I cannot believe how much I’ve come to adore this story and its characters. Really. I entered the world of manga and “japanimation” in 2006 through a series called Fruits Basket, a very popular shojo manga series by Natsuki Takaya. Fruits Basket still remains the “center” of my fandom; all series I watch and read are compared to Fruits Basket. There isn’t even a comparison between Fruits Basket and the somber Death Note series (for example), but as the first manga I ever read and first anime I ever watched, Fruits Basket still remains my point of reference in an ever expanding universe.
Even when Fruits Basket was the only manga I’d read, I was still aware of Naruto. Naruto was immensely popular and I remember thinking (while looking at the posters at my local Barnes & Noble), “What kind of ninja wears orange?” I even remember looking at a couple of volumes, but the bright colors and what I perceived as “campy” art was too jarring compared to the soft colors and flowing lines of Fruits Basket which had become so aesthetically pleasing to me.
This was my first lesson in what I call “viewer’s eye.” Basically, I learned I couldn’t look at Naruto with the same eye as I did Fruits Basket. The creators of each series are trying to convey emotion, character and plot through separate, different styles within the same medium. Fruits Basket and Naruto are classic representations of their respective genres: shojo manga (lit. “for girls”) and shonen manga (lit. “for boys”).
I avoided Naruto for a long time for lots of reasons. It looked too juvenile. It seemed stupid. Immature. Very boyish and so on. There’s just something in my personality that immediately dislikes super popular trends. In junior high, I hated N*Sync. In high school, I hated anything the “popular” people gushed about. In college, I hated Edward Cullen. I suppose my aversion to “joining the bandwagon” (whatever that means) is because I don’t want to be labeled as a groupie. Sure, it was fine to be obsessed with Fruits Basket – it was a respectable manga that hadn’t quite caught on in America. I was a “hipster” manga fan! If I were to join an established fandom, like Naruto, I would become lumped into a larger group known collectively as “Narutards.”
I read/watched shojo manga and anime from 2006 to 2009 – titles included Fruits Basket, Fushigi Yuugi, Ouran High School Host Club and many others. At that time, I started craving a little more…adventure. I grew up reading Treasure Island and The Hardy Boys. While I loved shojo romance, I craved something a little more…action orientated. My shift from shojo to shonen exposed me to some of the most popular anime series of recent years.
In 2009, I began InuYasha at the goading of my best friend—it is her favorite series. I absolutely fell in love with it.
In late 2009 and into 2010 I began watched FullMetal Alchemist. I watched the entire thing in a week. I was blown away by the story, the moral center the world of FMA revolves around and how all the characters orbit that core and respond to it and each other. I remember trying to stay awake in bed at 3:30 in the morning because I had only...two...episodes....left…!
In 2010, I continued with InuYasha: The Final Act and FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Both took the original series they sprung from and made them that much more. Fantastic.
In late 2010 I started Bleach. Again, I was blown away by the voice work, plot, and character development. Wow. I lost interest around the time the Hueco Mundo arc started, but Bleach still remains one of the most amazingly visceral and expertly choreographed animations I’ve ever seen. I also watched Death Note, which is so complex, dark and mind-blowing in its conception I will devote several entries to its awesomeness later.
2011: The Year of Naruto. What can I say? I figured, why not? FMA and Bleach are super popular and I had enjoyed them immensely. There must be a reason Naruto is, too. Currently, I’ve watched every episode of Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden (minus a few horrendous filler episodes) and just started reading the Naruto (vols. 1-27) and Naruto: Shippuden (vols. 28 – ongoing) manga concurrently.
I have a few theories as to why Naruto is so popular. These are also some of the reasons why I love this series.
