Naruto
Plot
Naruto closely follows the life of a boy who is feared and detested by the villagers of the hidden leaf village of Konoha. The distrust of the boy has little to do with the boy himself, but it’s what’s inside him that causes anxiety. Long before Naruto came to be, a Kyuubi (demon fox) with great fury and power waged war taking many lives. The battle ensued for a long time until a man known as the Fourth Hokage, Yondaime, the strongest ninja in Konoha, fiercely fought the Kyuubi. The fight was soon won by Yondaime as he sealed the evil demon in a human body. Thus the boy, Naruto, was born. As Naruto grows he decides to become the strongest ninja in Konoha in an effort to show everyone that he is not as they perceive him to be, but is a human being worthy of love and admiration. But the road to becoming Hokage, the title for the strongest ninja in Konoha, is a long and arduous one. It is a path filled with betrayal, pain, and loss; but with hard work, Naruto may achieve Hokage.
Characters
Abumi Zaku
Abumi Zaku, part of a team with Dosu Kinuta and Kin Tsuchi, is an arrogant, proud genin who stubbornly refuses to give up, even at the cost of his arms.
Aburame Shino
Behind Sasuke and Naruto, Shino is the strongest of the Nine Leaf Rookies from Hidden Leaf, yet, oddly enough, remains quite stoic and impassive.
Akadou Yoroi
Yoroi is another participant of the chuunin exam. He has his face covered and wears occular lenses over his eyes. He makes a short appearance in the Naruto series as a spy for the Hidden Sound village.
Akamaru
Akamaru is the faithful dog of Kiba, who usually sits on top of Kiba's head. Kiba uses him as a tool in combat and Akamaru has proven to be useful to do various things.
Akasun Sasori
The scorpion of the red sand, the impatient master of puppets Akatsuki member Sasori. The one who's own body seems to be a puppet its self.
Akimichi Choji
The big-boned Choji is a pupil of Asuma and a teammate of Shikamaru and Ino. Choji spends most of his time eating, thinking about eating, and resting. He has pretty funny jutsu.
Akimichi Chomaru
Not much is known about Chomaru, except that he's Choji's father. And his former teammates are Choji's current teammates' fathers.
Aoi
A ninja who betrayed Konoha and now is with the Hidden Village of Rain. He used to be Idate's sensei, ar runner of the Wasabi clan and Morino Ibiki's brother. He's an exile, and he is the one who stole the Raijin sword, the sword the second hokage used to wield.
Baki
Baki is a jounin level shinobi from the Hidden Sand Village. And also the sensei of Gaara, Kankuro and Temari.
Demon Brothers
They're chuinin-level missing ninn's from the Hidden Mist Village. Under the command of Zabuza, another missing nin from that village.
Dosu Kinuta
Unofficial leader in the team consisting of himself, Zaku Abumi, and Kin Tsuchi, Dosu is the strongest and most intelligent of the only team from Sound Village to enter the Chuunin exams.
Ebisu
Ebisu is a tutor to Konohamaru, and claims to be a "shortcut" to being Hokage. He held the common attitude towards Naruto as a demon punk, and looked down on him during their first encounter.
Gaara of the Desert
Born as an experiment from the Hidden Village of sand, Gaara was combined with the spirit of a demonic sand priest known as Shukaku, not unlike Naruto and the Nine Tails.
Gatou
Gatou was a very important ship magnate before he got killed by Zabuza. His shipping company was merely a facade for illegal activities like smuggling and dealing drugs.
Gekkou Hayate
Hayate is one of Konoha's Special Jounins. He's also the one who was judging the Chuunin exam's third stage preliminary matches.
Hagane Kotetsu
He and his friend, Izumo, held their own unofficial first test at the beginning of the chuunin exam.
Haku
Haku is Zabuza’s trainee and most trusted companion. He is an exile from the Hidden Mist Village and he has a very powerful advanced bloodline.
Haruno Sakura
Sakura is on the same team as Naruto and Sasuke. Altough she's one of the main characters in the series, she plays a more supportive part in the beginning. But as the storylines continues she adventually gets strongers too.
