Naruto

Deep within the Hidden Leaf Village, sharp and cunning Ninja carry an ultimate power while Naruto Uzumaki carries inside the ultimate secret. Twelve years ago, the fourth Hokage sacrificed himself and saved the village by sealing the Nine-tailed Fox Spirit an orphaned baby boy. Now, this plucky prankster must do what it takes achieve this life-long goal and become the next Hokage.

I view Naruto in the same vein as Pokemon – as sort of a introduction anime. It’s popularity works as a gateway to other anime including deeper shows like Ghost in the Shell. Naruto is enjoyable, but it is far from being excellent. The dialogue is awkward. The animation is very similar to Pokemon’s as well. Namely it is pretty poor with old fashioned action “moving” background lines with a few jewels of action animation scattered here and there. The character dynamics are interesting if stereotypical. Although many of the character designs are too similar. The storyline is fairly simple, but the show does teach values such as loyalty to friends and working through hardships to reach a goal.

Ok, to be fair it IS a show geared toward children and tweens…. it has a LOT more substance than a certain series about sparkling vampires that remains inexplicably popular. But it is a little overrated in it’s popularity. If Naruto sparks interest in anime as an art form that is great! Just realize ninjas didn’t use hand signs and announce their attacks before they stuck a stiletto into someone. Of course other anime are guilty of that as well. I’m looking at your Bleach and Dragonball Z. Oh, and the English voice actor for Naruto is like scraping glass over my ear drum. The voice is far too whiny and high pitched, like a balloon being strangled.

Again, Naruto does teach good lessons about friendship, trust, and hard work. Not all the action scenes remind me of Speedracer. Many are crisp, detailed, and fast paced. Naruto is a good introduction to the world of anime and manga. It has just enough of the quirky humor anime is known for to wean an American audience. It also nicely introduces viewers to the visual language of sweat drops, anger veins, and chibi swaps. The background music isn’t anything special but adds nicely to the feel of the show. They just needed better American voice actors for the characters.  Naruto also opens the door for the wonderfully strange culture of Japan and Japanese lore. Naruto is generally enjoyable for lighthearted action and sometimes funny teen-angst. If you enjoy Pokemon or Bleach, Naruto is a good step. If you are already an anime convert who watches shows like Ghost in the Shell or  Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto will not measure up to the quality of story and animation you are used to seeing. Like when I occasionally watch Pokemon, for those of you who grew up watching the show nostalgia is a big factor in how much you enjoy the show.