The series of Naruto—the very core of its design—is cliché. It’s very much like the plot of Harry Potter. It’s the story of an orphan who, on the surface, doesn’t seem particularly unique in any way; but, that child carries hidden talents, a bloodline and a destiny greater than anyone could ever believe. We follow his journey from novice to hero of the free world. We are with him through his triumphs and defeats. We’re with him as he discovers who he is. We’re with him as he makes friends and enemies. We’re there when he develops his first crush. We’re there when he can’t stop the death of his dearest friend. By the end, we are so emotionally invested we cannot help by cry and laugh and grieve and celebrate right alongside Harry…or in this case, Naruto. We respond to characters like Naruto and Harry. We love stories of the underdog. We feel validated and empowered when the little guy digs deep and finds the strength to overcome insurmountable odds and crush evil. The story of Harry and Naruto is not new; it’s been written over and over again since the beginning of time.
What makes Naruto special is its creator, Masashi Kishimoto, takes those clichés and twists them so that they are completely believable. The characters in Naruto are not caricatures of real people. Sure, they may have supernatural ninja powers, but personality wise they are very real. Aside from the fantasy element all the characters in Naruto are human. We all know Sasuke. We all know Naruto. We all know Tsunade. Their personalities are very true to life. As individuals, we also see bits of ourselves in these characters, as well.
Naruto hosts an extremely large supporting cast – just like the Harry Potter series does. Each supporting character is his or her own character. They all struggle with different, but relatable issues. Like Naruto, I struggle to be acknowledged and liked by others. Like Kakashi I can struggle in placing trust in others. I've even found myself relating to villains.
…and then there's the character of Naruto himself. He’s impossible not to fall in love with. Seriously. I was reading through Naruto manga reviews on Amazon and came across this:
“You know, when I think about ninjas, I imagine silent, disciplined warriors that use incredible stealth; black-suited warriors that blend in with the shadows and strike without warning and then leave without a trace. When I imagine a ninja, I do NOT imagine an annoying, loud-mouthed, chatterbox brat in a neon-orange jumpsuit who yells every line he says... ESPECIALLY in battle. Naruto may be the most UN-ninja-like character in history. In fact, he is the most UN-ninja-like IDEA in history. A piano tumbling down a hill is more ninja than Naruto. Cottage cheese is more ninja than Naruto. Traffic jams are more ninja than Naruto. Death metal music is more ninja than Naruto. You name it; it’s more ninja than Naruto.”*
That’s SO true. In fact, no one in the Naruto universe wears black or behaves like a typical ninja. Even Sai, whose personality is the most in line with traditional ninja, does not look anything like a traditional ninja.
The core of Naruto is the emotional depth and relationships of the characters. You wouldn’t think Naruto himself is an emotionally deep character, but I’m surprised at how many times I’ve caught myself taken aback by his simple insight. He’s actually grown into a wise young man. His wisdom is gained through experience, not through simple knowledge. So essentially, you can’t change who you were born as, but you can continue to change who you are. Naruto does that.
I would argue further that the over-arching theme of Naruto is redemption. When Naruto’s teammate Sasuke defects to join the “bad guys” to realize his quest for power and revenge, Naruto vows to bring him home at any cost. As Sasuke’s chosen path descends deeper and deeper into darkness and evil, Naruto’s resolve to rescue him only grows stronger. In his quest to save Sasuke, Naruto redeems many other characters – Konohamaru, Gaara, Neji, Tsunade…the list goes on and on. But the nice twist is that Naruto himself is redeemed through his friendships. He feels he was redeemed and saved from loneliness by Sasuke, which makes Naruto’s drive to save his traitorous friend that much more poignant.
With the stable emotional/relational core at its center, everything else in Naruto falls into place. The battles are more intense because there is emotional stability, future happiness and friendships at risk. Political machinations are that much more diabolical. Double crosses are that much more traitorous. Naruto’s resolve to rescue Sasuke is that much more hopeless, admirable and bittersweet.
So, that’s my shameless plug for Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden. If you have not read/watched Naruto, I recommend doing so. If you gave up on Naruto, give him another chance. I’m sure he’ll manage to worm him way into your cold, callous heart! Oh dear…have I become a Narutard?
BELIEVE IT!
*quote taken from Amazon review by Fucc The Mainstream
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