشود کیوبی را داخل بدن ناروتوی تازه به دنیا آمده، زندانی کند.؛ ناروتو پسری یتیم است، و اکثر مردم (بزرگسالان کونوها) او را همان کیوبی میبینند، و از او نفرت دارند.؛ بنا به فرمان هوکاگه ی سوم، هیچکس حق ندارد، در مورد رویدادهای رخداده ی مرتبط با حمله ی کیوبی، حرفی بزند؛ برای همین، همسالان ناروتوو، همچنین خودش، چیزی در این مورد نمیدانند.؛ با این وجود، و رفتار بزرگسالان، و تأثیر رفتار بر روی فرزندانشان، ناروتو دوران کودکی خود را، بدون هرگونه رابطه ی صمیمانه، و دوستی سپری میکند.؛ نتیجه اینکه، ناروتو برای جلب توجه، دست به انواع و اقسام شیطنت، و خرابکاری میزند.؛ در آغاز، ناروتو بدترین شاگرد مدرسه ی نینجاها است؛ اما با تلاش فراوان، قدرتهای خودش را افزایش میدهد، و بالاخره فارغ التحصیل میشود.؛ پس از فارغ التحصیلی، نینجاهای مبتدی، به گروههای سه نفره تقسیم میشوند.؛ ناروتو نیز به همراه «ساسوکه اوچیها (بهترین شاگرد مدرسه)»، و «ساکورا هارونو (که ناروتو به او علاقمند است)»، در یک گروه قرار میگیرند.؛ تعلیم آنها را هم «کاکاشی هاتاکه»، یکی از بهترین نینجاهای کونوها (که همیشه ماسکی بر صورت دارد)، به عهده میگیرد...؛»؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 26/04/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
August 15, 2015
Naruto’s a teenage orphan with a secret. He’s training to be a ninja in ninja school in a village that used to be menaced by a giant fox with nine tails. But he’s a bit screwy – he doesn’t have parents so he’s a bit wild and acts out quite a bit, though he just knows he’s gonna be the greatest ninja ever. I think he will too because his name is the series title!
The first volume introduces us to Naruto and his world. He learns how to make doppelgangers of himself; he fights some generically evil dude; and he gets teamed up with Sesuke the class heartthrob, and the girl he fancies, Sakura, who, of course, fancies Sesuke – Naruto’s gross! – as they train under a deceptively skilled ninja teacher.
Unfortunately there’s not a whole lot I liked about this book. Writer/artist Masashi Kishimoto barrels through the setup too quickly and clumsily so characters come and go without making an impression. Here’s Some Kid – he’s gonna be your nemesis, Naruto! Here’s Some Evil Guy and Some Good Guy – save Good Guy and fight Evil Guy, Naruto! It’s simplistic, and that’s fine, but that doesn’t mean it should be artless.
Naruto is trying a bit too hard to be the likeable scamp and appealing hero. So much so that I wanted someone else to be the main character – he’d make a decent supporting character instead. Sakura is an embarrassingly poor female character. She’s a female ninja but because she’s a girl she’s obsessed with love and romance, like eeeeevery girl, riiiiight?! That’s why she’s not a great ninja – because she’s obsessed with the dreamy boooooyyyyyyy LOL!! Ugh.
The whole doppelganger thing is weird – literally producing copies of yourself doesn’t seem like a ninja skill. Naruto manages to turn himself into an adult naked hot woman and back, then later scores of himself that are physically and mentally real. Is he a ninja or a magician?! How does this ninja magic work anyway!?
The art is more-or-less generic manga so it’s not especially eye-catching, and it’s a bit rough in places, particularly with the fight scenes. Naruto vs the ninja teacher is a bit jerky with the panel transitions – they’re not as fluid or well-paced as Akira Toriyama’s near-flawless Dragon Ball – and Kishimoto has to go back to certain scenes and explain with diagrams what happened in them, which isn’t great.
This first volume of Naruto is pretty bland stuff by most manga standards. Obviously the series has done well with dozens of books and a hit TV series but I didn’t see anything special here to make me want to read the rest of the series.
The first volume introduces us to Naruto and his world. He learns how to make doppelgangers of himself; he fights some generically evil dude; and he gets teamed up with Sesuke the class heartthrob, and the girl he fancies, Sakura, who, of course, fancies Sesuke – Naruto’s gross! – as they train under a deceptively skilled ninja teacher.
Unfortunately there’s not a whole lot I liked about this book. Writer/artist Masashi Kishimoto barrels through the setup too quickly and clumsily so characters come and go without making an impression. Here’s Some Kid – he’s gonna be your nemesis, Naruto! Here’s Some Evil Guy and Some Good Guy – save Good Guy and fight Evil Guy, Naruto! It’s simplistic, and that’s fine, but that doesn’t mean it should be artless.
Naruto is trying a bit too hard to be the likeable scamp and appealing hero. So much so that I wanted someone else to be the main character – he’d make a decent supporting character instead. Sakura is an embarrassingly poor female character. She’s a female ninja but because she’s a girl she’s obsessed with love and romance, like eeeeevery girl, riiiiight?! That’s why she’s not a great ninja – because she’s obsessed with the dreamy boooooyyyyyyy LOL!! Ugh.
The whole doppelganger thing is weird – literally producing copies of yourself doesn’t seem like a ninja skill. Naruto manages to turn himself into an adult naked hot woman and back, then later scores of himself that are physically and mentally real. Is he a ninja or a magician?! How does this ninja magic work anyway!?
The art is more-or-less generic manga so it’s not especially eye-catching, and it’s a bit rough in places, particularly with the fight scenes. Naruto vs the ninja teacher is a bit jerky with the panel transitions – they’re not as fluid or well-paced as Akira Toriyama’s near-flawless Dragon Ball – and Kishimoto has to go back to certain scenes and explain with diagrams what happened in them, which isn’t great.