Hatake Kakashi
Kakashi is the sensei of Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke. He is known as 'Copy Ninja Sharingan Kakashi' all over the world, and it is rumored that he has memorized over 1000 jutsu.
Hoshigaki Kisame
Hoshigaki Kisame was introduced alongside Uchiha Itachi, as a fellow member of the dreaded Akatsuki.
Hyuga Hiashi
Hiashi is the leader of the Hyuga clan's main house and has two daughter, Hinata and Hanabi. He feels guilty for the death of his twin brother, Hizashi (Neji’s father), who gave his life for him.
Hyuga Hinita
Hyuga Neji's cousin and Hyuuga Hiashis daughter, the one with low self esteem and a big crush on Naruto. Hyuuga Hinita, is also a well trained fighter in the gentle first style like her cousin but not as violent as him.
Hyuga Neji
Hyuga Neji is considered the strongest and most talented of all genin. He is a member of the Hyuga Clan and masters Hyuga Style Taijutsu, the most powerfull Leaf Village TaiJutsu style.
Inuzuka Kiba
Kiba fights with his partner Akamaru the faithful dog who willingly abides by the commands Kiba sets forth for him, the 2 are a devastating duo who cause considerable amounts of damage to the enemies.
Jiraiya
Jiraiya was a student of the 3th hokage and the sensei of the future 4th hokage. Jiraiya is one of the Three Legendary Sennin's, together with Tsunade and Orochimaru.
Jiroubou
One of the sound 4 special elite body guard force of Orochimaru Sound Village. Though he may seem dumb and fat at first glance once he has entered a fight it soon turns into a battle for survival.
Kabuto
Kabuto is Orochimaru's right hand man and is the quiet calm person of the whole Sound village.
Kankuro
The middle child of Kazekage, Kankuro's siblings are Gaara and Temari. He has a deep fear of Gaara, and is very submissive to his will. When Gaara isn't around, however, Kankuro is a very confident bully, and has the ability to back up his attitude.
Kidoumaru
Kidoumaru is one of the elite ninjas of the Sound 4 elite body guard group. Besides being extremely smart when it comes to plans and strategies he can spew webs out of his mouth and mold it with his chakra.
Kimimaru
Kimimaru is one of the last surviving Kaguya Clan members. He is one of the strongest members of the Sound 5. Though he is strong, he suffers from a undescribed illness.
Kin Tsuchi
Kin Tsuchi is the third member of the only Sound Village participants in the Chuunin Exams, and doesn't have much to show or to add to the show in general, other than the fact she hates Sakura's vanity in keeping her hair long.
Konohamaru
An Academy student, Konohamaru aspires to be Hokage. After an unsuccessful attempt to fight the 3rd Hokage, Konohamaru starts to follow Naruto and makes him a teacher.
Maito Gai
Gai is a Konoha Village jounin and the sensei of the team whose members are Rock Lee, Tenten, and Hyuuga Neji. Like Lee, he is a specialist in hand-to-hand combat or taijutsu, but unlike Lee he can use ninjutsu or genjutsu.
Mitarashi Anko
An apprentice of Orochimaru. She's the instructor for the 2nd chuunin exam. She feels that it's her job as a former subordinate from Orochimaru to kill him, even at the cost of her own life.
Momochi Zabuza
After his failed Coup d'etat on the Mizukage he had to abandon the Hidden Mist Village and became an exile. Now, constantly on the run for the village's hunter-nins he's looking for a way to get his revenge.
Morino Ibiki
The master of mental interrogation and exam instructor of the chuunin exam, the one and only Morino Ibiki, also the brother of Morino Idate.
Morino Idate
The head runner for the Wasabi clan, and Morino Ibiki's little brother. Idate is a selfish person who disregards and despises ninjas. Though he is highly attached to the boss of the Wasabi clan and is willing to risk it all for him.
Nara Shikamaru
According to Shikamaru nearly everything is troublesome. If it was up to him he would spend the entire day lazying around and playing games like chess, and he’s really good at it too.
