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Rogue 7 Since: Dec, 1969
08/03/2010 21:50:21 •••

Well worth looking past flaws.

It's difficult to say something uniformly positive about Naruto, I've found. On an otherwise very broad anime discussion thread recently, I got called a troll for expressing that I heartily enjoyed the series. But I do, and unashamedly. The series is flawed, but it contains many good points that make me look forward to its releases each week.

First and foremost, I enjoy the fight scenes in both the anime and the manga. That's key, as the series is, after all, a shonen fighting one. From the start, there was evidence of intelligent thought and tactics on the part of many characters, and as Naruto himself, derided by many as a typical idiot hero, began to develop, he began to employ his own tactics and strategies to great effect. The variety of abilities and techniques make fights diverse and fun to watch. Truly epic sequences can occur, sequences that make you sit up and yell "HELL YEAH" as your favorite hero sends a villain through a pillar. The art makes it easy to follow the fights and appreciate the action.

The series brings to the table some very good worldbuilding. While many jokes have been made about the Schizo Tech levels in the series, the system of the five major powers and their associated ninja villages, as well as the system and explanation of ninja powers is logical and interesting.

Naruto is blessed with a fantastically diverse and interesting cast of characters. I have yet to meet one person who does not like at least one character in the series. Many of these characters- such as Gaara, and Shikamaru, have undergone considerable character growth, and most if not all of them are unique and well-developed. This is both a blessing and a curse, as characters not directly involved in the action are often absent for years at a time. This irritates many readers who want to see their favorite characters do more. However, when characters are in focus, they display growth and emotion, and display traits and characteristics that are what attracted so many fans to them.

This review is too short to go into detail about the flaws of the series and why I believe they are worth overlooking, so I'll simply mention them in brief. Sasuke Uchiha is a terrible character. The plot is nothing special, nor is the art. Certain elements of the plot are poor. But read it anyways, because there's more to it than that.

CleverPun Since: Jan, 2001
04/22/2009 00:00:00

Ouch... Being called a troll for liking the series? And I thought I didn't like it...

Great review. More balanced than I cared to be...

"The only way to truly waste an idea is to shove it where it doesn't belong."
starspawn17 Since: Sep, 2009
08/03/2010 00:00:00

WOW! A review for Naruto that doesn't suck!

While you make pretty speeches, I'm being cut to shreds.

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