This first volume of Naruto is pretty bland stuff by most manga standards. Obviously the series has done well with dozens of books and a hit TV series but I didn’t see anything special here to make me want to read the rest of the series.
March 31, 2017
Nothing matters until this manga has Sabaku no Gaara.
He alone is worth 5 stars.
He alone is worth 5 stars.
August 15, 2015
Buddy read with the inimitable Aja.
An interesting start to my Manga career. I'll write more after volume 2...
An interesting start to my Manga career. I'll write more after volume 2...
April 2, 2015
My opinion about this manga is heavily biased because I basically grew up with it. This is the only manga that has ever hit me emotionally like a train on multiple occasions. If I could give it 6 stars I would do it in a heartbeat. Of course having said that ... Naruto has some big flaws . There were some huge plot holes that could not be explained. The final fight felt like as if Kishimoto had a good concept of how things should play out, but he failed a bit with writing it down on paper. I think he would have done a better job with a small break to bring his thoughts together (Good luck doing that with all the Shonen Jump pressure to end the series). Some people in the main story were really annoying *Cough Sakura* and their existence really bothered me.
With all those cons and probably many more, was it a bad manga? Absolutely not! The world building was amazing. The action and the villains were epic to say it subtle. A small touch of “invisible” romance that came to fruition in the ending of the manga was damn worth it.
What I really loved about this manga above all else were the characters of this series. I really fell in love with some of them and enjoyed all the screen time they got. Specially a selected few like Jiraiya, Itachi and bushy brow Sensei. Not to mention that their emotional moments hit me emotionally as well, that includes their happiness and grief.
For me it was a journey full of pleasure. And I am really thankful for having the opportunity to read this manga.
January 23, 2022
2022 update: This was about the same for me on a re-read. Of course, I noticed some things that I didn't notice in my first read. For example, I feel like Sakura's character was stereotyped as the dumb girl who was more concerned with romance than with actually becoming a ninja. There were a couple of lines that were cringe worthy, but I also remember that this manga was originally published in 1999 so some of that stuff is expected. Overall, I will say that my re-read was decent and I will be continuing on with the series.
This was actually really good. I've always been intimated when it comes to the three big Manga series (Naruto, Bleach, & One Piece) so when I was required to read a manga for one of my classes I got really excited. Naruto is an interesting and hilarious character and I really enjoyed his confidence despite the fact that everybody pretty much hated him. The final scene which I won't go into for spoiler reasons had me laughing out loud and I genuinely can't wait to see where the rest of the series although it may take me a while.
This was actually really good. I've always been intimated when it comes to the three big Manga series (Naruto, Bleach, & One Piece) so when I was required to read a manga for one of my classes I got really excited. Naruto is an interesting and hilarious character and I really enjoyed his confidence despite the fact that everybody pretty much hated him. The final scene which I won't go into for spoiler reasons had me laughing out loud and I genuinely can't wait to see where the rest of the series although it may take me a while.
April 6, 2008
I resisted reading this for a long time because I was determined not to succumb to another one of my daughter's crazes (Pokemon -yes, I'm a 40 year old Pokemon Master, and Fruits Basket -wasn't as crazy about that one. A little too emo for my taste.)
But this Naruto is well worth a read. I quickly grew to care for spunky, spazzy, orphaned Naruto and his shinobi-in-training classmates. They are oddly focused for 12-year-olds though, and the trials they face are arduous and their implications philosophical. Maybe this goes over the heads of junkfood-eating, short attention span American kids and they just like the action and the cool drawings. Between the great art and surprisingly complex story line, there's a reason this is the best-selling Manga in Japan!
But this Naruto is well worth a read. I quickly grew to care for spunky, spazzy, orphaned Naruto and his shinobi-in-training classmates. They are oddly focused for 12-year-olds though, and the trials they face are arduous and their implications philosophical. Maybe this goes over the heads of junkfood-eating, short attention span American kids and they just like the action and the cool drawings. Between the great art and surprisingly complex story line, there's a reason this is the best-selling Manga in Japan!
March 16, 2021
An interesting start to an apparently long manga series.
June 4, 2017
The nostalgia is killing me <3
August 16, 2010
The quality of this level of story-telling is so superior to anything I've read before. Kishimoto weaves a moral tale that is dynamic, powerful, funny, dramatic ... it has everything one could hope for from any work of fiction one might endeavour to read, at any level. It is no wonder this series has reached the level of popularity that it has because it's so complete.
Most importantly, on this day Master Kishimoto has reminded me of why story-telling is important - because it gives the people hearing the story hope! Story-telling is a lost art in America if you ask me. The stars of the shows with the most popularity (with few exceptions) are the most negative underachievers you'll ever meet. In fact, negativity and low standards are so glamorized in this country one is almost considered socially unacceptable if one doesn't also embrace those qualities.
This is not to say people aren't still tellinggood great stories here. It's just not what fetches the attention of the biggest movie studios or TV network programming. Especially TV network programming where mindless, brain-dead reality shows with NO morality to be found for miles and miles rule the airwaves anymore. Or they are cooking shows. It's maddening.
So perhaps that's why Naruto fires my imagination as profoundly as it does, because I've been in a drought of decent entertainment. Naruto is so much more that that, though; to deem it mere "entertainment" falls sorely short of the mark. Indeed, Naruto is a way of life, one that I readily embrace!
Believe it!
(This is the first manga I've ever read. I was impelled to read it from watching the anime on Hulu.com. The story is very powerful and has made me a fan for life of Masashi Kishimoto. The anime is pretty great and now that I've read the first volume of the manga I can say that, at least as far as the first few episodes are concerned, it stays pretty true to the manga. And even if it didn't, the anime is still awesome.