Orochimaru
Orochimaru one of the Legendary Sennins of the Leaf Village, until his thirst for the knowledge of Forbidden Techniques exiled him from the village.
Rin
Kakashi’s teammate and admire of him. The wonderful medical ninja known as Rin.
Rock Lee
Rock Lee (a.k.a. thick eyebrows, as Naruto calls him) is a genin level ninja. Just like his row model Gai-sensei, he is a TaiJutsu specialist.
Sakon
Sakon is one of the sound 4 and part of Orochimaru's elite body guards. He has powerfull taijutsu moves, but the trick to his secret lies within him.
Sarutobi
The third hokage of the Hidden Village of the Leaf. Looked up to by all the ninjas in Konoha and the oldest shinobi alive. Was the most talented shinobi who aslo was the teacher to Jiraiya,Tsunade, and Orochimaru. Was eventually killed by Orochimaru.
Shizune
Shizune is Tsuandes right hand girl and protects and advises everything that Tsuande does. A special jounin in the arts of medical jutsu and what seems to be Tsunades first apprentice.
Tayuya
The weakest of the sound 4. She can control the battle with a note of her demonic flute. Without actually doing any of the fighting her self.
Temari
The eldest child on Gaara's team, Temari, as well as Kankuro, is terrified of Gaara, her youngest brother. When Gaara is away, she is a confident, strong Genin, although not a bully like Kankuro.
TenTen
TenTen is on the same team as Neji and Lee, and specializes in throwing-weapons.
Tsunade
Tsunade is the third and last part of the three Legendary Leaf Sennins, with Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Tsunade was also the first medical ninja to be put on the field.
Uchiha Itachi
Uchiha Itachi is one of the last of the Uchiha clan, with his brother, Uchiha Sasuke, They are the only survivors of the Uchiha clan, which was once praised as the strongest clan in Leaf village.
Uchiha Obito
The Ninja who had a big heart and forged Kakashi's personality and character of the naruto series. The giver of the sharingan and the naruto of the past.
Uchiha Sasuke
Sasuke is one of the few survivors of the Uchiha Clan, one of the most powerful clans of the Leaf Village. He is the number one rookie genin and is considered a genius.
Uzumaki Naruto
Naruto is the number one loudest ninja of the Leaf Village. He is loud, hyperactive, clumsy, kind of stupid and he dreams of becoming hokage.
Yamanaka Ino
Ino is Sakuras child hood best friend but due to Sasukes presence they started to become rivals to win over his heart. Ino is extremely bossy and competitive and has no real fighting techniques other then a mind transfer ability.
Yashamaru
The caretaker of Gaara. His sister was Gaara's mother and the sacrifice for the Sand Spirit that is embedded into Gaara.
Yondaime
Yondaime is the famed hokage of all hokages of Konoha. He was the only ninja to stop the wrath of Kyubi but because of the attack he lost his life sealing the Kyubbi into Naruto. Yondaime was the student of Jiraiya and was the sensei to Kakashi,Obito, and Rin.
Review
Twelve years ago ago, a demon fox with nine tails appeared. His tail was powerful enough to cause mountains to crumble and tidal waves to form with only a swing. The Shinobis fought long and hard to contain the demon until one Shinobi, Fourth Hokage, sacrificed his life to seal it.
Onwards to the present: Naruto is the mischievous orphan of Konoha (Hidden Leaf Village) who dreams that one day the people of the village will acknowledge him and that he will become as well respected as village's 4 Hokage (leaders). Now, however, Naruto does whatever he can to drum up attention but mostly incurs their wrath rather than compassion. Only his teacher, Iruka, shows him kindness - which is somewhat ironic because Naruto is his worst student and in danger of failing his Academy graduation exam for the third (and final) time.
On the day of Naruto’s graduation, Mizuki contrives a plot to steal the Hokage's Scroll of Seals which includes several forbidden ninja techniques. That plot requires Naruto to break in and steal the Scroll and give it to him. When the villagers learn that Naruto has taken the scroll, Iruka goes after him and finds himself in the middle of the plot, where it looks as if Mizuki will take Iruka’s life to get his hands on the Scroll. Luckily Naruto has mastered one of the forbidden techniques and can use it to not only defeat Mizuki but also graduate from the academy.
Soon, Naruto is well on his way to becoming a full-fledged ninja. And because ninja's work in teams, Naruto finds himself partnered with the girl he has a crush on, Sakura, and the boy she has a crush on, Sasuke. He and Sasuke soon become rivals and their sensei, Kakashi, must go to great lengths to teach his young Genin the value of teamwork.
Naruto starts off with a lot of slapstick but quickly becomes more intense as these newly minted ninja must come to terms with the realities of the outside world. This is one anime where they aren’t afraid to show blood or death. The fight scenes range from typical punch/kicks to special bloodline techniques specific to clans.
For the most part, the anime is well paced, although sometimes the story arcs do move slowly. The story really starts to pick up in the mid-20s when Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are reunited with their fellow classmates for the prestigious Chuunin exam, which will drastically change the lives of the genin involved and the make up of Konoha.
The world of Naruto is richly complex. It is a mixture of old and modern society with power lines and tvs within villages but where ninja techniques are substituted for mass weaponry and medicine. People tend to travel on foot and send messengers rather than traveling by car or plane or calling someone on the phone.
The countries are set up similar to the politics of feudal Japan. Each operates as a separate political entity, presumably ruled by a monarch, though occasionally, countries will sign peace treaties with other countries. Hidden Villages are places within countries where citizens are trained to become ninja. Ninja are a valuable economic resource for countries because they complete missions for anyone who's willing to pay. Missions are ranked according to their difficulty and dangerousness and priced accordingly. They can include anything from gardening and housework to protecting a key person from assassination to fighting in war.
Naruto, for instance, lives in Konoha which is the ninja village of Fire Country. Konoha has a reputation for first class ninjas and receives a number of jobs each year. However, it does have its enemies, including those who are jealous of Konoha's success and those who were once Konoha nin but left the village to pursue their own agendas.
This anime has something for everyone. There are rivalries between clans, family turmoil, love triangles, friendly competition between rivals, and good hearted comradery between teammates. 150 episodes later, I'm amazed at how much the characters have grown and developed.
Animation:
Like all long running shonen anime, Naruto has its ups and downs. At times, the animation is simply amazing, with crisp moves and highly detailed character designs with the occasional 3D technique thrown in for added depth. Other times, you can tell they are running low on funds. Characters are somewhat deformed or drawn in a different style from other episodes. For the most part, however, the animation is top notch for shonen.
Music:
Opening Themes:
Rocks by Hound Dog
Haruka Kanata by Asian Kung-Fu Generation
Kanashimi wo Yasashisa Ni by Tasuku
GO!!!! By Flow
Seishun Kyosokyoku by Sambomaster
No Boy, No Cry by Stance Punks
Ending Themes:
Wind by Akeboshi
Harmonia by Rythem
Viva Rock Japanese Side by Orange Range
ALIVE by Raiko
Ima Made Nando Mo by Mass Missile
Ryuuesi by TiA
Mountain A Go Go Too by Captain Stridum
The First Time I Spoke With You by gagagaSP
Naku****a Kotoba by No Regret Life
Speed by Analog Fish
Character Design:
The characters are really what makes Naruto worth watching. Initially, the anime focuses on Naruto and his two teammates but soon broadens the spectrum to include the other two genin teams as well as characters from other countries. Naruto is a good-hearted, mischievous boy who wants nothing more than to be accepted and acknowledged by his fellow villagers. Throughout the show, we watch as he grows from an annoying class clown to someone who shapes the lives and gives hope to the people he comes into contact with.
Most of the characters are a delight to watch as they struggle with being shinobi in this super competitive and highly dangerous environment. They deal with everyday concerns like unrequited love, lack of self confidence, broken families, over-demanding parents, and wanting to feel accepted for who they are. The more you learn about the characters, the more you come to like them and want to know more.
10/10