Naruto (Vol. 1-27)
50TH REVIEW!!!
Written & Illustrated by: Masashi Kishimoto
Naruto is a manga that brings out not only the depth of its characters, but it's readers as well!
Ranking: 5 stars
If there is one aspect that makes comic books innovating to read, it's their intense focus on character development and intricate plot lines. Unlike ordinary novels, which only show a character's development through a fixed number of pages, graphic novels allow their characters to evolve throughout their runs with different writers adding themes to enhance the characters and their world. It makes the reader feel as if we're viewing the actual lives of the characters rather than a short portion of them, allowing them to be accessible to us at any time we please. However, when I first began reading graphic novels in third grade, I tended to veer more towards action packed fights, often overlooking the social interactions between characters (but as kids, we all had short attention spans). But when I read the Japanese ninja manga NARUTO, I realized that comics were not just capable of portraying flashy fights, but could also explore an almost limitless range of themes. Before Naruto, I was never that into manga or anime. As a kid, I held a particular hate for the POKEMON series (despite never having actually watched it) as it made no sense to me whenever it came on. The concept behind the monsters, cards, and the poke-ball really confused me, and I could never tell who was good and who was evil. However, NARUTO was not only the series that broadened my horizons with comics in general, but also has expanded my interests into anime like BLEACH, FAIRY TAIL, and SOUL EATER. As this series is one of my all-time favorites, it was only natural that I write a review on it, but this has been one of the most difficult books for me to critique. This is not only due to the fact that I mainly review American comics (which makes manga a new territory for me) but also because I hold such a deep passion for NARUTO, that it's difficult to find words that express my feelings for the series. However, for my 50th review on amazon.com, I have decided to present the experiences that only NARUTO, and no other book series could have exposed me to (keep in mind that this will be a very personal review for me). Written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, the world of Naruto is one where ninja are the ultimate power. The duty of shinobi is divided between protecting their nations, as well as building upon the principles of ninjutsu (mystical techniques that ninja can access by manipulating their chakra, or life energy). Among these shinobi nations, five stand tall above all others, with Village Hidden in the Leaves standing as the most prosperous and peaceful of these five. However, twelve years before the start of the series, the very existence of the Leaf Village was threatened by a demon known as the Nine-Tailed Fox. A catastrophic force of nature, the fox spirit possessed the power to shatter mountains and unleash tidal waves with a single swipe of it's tails. The ninja of the Hidden Leaf rose up and bravely to defend their village, but many lives were lost until the Fourth Hokage (the village leader, or shadow) faced the Nine-Tails in mortal combat. Sacraficing his life, the Fourth sealed the demon inside the body of a newborn baby, who would soon grow up to be the number one hyperactive knuckle-headed ninja, Naruto Uzumaki! As a child, Naruto was feared and hated by the villagers, due to the nine-tailed fox sealed inside of him. Without parents or friends, Naruto motivated himself towards becoming the next Hokage, in order to be recognized and respected by the rest of the village. Having failed to graduate from the ninja academy twice in the past, and now a third time, Naruto is tricked by one of the the devious sensei Mizuki into stealing a forbidden scroll, under the impression that mastering the juts within it will allow him to graduate. Although he is stopped by his master Iruka, and is he is able to see through Mizuki's deception, Mizuki reveals Naruto's hidden past, causing the young ninja feel more isolated than he had ever been in his life. Fearing he is viewed as nothing than a monster, Naruto dives into despair until Iruka reveals his love for Naruto, becoming the first to accept him for who he is, and not the nine-tails. This revelation allows Naruto to regain his morale, and defeat Mizuki with an advanced technique from the scroll, one that surpasses that of a ninja Naruto's at level. Seeing Naruto's sudden development, Iruka allows Naruto to graduate, becoming a member of squad 7 with fellow classmates Saskue Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. Under the command of Kakashi Hakate, Naruto participates in dangerous missions with his comrades, while simultaneously developing his skills as a ninja, and gaining acceptance from others. The lives of both Naruto and his friends will be changed forever, when dark forces not only threaten the Leaf Village, but also threaten to turn one of his friends to their fold. In my