The manga though provides a different experience, and if you've never read one before you will find out immediately why I say that. As a complete noob to manga, the rating I give this may be biased; not to mention already influenced by several episodes worth of the anime that sprang out of it.)
Most importantly, on this day Master Kishimoto has reminded me of why story-telling is important - because it gives the people hearing the story hope! Story-telling is a lost art in America if you ask me. The stars of the shows with the most popularity (with few exceptions) are the most negative underachievers you'll ever meet. In fact, negativity and low standards are so glamorized in this country one is almost considered socially unacceptable if one doesn't also embrace those qualities.
This is not to say people aren't still telling
So perhaps that's why Naruto fires my imagination as profoundly as it does, because I've been in a drought of decent entertainment. Naruto is so much more that that, though; to deem it mere "entertainment" falls sorely short of the mark. Indeed, Naruto is a way of life, one that I readily embrace!
Believe it!
(This is the first manga I've ever read. I was impelled to read it from watching the anime on Hulu.com. The story is very powerful and has made me a fan for life of Masashi Kishimoto. The anime is pretty great and now that I've read the first volume of the manga I can say that, at least as far as the first few episodes are concerned, it stays pretty true to the manga. And even if it didn't, the anime is still awesome.
The manga though provides a different experience, and if you've never read one before you will find out immediately why I say that. As a complete noob to manga, the rating I give this may be biased; not to mention already influenced by several episodes worth of the anime that sprang out of it.)
October 2, 2018
I was a big fan of the anime throughout adolescence and into early adulthood. I can’t believe it took me this long to start the manga.
December 26, 2015
(Like a doofus I accidentally deleted my review of this. Fortunately I saved a copy.)
"Once appeared a nine tail demon fox, its might tails could crumble mountains and cause tsunamis."
"To fight the demon the people assembled all the shinobi of the village. One brave shinobi was able to seal it the demon, but because of that he lost his life. That shinobi was called the 4th Hokage."
Welcome to the wonderful world of Naruto. The title character Naruto is the protagonist of the series. He's an orphan, outcast, and surprisingly loves alone (not sure how the last part works and I've read the whole series). Naruto is once again trying to graduate from the academy and the final exam is one he's failed time and again. Naruto has a special relationship with his teacher Iruka who happens to be one of two adults who normally ever speak to him. Naruto isn't the smartest kid, but he's fierce and determined.
Naruto is an awesome series and this is where it begins.
"Once appeared a nine tail demon fox, its might tails could crumble mountains and cause tsunamis."
"To fight the demon the people assembled all the shinobi of the village. One brave shinobi was able to seal it the demon, but because of that he lost his life. That shinobi was called the 4th Hokage."
Welcome to the wonderful world of Naruto. The title character Naruto is the protagonist of the series. He's an orphan, outcast, and surprisingly loves alone (not sure how the last part works and I've read the whole series). Naruto is once again trying to graduate from the academy and the final exam is one he's failed time and again. Naruto has a special relationship with his teacher Iruka who happens to be one of two adults who normally ever speak to him. Naruto isn't the smartest kid, but he's fierce and determined.
Naruto is an awesome series and this is where it begins.
Want to read
March 25, 2022كانت أروع أيام تلك التي عشتها مع عالم ناروتو, أيام الطفولة ,أيام المراهقة, وأيام النضوج الفكري.
طالما تمنيت أن أصبح مثل ناروتو أو أن أعيش في عالمه في قرية الورق.
ناروتو يعلم البشرية كلها معنى الاصرار على الوصول إلى الهدف, ناروتو الذي كان مكروها من قبل أغلب قريته بسبب الوحش الذي كان بداخله, حارب الجميع وحارب نفسه إلى أن وصل إلى هدفه؛ إلى أن أصبح الهوكاجي, وإلى أن أنهى الحروب في عالمه.
ناروتو الذي لم يتخل عن صديقه ساسكي عندما تخلى الجميع عنه, ناروتو الوحيد الذي بإمكانه أن يعلمنا معنى الصداقة.
ليس من السهل كتابة مراجعة لسلسلة ناروتو, ففيها الكثير الكثير من الأمور التي من الصعب جمعها.
ولكن من أجمل اللحظات كانت عندما انتصر ناروتو على الأكاتسكي وخلص قريته من شرهم, الأكاتسكي التي لم يستطع أي أحد في القرية مقاومتها إلا ناروتو, بعدها ناروتو أصبح بطل القرية بعد أن كان الشخص المضطهد فيها!
أصبح البطل بسبب إصراره وتدريبه اللامتناهي وإخلاصه لأصدقائه.
وهناك الكثير من اللحظات المحزنة التي تمنيت لو لم تحدث مثل موت جيرايا وموت إيتاتشي, ولكن مع ذلك فقد زادت هذه الأحداث السلسلة عظمة وجمالا.
شكرا لك ناروتو فقد علمتني الكثير.
طالما تمنيت أن أصبح مثل ناروتو أو أن أعيش في عالمه في قرية الورق.
ناروتو يعلم البشرية كلها معنى الاصرار على الوصول إلى الهدف, ناروتو الذي كان مكروها من قبل أغلب قريته بسبب الوحش الذي كان بداخله, حارب الجميع وحارب نفسه إلى أن وصل إلى هدفه؛ إلى أن أصبح الهوكاجي, وإلى أن أنهى الحروب في عالمه.
ناروتو الذي لم يتخل عن صديقه ساسكي عندما تخلى الجميع عنه, ناروتو الوحيد الذي بإمكانه أن يعلمنا معنى الصداقة.
ليس من السهل كتابة مراجعة لسلسلة ناروتو, ففيها الكثير الكثير من الأمور التي من الصعب جمعها.
