Naruto

Naruto: A ninja for the ages

If we had to sum up the story of Naruto Uzumaki in one sentence, it would go like this: A little boy wants nothing more than to be recognised by the inhabitants of his village. That's about it. It sounds simple, and yet (or perhaps precisely for this very reason?) Naruto is one of the most successful manga series of all time! With more than 250 million copies sold, the aspiring ninja from Konohagakure is every bit a match for huge hits like Dragon Ball or One Piece. The anime adaptation has been equally successful and has been licensed in more than 90 countries! And as for our verdict: the 200 episodes, or 500 episodes of the sequel Naruto Shippuden (or the current tally of over 240 episodes of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations) absolutely fly by! How did Naruto manage this with its seemingly simple approach?

A noble and touching goal

Naruto Uzumaki's proclaimed goal is not mega complex, but that doesn't mean the same can be said for the story. Anyway, let's be honest, most great anime can be summarised in terms of simple ambitions. Luffy wants to become the king of the pirates. Gon Freecss is searching for his father. Son Goku wants to become the strongest warrior. Speaking of Dragon Ball, like many anime series, Naruto draws quite heavily on Akira Toriyama's legendary story. In the wrong hands, the ninja adventure could easily have degenerated into a cheap Dragon Ball rip-off. Instead, manga artist Masashi Kishimoto carefully adopted certain elements and enriched his world with several themes and ideas of his own. And today, I don't think anyone would deny that Naruto is a success in its own right.

Anyway, ultimately it's not about how complex or original the basic story is. What matters is the emotional impact. And Naruto tells many stories — sometimes small, sometimes big — that do just that. We are repeatedly confronted with things that make us think. Themes like the eternal cycle of hate, violence and revenge are anything but simple, and neither are Naruto's messages about friendship, morality and peace. Admittedly, the anime was not particularly profound to start with. After all, Naruto is just a little boy at the beginning who, despite his difficult childhood, has a lot of nonsense in his head. But the more time passes, the more this changes. We accompany him on his journey to adulthood, learning together how dangerous the world of the shinobi is. How quickly conflicts can erupt. And what it really means to become aware of one's powers and responsibility.

Figures we love (and hate)

We are going to make a bold claim: Naruto Uzumaki is pretty much the perfect anime protagonist. At the very least, he has all the elements that make a hero. We already mentioned his traumatic childhood: shortly after his birth, a nine-tailed demon fox, the Kyuubi, was sealed inside him. As a result, everyone in the village was afraid of him and kept their distance. So Naruto was always the outsider. But instead of allowing this to destroy him, the constant rejection motivated him to work harder than anyone else in a bid to one day be respected (and incidentally, become the Hokage of Konohagakure). A simple goal, but one that is deeply rooted in his character and thus comprehensible to everyone. And Naruto has everything he needs to achieve his goal. He never gives up, his heart is in the right place, and he is capable of forgiveness. Admittedly, he's not exactly the smartest but that makes him all the more resourceful in battle. That is also why Kakashi gave him the well-deserved nickname "No. 1 Unpredictable Ninja".

If Naruto Uzumaki is almost the perfect protagonist, then the supporting characters are very much the perfect supporting cast. We build real relationships with Sasuke Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, Shikamaru Nara, Sakura Haruno and others. One reason for this is that they all appear within the first three episodes, so we get to know them over a long period of time. Most of the characters also have their own ideas and goals. Some of them undergo enormous developments, and Hinata Hyuuga is a prime example. Over the course of the story, this small, shy girl learns to stand up for herself and fight for what is right. But the adversaries are also brilliantly scripted and are interesting not just because of their ninja skills but due to their ideologies. Just think of Madara Uchiha, Obito or Madara Uchiha, Nagato aka Pain, Zabuza Momochi or Itachi Uchiha. In comparison, classic DBZ villains like Frieza or Cell really stink. (Which is not to say we don't still like them.)

Fights (and music) that pack a punch

Anime series typically have their very own fight and energy system, and Naruto is no exception. In our opinion, however, Naruto surpasses most other anime with its concepts. The simplest explanation for this is that the chakra system has so many exciting applications.

"What is chakra, please?"

Well, basically it's a kind of fundamental energy needed for techniques like ninjutsu or genjutsu. Chakra is an energy system linking mind and body, which flows through the keirakukei, a pathway akin to the body's veins. Chakra can also be divided into the five elements Katon, Fuuton, Raiton, Doton and Suiton. Before going too deep into the details, let's just say the system is exciting, rich in variation and is perfectly showcased in this series through wonderful choreography. The extreme graphic presentation also makes the fights feel really powerful! And the images are accompanied by one of the best anime soundtracks, forever imprinted in our brains with its mix of modern rock and traditional Japanese music. And yet, it can still be said that Naruto is in some ways very simple.