"Naruto is initially presented as an impulsive, immature prankster who seeks attention, but by the end of the first episode, we notice the depth of his loneliness."
Yes, pranksters are usually lonely in this genre. I'm not sure how that is very deep. It is regular characterization. In fact, I don't know how any of the character's development goes anywhere outside of the usual, common, comfortable development, which is no longer really development. Each of the Konoha 12 are one-notes with only one issue or "place in the world" they are allowed to have. Hinata is a perfect example of a character who could be two-dimensional. She has both her admiration for Naruto and her desire to become worthy of her family title to define her, but her only contribution to the plot is about her crush on the hero. All the other women are largely defined by how they think about the boys, a common fault in all stories.
And Naruto has completely forgotten his one defining goal for the sake of a plot completely centered around either finding Sasuke or escaping his would-be kidnappers. The only kid on this cartoon that really grows outside their defining feature is Shikamaru, which was a well done, though sometimes unbelievable arc. But then he gets put right back on the shelf which all the other dolls. Tell me, why couldn't Shikamaru, Sakura and Hinata actually help with the climax, if their development was really THAT important? Yes, they would eventually get knocked down and it would become mono e mono, but even Dragonball Z remembered to include Krillin, Vegeta, Piccolo and Gohan in climaxes.
Leave a Comment:
A captivating shonen action series
Shonen manga need more than just action to leave an impression on the readers, but also need a compelling plot and interesting characters, and Naruto manages to deliver all three.
The characters are interesting and deeper than they initially are presented, especially the titular protagonist. Naruto is initially presented as an impulsive, immature prankster who seeks attention, but by the end of the first episode, we notice the depth of his loneliness, helping us understand that he wants to be accepted, but doesn't know how to get it. As he faces danger on his missions, he is shown to be highly creative, determined and willing to protect his friends, and, most importantly of all, begins to grow up. Naruto's classmates develop similarly, having their own problems to overcome and own reasons for fighting. They have their own memorable moments, but could have been used more.
The fights feature a good variety of opponents for our heroes, and a considerable emphasis on strategy. Even the most powerful jutsus have limitations, and part of the excitement in any given battle is seeing how the characters will take advantage of those limitations with their own abilities. While many of the main characters tend to specialize in one kind of jutsu, limiting what they can do, they will often be forced to fight differently against opponents with various styles, keeping things interesting.
The quality and pacing of the story are mostly good, but occasionally slow down in arcs that deal with side plotlines (especially Search for Tsunade). The first few chapters and episodes are about the children taking the tests to become ninjas, and while the story truly gets going midway through the first major arc, for most of Part I, the young ninjas take a backseat to the adults. Part II significantly improves on this, as Naruto and his friends are considered adults and "real" ninjas, and are able to fight against the main villains. Fan reactions to recent plot twists have been mixed, but the twists as a whole effectively challenge what the characters thought they knew, test their ideals and open their eyes to the hardships of living as ninja in their world.
Naruto and his friends' battles are not only part of the struggle between good and evil, but also part of their growing up and finding their place in the world, and for this reason, they are worth following.