ولكن من أجمل اللحظات كانت عندما انتصر ناروتو على الأكاتسكي وخلص قريته من شرهم, الأكاتسكي التي لم يستطع أي أحد في القرية مقاومتها إلا ناروتو, بعدها ناروتو أصبح بطل القرية بعد أن كان الشخص المضطهد فيها!
أصبح البطل بسبب إصراره وتدريبه اللامتناهي وإخلاصه لأصدقائه.
وهناك الكثير من اللحظات المحزنة التي تمنيت لو لم تحدث مثل موت جيرايا وموت إيتاتشي, ولكن مع ذلك فقد زادت هذه الأحداث السلسلة عظمة وجمالا.
شكرا لك ناروتو فقد علمتني الكثير.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2024
I promised a friend I'd give this a chance so here we are.
Naruto is a little boy in a village that almost got destroyed in the past by a nine-tailed fox spirit. A master ninja defeated the fox spirit but hd to sacrifice himself to do so.
Now, Naruto is a boy trying to pass a test so he can commence ninja training. But he also llikes to get people's attention by going on their nerves in any way he can. The reason is that everybody in this village somehow despises the boy. The later chapters of this volume are about certain lessons.
The art is quite a mess, most in manga is though so that wasn't a surprise. The story itself is taking its sweet time to get a move on and I found myself skipping a lot. I hope that will improve soon. I'm supposed to read the first 3 volumes together so that's what I'll do and then we'll see, I guess. SO 2.5 stars but I'm rounding up out of hope.
Naruto is a little boy in a village that almost got destroyed in the past by a nine-tailed fox spirit. A master ninja defeated the fox spirit but hd to sacrifice himself to do so.
Now, Naruto is a boy trying to pass a test so he can commence ninja training. But he also llikes to get people's attention by going on their nerves in any way he can. The reason is that everybody in this village somehow despises the boy. The later chapters of this volume are about certain lessons.
The art is quite a mess, most in manga is though so that wasn't a surprise. The story itself is taking its sweet time to get a move on and I found myself skipping a lot. I hope that will improve soon. I'm supposed to read the first 3 volumes together so that's what I'll do and then we'll see, I guess. SO 2.5 stars but I'm rounding up out of hope.
April 27, 2020
Naruto is the first manga that I've ever read. It's arguably where most people found their love for manga. Some friends recommended it to me, and I ended up reading through almost every volume.
It's funny how the beginning of this long series still seems so great, considering the large growth later on. Naruto and Sasuke's little rivalry is something I loved reading about, especially now that I've gotten more than halfway through the majority of this wonderful manga. Iruka is a character that I've loved since this very first volume, though not many take note of him. His relationship with Naruto is the best. Amazing start to this series!
It's funny how the beginning of this long series still seems so great, considering the large growth later on. Naruto and Sasuke's little rivalry is something I loved reading about, especially now that I've gotten more than halfway through the majority of this wonderful manga. Iruka is a character that I've loved since this very first volume, though not many take note of him. His relationship with Naruto is the best. Amazing start to this series!
March 13, 2019
Goodreads friends, this is the moment when I happily say that I’ve found my new favourite manga and my latest obsession. I’m so late to the Naruto series, that’s not good of me at all. But, I’m so happy that I gave the series a chance. I look forward to adding and reading the next titles in the collection. Manga reviewing is still very new to me, so if the review length is short, I’m sorry!
I really recommend this series to new manga readers! It’s so action-packed, fast-paced and everything that I ever really wanted from a story. Also, ninjas. Lots and lots of ninjas!
I really recommend this series to new manga readers! It’s so action-packed, fast-paced and everything that I ever really wanted from a story. Also, ninjas. Lots and lots of ninjas!
December 21, 2020
If only we all have one teacher like Iruka sensei in our lives who made a difference. I have never come across such a teacher in my life.
October 8, 2019
So much fun!
The tone is a bit juvenile, but it totally suits this coming-of-age saga, for now.
Can't wait to read more and witness Naruto' development as he learns to canalize his youthful eagerness and energy and masters the ninjas' arts.
The tone is a bit juvenile, but it totally suits this coming-of-age saga, for now.
Can't wait to read more and witness Naruto' development as he learns to canalize his youthful eagerness and energy and masters the ninjas' arts.
September 21, 2020
Една от най-добрите манга и аниме поредици. Много пленителна история, в която има всичко – приятелство, любов, отмъщение, множество комични ситуации. Наруто, Саске и Сакура са перфектна комбинация и заедно с учителя им Какаши са наистина прекрасни персонажи. Харесвам ги и четиримата.
Независимо колко време минава, Наруто си остава най-любимата ми манга, другите, които са също така популярни – Bleach, One Piece, Fairy Tail – също си заслужават, но тази е просто топ.
Независимо колко време минава, Наруто си остава най-любимата ми манга, другите, които са също така популярни – Bleach, One Piece, Fairy Tail – също си заслужават, но тази е просто топ.
October 4, 2013
I never had any plans on reading Naruto. I'd heard about it and to me, it did not sound that great. During the first book, I thought it was really boring. As I got further into the series, I started finding it more enjoyable. The characters are all unique. The drawings aren't bad. The plot is enjoyable. I would recommend it to anyone who's addicted to ninja or action stuff.
March 29, 2021
Idk why I loved it honestly. Couldn't relate to the characters but I really liked the values and messages of the book I guess.
September 20, 2018
(just for the record, this is a slight alteration of my anime review)
Despite being one of the most famous shonen titles around, eventually Naruto doesn’t escape the pitfalls of its genre but it definitely does a better job than most in terms of complexity.