opinion, every reader encounters a book that impacts them in a manner that no past or future books can duplicate and if there was such a story for me, it would have to be the NARUTO manga series. I know that people have criticized the series for following standard Shonen Jump plot elements, but I like to believe that what may be a cliche for one person, may be an original idea for another who had never been exposed to it. This was my very first manga, so the story, characters, and setting were like nothing I had experienced. The story was extremely character driven, relying on the endeavors the characters experience, and how they develop and learn from them. Usually this concept revolves around a conflict an individual experienced in his or her past, or is central to their beliefs, and is motivated by another character to change them for the better or worse. I should mention to those who are considering this series, that there cast of characters is extremely large, which can definitely throw off some people. This never bothered me however, as Kishimoto was good at keeping focus on the central plot of the manga, while developing a large cast of characters that don't distract the reader from the story. This is a unique aspect in manga, as if a reader is dissatisfied with one character, they can focus their attention on another character. The NARUTO has many great characters such as Sasuke Uchiha, the last survivor of the Uchiha clan who seeks vengeance on the one responsible; Hinata Hyuga, who is inspired by Naruto to overcome her weaknesses and insecurities; Shikamaru Naara, who has an IQ of 200, but zero motivation; Garra, a mysterious ninja whose dark past has malformed his existence; or even Orochimaru, the main villain of Part One whose snake-like attributes and powers put Voldemort from Harry Potter to shame. But the one that stood out the most to me personally, was the titular character himself, Naruto Uzumaki, who is easily my favorite character in the story. What made Naruto such an astonishing protagonist, was his determination to never give up on a goal, despite all odds going against him. Having grown up isolated and hated by others, Naruto continuously sets out to prove his strength to others by becoming the strongest ninja in the Leaf Village. This is not easy for him however, as he used to have the worst grades back in the Ninja Academy, and ignorant when it comes to studying ninjutsu. But Naruto continuously puts a large amount of effort and passion into his growth, allowing him to overcome obstacles through guts and willpower alone. This was extremely captivating for me to watch, as it always made me want to root for Naruto as he trained or battled others, and whenever successful, made me believe that he could actually make his dream a reality. The effort Naruto put into his growth and development has helped inspire me to adopt a similar principle. In a way, Naruto has been somewhat of a role-model for the path I've chosen to take in life. It's just so inspiring to witness a character put so much drive into a task, that it makes the reader want to believe that they are capable of doing it as well. Another aspect that drew me to NARUTO, was that each story arc revolved around a particular theme or conflict. As I mentioned earlier, the plot thrives on characters who are corrupted by ideals that cause pain to themselves and/or others, and another character helps open their eyes to a brighter course in life. I understand that some people don't enjoy having morals shoved in their faces, but for me, this allowed me that comics in general could be about more than just individuals with powers beating the crap out of one another. Masashi Kishimoto himself states in the bonus content of his books, that he never imagined his characters fighting while creating them, and that he prefers to have his stories revolve around a particular theme. This thought process allows the manga to flow and develop it's characters throughout their experiences as shinobi, which opened my eyes to the variety of themes that comics could explore. Effectively, NARUTO was the book that set the standards for what I value in comics as a whole. Naruto is unlike any other comic I've ever read. The series drives itself forward through it's large cast of characters without losing focus on the central story, and portray an almost limitless range of themes and morals to not only develop the individuals themselves, but potentially inspire the readers themselves. It's books like these that allow the reader to not only connect with the characters, but also with themselves. The reader is given the opportunity to discover new perspectives about how they perceive themselves and reality. That is what NARUTO was able to offer me, and I've yet to encounter a book that has given me a similar experience. Since this series, my interests in comics have continued to evolve and develop, but I will always cherish NARUTO as the book that allowed me to realize the themes comics were capable of conveying to their readers. "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller
