Naruto (2005 - 2009): Review By Diaigma

When first told about this show, I was rather skeptical about it. When I was told that I would hate the main character at first, I started to think, why would I even WANT to watch a show like this? What followed after that me spending many a lunch break watching Naruto, which is about a Ninja in training who hopes to one day be the leader of his village. The main character was annoying at first, but that's what makes him human. He is a flawed character, and that caught my attention. It was unique seeing a "hero" that was anything but a good role model. Watching his growth and gradual maturity as the series progresses was fascinating, which is why I think of this series as a grand epic. It's not perfect, but it's an epic watch nonetheless.

The series is huge, spanning over 200 episodes, covering (roughly) two years of the character's lives. It's like watching a collection of home movies. You don't see every minute of their lives, but you get a good sense of how they've learned, grown, and developed. The world-building, magic system, tone of story, plot, and subplots are incredibility well put together, making this one of the few series with multiple main characters that actually work. Not only that, but the opposition is fierce and unrelenting.

Violent at times, over-the-top funny at other times, Naruto is a superb Anime series. Be forewarned; this series is not for the faint of heart, or the grotesquely impatient. Some fight scenes drag on and on, and on and on, and the use of flashback storytelling is way too far overused, at least in the first half. If you can weed through this only real flaw about the show (drawn-out sequences), something that would make Dragonball envious, then you will find this series enjoyable and memorable. Shadow-Clone Jutsu!

I've watched this whole series and am now waiting for volume two of Naruto Shippuden (where he's now a mid-teen). Be weary showing this to young children, as it has blood, gore, swearing, and nightmare inducing baddies.