The artwork is definitely original in a way, as most areas, especially the ninja villages, are very cool looking in their design. Yet, it is full of anachronisms and irrelevant details. For instance, why are there ninjas in a world where everyone can simply use computers or machineguns? Or how can ninjas really be stealthy when most of them wear bright colored cloths and have tattoos that make them stand out in the crowd? Or head guards that identify their hidden village? Oh, sure, the characters all look cool, trendy macho kids that easily attract the eye. Yet, they are supposed to be ninjas; and the last time I checked, ninjas were nothing like them. They don’t look as such, nor do they behave that stealthy or serious. So, looking cool is good but looking like immature trendy nerds is not. Especially when they seem to have only one set of cloths. It wasn’t that weird to have such bizarre stuff in a series like Dragonball Z. But that series had no motif in its world, while Naruto is based on ninjas.
One would of course say this is fiction and that it is logical not to expect realism. One could easily say that in this world ninjas use illusions and body exchanges instead of stealth. Ok, let’s go with that. Those awesome hand seals and funky jutsus and amazing special effects gave a unique identity to the show by providing signature moves for every character. Yet, that made the series far less realistic than what it wanted to appear being. Everything was possible as long as you could make a copy or an illusion of yourself. I mean, how can you believe that the characters use strategy in battle, if they keep exchanging places with a log when they are hit or make water appear out of nowhere? It takes away any feeling of strategy if everything is just transformations to whatever you like. Plus, professionals would never be tricked by techniques they are using themselves for so many years yet in the series they are constantly fooled. So believe it or not, the Naruto ninjas are far less interesting than the classical ones in terms of warfare.
I understand that it is supposed to be eye-catchy for the younger audience but there are simply no connecting points of reference amongst everything you see. In fact, it feels like random ideas in random applications after awhile. Here is a computer, next to a ninja dog summoned with some hand seals. Sounds like the setting is blending technology and magic with absolutely no excuse. It looks eye catchy at first but quickly becomes so random that loses interest.
The story at first felt quite epic and mysterious but it quickly became lukewarm and clichéd. I give some credit for providing a feeling of progress in learning new techniques and explaining the way everything works with the chakras. But even that was just standard rpg fad and gave a terribly misleading image of what the 7 Hindu body chakra or the ninzitsu concentration hand seals really were. Half of the plot is about side stories or battles between secondary characters who don’t really affect the story. They do give a feeling of progress but in reality they could easily be left out without damaging the story at all. For you see, the story revolves around 10 people, while there are about 100 more, which don’t really do anything of importance. The name of the series alone means that it will focus on the protagonist and a few others, who will always survive and win in every situation. Makes it all too predictable.
The protagonist is Naruto, who is a complete idiot that yells “I will become the best in the world-dattebaiyo” every 5 minutes. When someone is in trouble, he changes his quote to “I will save him/her”. His motives are the most typical of most shonen leads. It was interesting at first when he was the unsecured little orphan nobody liked. He was striving for acceptance and thus everybody could identify with that. Later on he shifted his entire mission to just save his ex-rival Sasuke. That was no longer a personal drama to be fond of. Even later we find out he is the son of a very powerful man and that he is even the Chosen One to save the world. Ok, I officially don’t care about him after all this crappy turnaround. Everybody liked him when he was just a weak boy trying to be the leader of his village. Now he is an emo killing machine wasting his life trying to save an uncaring asshole, full of broken powers and constant Deus Ex Machina events that continually save him and make him nothing but a generic saviour stereotype.
The main rival is Sasuke, the grumpy emo who wants to revenge against his big brother. How original is that? Big brothers are always villains in shounen. He spends all his life trying to be strong just so he can kill people. And when he succeeds, he is not satisfied and kills some more. And then more. It was ok the first time but now he is just a hateful prick; his life has no meaning at all. At first most female fans of the show liked him for playing it hard to get but now he is nothing but a cold bastard working with thugs, and planning to commit genocide just because he has no idea what he is doing. Impossible to relate with.
How about Kakashi, whose only feature is his hidden face? What else did he offer to the story? Or maybe Sakura who just does nothing other than acting like a useless fan-girl most of the time? And to think that THESE are the main cast that affects the story; all the rest are there mostly for show. I won’t deny the fact that Orochimaru was an awesome villain or Shikamaru was a strategic mastermind or Hinata was the most moe thing ever. Still, all these characters were just dressing for the series. With the exception of Shikamaru none of these hundreds evolved as characters nor did they offer anything to the story.
A major problem with most shonen series is that they throw in a huge number of characters and then have no time (or talent) to develop them. They do a fine job colorizing them with personal tragedies and unique jutsus but they don’t really mature them in any real way. Just check the Soul Eater anime for example. It had far less secondary characters and thus far more time to develop them, without dragging the story with unimportant side stories, as Naruto did.
I do understand that most of the appeal the characters have is aesthetic and not actually about personalities. Naruto is the typical insecure boy who wants recognition from his peers. He ain’t smart of handsome, yet does his best to make a difference. He also likes a girl who ignores him and rivals a silent type pretty boy, who gets all the chicks for being a cold bastard. Plus there is a huge number of characters, each one with his or her own quirks just so anyone can pick their personal favourites. All these make a nice basic teen story that can appeal to most in the target group. But at the same time, the show does little with it. It even shifts its focus towards something far less interesting later on and wastes its quality away with a lot on funky battles and character quirks instead of actual character development.
There wouldn’t be dozens of millions of Narutards world-wide if it wasn’t famous. Still, you will skip a lot of stuff if you ever read it again. Too much blah, blah and flashbacks where nothing happens. It is good for a shounen series and does break the mold from time to time but it still remains pretty freaking clichéd, something that becomes more and more evident as the story goes on. And to be honest, most its good points are nothing but a rehash of Hunter X Hunter, a shonen show with much better strategy and character development (the story sucks though).
Despite the sheer stupidity of the series, I admit that it was very attention-absorbing. I really digged those funky jutsus and semi-serious strategies in battle and almost forgot to think how idiotic it all was. My enjoyment was high, up until Sasuke left the village. Afterwards entire arcs felt like there was nothing of importance going on.
Here is a brief look on all the current arcs of the show so far and what I think of them.
1) Wave Country arc. We got to know all the basic heroes. It was also the arc to tell us the basic use of the ninja villages and how cruel the powerful can be to the weak. It also featured two interesting villains who did NOT become allies or recurring opponents, thus becoming a major twist. It had drama, tension, comedy, all the good stuff. It was also dragging at a few points but nothing major. Overall, a very good arc. Mark: 8
2) Chuunin arc. We got to know all the secondary heroes. It was also the arc to show us all the secondary ninja villages and the frail truce amongst them which is maintained through the pleasing of the authorities of each major country through contests. There was also a major conspiracy which threatened the village and further revelation of past events which led to the present state. This part was full of skirmishes, most of which were irrelevant to the main story but still kinda worked as an introduction to the secondary cast. There was a tournament, which was based on cunningness and got out of control in the end, resulting to the death of a major character. That was some twist as well. It was overall another good arc. Mark: 8
3) Sasuke Retrieval arc. We got to know the past of the Uchiha clan and how its destruction turned Sasuke into a renegade in his quest of revenge. It also provides more info and background with the introduction of big shots like the Sannin and the Akatsuki. Unfortunately, it is still a half-interesting arc as the new information provided was hardly enough to excuse such a long duration. Besides the introduction of some interesting characters, most of it was a dragged out battle with lots of flashbacks which had little importance in overall. The new major adversaries, the Akatsuki, were only mentioned but never dealt with, while the minor ones, the Five Sounds, were barely interesting. Thus, not such a good arc. Mark: 6
4) Gaara Retrieval arc. We are re-introduced to the characters, now that they are older. Then they head to save a past opponent-turned-ally and face Akatsuki members. This part did flesh out a bit the past of the Sand village, but again the plot drags unnecessary. There wasn’t much new info keep you interested either and the main objective was almost the same as the one in the previous arc. Mark: 6
5) Azuma Avenge arc. We see Naruto getting even stronger and a rather important character dying and having to be avenged. The fleshing out of Shikamaru, a secondary character, was a very touchy point. Mark: 7
6) Itachi hunt arc. Sasuke goes on a killing spree, taking out various major villains and seemingly finally avenging the death of his family. Also we are presented with the past and life purpose of Jiraya and of his final battle. This was a rather interesting arc because of the major death toll. Mark: 7
7) Pein arc. The leader of the Akatsuki invades and pretty much kills most heroes. Naruto arrives and after a lame friendship speech, the villain resurrects everybody. Plus, he is no longer a simple boy who wants to become Hokage but the Chosen One and his father is Ninja Chuck Norris! What a pile of BS! They ruined all the drama with this nonsense. If they remained dead and kept Naruto as he was, this would be a great finale. Mark: 4
8) Danzo arc. Sasuke learns that there are more people responsible for the death of his family, thus he invades even the meeting of the five ninja leaders and keeps killing stuff. And that is pretty much all of it. Mark: 3
9) Ninja War arc. Apparently the final arc where everybody takes part in a major war. Including the dead who are resurrected just for the sake of selling more. At this point everything became random mambo jumbo regarding people we don’t care about and powers that work or are disabled any way the scriptwriter feels like at the moment. Mark: 3
After that I know from the manga that there is a war going on but it is completely retarded as there is absolutely no tension about it. The enemies are just resurrected villains and the heroes win all the time with zero casualties. Yeah, just like in the so-called Bleach war.
Bottom line, the show got ruined by turning to a ridiculous dragged out random pile of clichés.
Despite being one of the most famous shonen titles around, eventually Naruto doesn’t escape the pitfalls of its genre but it definitely does a better job than most in terms of complexity.
The artwork is definitely original in a way, as most areas, especially the ninja villages, are very cool looking in their design. Yet, it is full of anachronisms and irrelevant details. For instance, why are there ninjas in a world where everyone can simply use computers or machineguns? Or how can ninjas really be stealthy when most of them wear bright colored cloths and have tattoos that make them stand out in the crowd? Or head guards that identify their hidden village? Oh, sure, the characters all look cool, trendy macho kids that easily attract the eye. Yet, they are supposed to be ninjas; and the last time I checked, ninjas were nothing like them. They don’t look as such, nor do they behave that stealthy or serious. So, looking cool is good but looking like immature trendy nerds is not. Especially when they seem to have only one set of cloths. It wasn’t that weird to have such bizarre stuff in a series like Dragonball Z. But that series had no motif in its world, while Naruto is based on ninjas.
One would of course say this is fiction and that it is logical not to expect realism. One could easily say that in this world ninjas use illusions and body exchanges instead of stealth. Ok, let’s go with that. Those awesome hand seals and funky jutsus and amazing special effects gave a unique identity to the show by providing signature moves for every character. Yet, that made the series far less realistic than what it wanted to appear being. Everything was possible as long as you could make a copy or an illusion of yourself. I mean, how can you believe that the characters use strategy in battle, if they keep exchanging places with a log when they are hit or make water appear out of nowhere? It takes away any feeling of strategy if everything is just transformations to whatever you like. Plus, professionals would never be tricked by techniques they are using themselves for so many years yet in the series they are constantly fooled. So believe it or not, the Naruto ninjas are far less interesting than the classical ones in terms of warfare.
I understand that it is supposed to be eye-catchy for the younger audience but there are simply no connecting points of reference amongst everything you see. In fact, it feels like random ideas in random applications after awhile. Here is a computer, next to a ninja dog summoned with some hand seals. Sounds like the setting is blending technology and magic with absolutely no excuse. It looks eye catchy at first but quickly becomes so random that loses interest.
The story at first felt quite epic and mysterious but it quickly became lukewarm and clichéd. I give some credit for providing a feeling of progress in learning new techniques and explaining the way everything works with the chakras. But even that was just standard rpg fad and gave a terribly misleading image of what the 7 Hindu body chakra or the ninzitsu concentration hand seals really were. Half of the plot is about side stories or battles between secondary characters who don’t really affect the story. They do give a feeling of progress but in reality they could easily be left out without damaging the story at all. For you see, the story revolves around 10 people, while there are about 100 more, which don’t really do anything of importance. The name of the series alone means that it will focus on the protagonist and a few others, who will always survive and win in every situation. Makes it all too predictable.
The protagonist is Naruto, who is a complete idiot that yells “I will become the best in the world-dattebaiyo” every 5 minutes. When someone is in trouble, he changes his quote to “I will save him/her”. His motives are the most typical of most shonen leads. It was interesting at first when he was the unsecured little orphan nobody liked. He was striving for acceptance and thus everybody could identify with that. Later on he shifted his entire mission to just save his ex-rival Sasuke. That was no longer a personal drama to be fond of. Even later we find out he is the son of a very powerful man and that he is even the Chosen One to save the world. Ok, I officially don’t care about him after all this crappy turnaround. Everybody liked him when he was just a weak boy trying to be the leader of his village. Now he is an emo killing machine wasting his life trying to save an uncaring asshole, full of broken powers and constant Deus Ex Machina events that continually save him and make him nothing but a generic saviour stereotype.
The main rival is Sasuke, the grumpy emo who wants to revenge against his big brother. How original is that? Big brothers are always villains in shounen. He spends all his life trying to be strong just so he can kill people. And when he succeeds, he is not satisfied and kills some more. And then more. It was ok the first time but now he is just a hateful prick; his life has no meaning at all. At first most female fans of the show liked him for playing it hard to get but now he is nothing but a cold bastard working with thugs, and planning to commit genocide just because he has no idea what he is doing. Impossible to relate with.
How about Kakashi, whose only feature is his hidden face? What else did he offer to the story? Or maybe Sakura who just does nothing other than acting like a useless fan-girl most of the time? And to think that THESE are the main cast that affects the story; all the rest are there mostly for show. I won’t deny the fact that Orochimaru was an awesome villain or Shikamaru was a strategic mastermind or Hinata was the most moe thing ever. Still, all these characters were just dressing for the series. With the exception of Shikamaru none of these hundreds evolved as characters nor did they offer anything to the story.
A major problem with most shonen series is that they throw in a huge number of characters and then have no time (or talent) to develop them. They do a fine job colorizing them with personal tragedies and unique jutsus but they don’t really mature them in any real way. Just check the Soul Eater anime for example. It had far less secondary characters and thus far more time to develop them, without dragging the story with unimportant side stories, as Naruto did.
I do understand that most of the appeal the characters have is aesthetic and not actually about personalities. Naruto is the typical insecure boy who wants recognition from his peers. He ain’t smart of handsome, yet does his best to make a difference. He also likes a girl who ignores him and rivals a silent type pretty boy, who gets all the chicks for being a cold bastard. Plus there is a huge number of characters, each one with his or her own quirks just so anyone can pick their personal favourites. All these make a nice basic teen story that can appeal to most in the target group. But at the same time, the show does little with it. It even shifts its focus towards something far less interesting later on and wastes its quality away with a lot on funky battles and character quirks instead of actual character development.
There wouldn’t be dozens of millions of Narutards world-wide if it wasn’t famous. Still, you will skip a lot of stuff if you ever read it again. Too much blah, blah and flashbacks where nothing happens. It is good for a shounen series and does break the mold from time to time but it still remains pretty freaking clichéd, something that becomes more and more evident as the story goes on. And to be honest, most its good points are nothing but a rehash of Hunter X Hunter, a shonen show with much better strategy and character development (the story sucks though).
Despite the sheer stupidity of the series, I admit that it was very attention-absorbing. I really digged those funky jutsus and semi-serious strategies in battle and almost forgot to think how idiotic it all was. My enjoyment was high, up until Sasuke left the village. Afterwards entire arcs felt like there was nothing of importance going on.
Here is a brief look on all the current arcs of the show so far and what I think of them.
1) Wave Country arc. We got to know all the basic heroes. It was also the arc to tell us the basic use of the ninja villages and how cruel the powerful can be to the weak. It also featured two interesting villains who did NOT become allies or recurring opponents, thus becoming a major twist. It had drama, tension, comedy, all the good stuff. It was also dragging at a few points but nothing major. Overall, a very good arc. Mark: 8
2) Chuunin arc. We got to know all the secondary heroes. It was also the arc to show us all the secondary ninja villages and the frail truce amongst them which is maintained through the pleasing of the authorities of each major country through contests. There was also a major conspiracy which threatened the village and further revelation of past events which led to the present state. This part was full of skirmishes, most of which were irrelevant to the main story but still kinda worked as an introduction to the secondary cast. There was a tournament, which was based on cunningness and got out of control in the end, resulting to the death of a major character. That was some twist as well. It was overall another good arc. Mark: 8
3) Sasuke Retrieval arc. We got to know the past of the Uchiha clan and how its destruction turned Sasuke into a renegade in his quest of revenge. It also provides more info and background with the introduction of big shots like the Sannin and the Akatsuki. Unfortunately, it is still a half-interesting arc as the new information provided was hardly enough to excuse such a long duration. Besides the introduction of some interesting characters, most of it was a dragged out battle with lots of flashbacks which had little importance in overall. The new major adversaries, the Akatsuki, were only mentioned but never dealt with, while the minor ones, the Five Sounds, were barely interesting. Thus, not such a good arc. Mark: 6
4) Gaara Retrieval arc. We are re-introduced to the characters, now that they are older. Then they head to save a past opponent-turned-ally and face Akatsuki members. This part did flesh out a bit the past of the Sand village, but again the plot drags unnecessary. There wasn’t much new info keep you interested either and the main objective was almost the same as the one in the previous arc. Mark: 6
5) Azuma Avenge arc. We see Naruto getting even stronger and a rather important character dying and having to be avenged. The fleshing out of Shikamaru, a secondary character, was a very touchy point. Mark: 7
6) Itachi hunt arc. Sasuke goes on a killing spree, taking out various major villains and seemingly finally avenging the death of his family. Also we are presented with the past and life purpose of Jiraya and of his final battle. This was a rather interesting arc because of the major death toll. Mark: 7
7) Pein arc. The leader of the Akatsuki invades and pretty much kills most heroes. Naruto arrives and after a lame friendship speech, the villain resurrects everybody. Plus, he is no longer a simple boy who wants to become Hokage but the Chosen One and his father is Ninja Chuck Norris! What a pile of BS! They ruined all the drama with this nonsense. If they remained dead and kept Naruto as he was, this would be a great finale. Mark: 4
8) Danzo arc. Sasuke learns that there are more people responsible for the death of his family, thus he invades even the meeting of the five ninja leaders and keeps killing stuff. And that is pretty much all of it. Mark: 3
9) Ninja War arc. Apparently the final arc where everybody takes part in a major war. Including the dead who are resurrected just for the sake of selling more. At this point everything became random mambo jumbo regarding people we don’t care about and powers that work or are disabled any way the scriptwriter feels like at the moment. Mark: 3
After that I know from the manga that there is a war going on but it is completely retarded as there is absolutely no tension about it. The enemies are just resurrected villains and the heroes win all the time with zero casualties. Yeah, just like in the so-called Bleach war.
Bottom line, the show got ruined by turning to a ridiculous dragged out random pile of clichés.
October 5, 2021
6/10 stars
I'm quite generous in my rating here.
The beginning chapter was interesting enough if somewhat choppy, but the third chapter with Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke in ninja school was simply dismal. I'm trying to fill the Dragon Ball-shaped hole in my reading, and I'm still hopeful Naruto will deliver, but apart from two characters who seem adorable enough (and no, Sasuke is NOT one of them, the emo prince that he is, nor the dummy Sakura, a walking stereotype offensive to any self-respecting girl) the rest is currently average at best. Except for the ninja school scenes - they're just bad, pure and simple.
Still, there are moments that give me hope. Naruto himself is a really sweet goofball and there is something inherently optimistic in his continuous perseverance and indomitable spirit despite his difficult situation. Art is choppy but interesting in places; the design of characters is certainly eye-catching.
On to the next volume!
I'm quite generous in my rating here.
The beginning chapter was interesting enough if somewhat choppy, but the third chapter with Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke in ninja school was simply dismal. I'm trying to fill the Dragon Ball-shaped hole in my reading, and I'm still hopeful Naruto will deliver, but apart from two characters who seem adorable enough (and no, Sasuke is NOT one of them, the emo prince that he is, nor the dummy Sakura, a walking stereotype offensive to any self-respecting girl) the rest is currently average at best. Except for the ninja school scenes - they're just bad, pure and simple.
Still, there are moments that give me hope. Naruto himself is a really sweet goofball and there is something inherently optimistic in his continuous perseverance and indomitable spirit despite his difficult situation. Art is choppy but interesting in places; the design of characters is certainly eye-catching.
On to the next volume!
April 20, 2024
my first ever Manga!
3.5 Silver Stars
with Golden Sparks
finally I'm gonna try the Manga because I loved the anime soooo much & instead of rewatching immediately, because I wanna go to Shippuden & no time for this, I decided to read it.
amazing artwork
great beginning; fun & interesting
(reading it after watching the anime, so I knew like 90% of it?)
Chapters: 1-7
& now the story has just begun
3.5 Silver Stars
with Golden Sparks
finally I'm gonna try the Manga because I loved the anime soooo much & instead of rewatching immediately, because I wanna go to Shippuden & no time for this, I decided to read it.
amazing artwork
great beginning; fun & interesting
(reading it after watching the anime, so I knew like 90% of it?)
Chapters: 1-7
& now the story has just begun
May 3, 2015
que nostalgia ver al trio junto y tan chiquitos, el momento que conocieron a kakashi y a sakura odiando a naruto, todo quedo taan atrás y bueno aunque ya este avanzada por el anime no puedo no leer el manga de uno de mis animes favoritos y además esta bueno recordar. A ver cuanto me lleva terminarlo....
June 8, 2022
This was good, I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. It had some funny moments I am excited to get to the next one
February 4, 2011
Now I'm going to review not this volume but Naruto as a whole, 'kay? Get it?
So Naruto, what can I say, I'm obsessed with the anime, and since my cousin was like spoiling things, like Sasuke kills Hitachi but Hitachi was not a bad guy blah blah blah...So I'm like Sasuke what? Hitachi what?
So my curiosity finally got me and then my cousin recommend this site onemanga wherein you can read manga scans for free and then I started to read not the beginning of the series because it's too long and it will took lot of months (I think) to finish it. So I started to read the Shippuuden (don't know if I spelled it right) and then yeah I was hooked!
I was liked reading from morning till midnight and my mom was like, "Masisira yung computer sa ginagawa mo!" (translation: something like I'm gonna make the computer destroyed or whatever).
Yeah I'm obsessed with it, so I recommend it, I only read this because of Sasuke (love love him)
PS:
Hey I wrote a fanfic for Naruto, read it here: My Brother is a Narutard
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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