Shounen Naruto

[juUnior]

Ok, so I will give it a shot with Naruto ^^ I'm inspired by Mooncrow review of OP in his fanboy way, so I will do the same with my all-the-time favourite Naruto <bear in mind, that anyone can write review with his/her own review - the more-the better for newbies xD>


Title: Naruto
Genres: Shonen, Action, Adventure, Comedy/Drama, Fantasy
Author: Masashi Kishimoto
Artist: Masashi Kishimoto and his team: Kazuhiro Takuhashi, Osamu Kazisa, Mikio Ikemoto, Takemi Kawahara.
Publication: Weekly Shonen Jump
Start Date: November 1999
End Date: On-going
Number of chapters at review: 491
Number of chapters read by reviewer: 491

General Overview: Uzumaki Naruto, a young boy who lives in the ninja village Konoha, wants to become one day a great, respectful Hokage. The plot starts from his early age at the academy, and move onwards as he becomes stronger and stronger, meets new friends and foes and try to change the world in his own ninja way.

Category Ratings: (1-10 scale)

Art: 8,5
The characters designs are detailed, because Kishimoto favors rather realistic style of art. The background is pure and simple, but bigger panels can have it amazingly detailed. Overall, series started with detailed art, and begun slowly to change to simple one, yet beatiful.

Plot: 8
Series is well written, and has its moments of glory, when people will scream from happiness; there are also sad moments, when there's probability to shred a tear or two; but one thing for sure - there is little of moments, when someone will say: it's a crap. Kishimoto is unexpected, even though he gives some mithodology/art/martial arts hints from other sources. The fights are unpredictable, besides the few one, which occure rather later on in the series.

Characters: 10
This is probably the ultimate moment of glory. Characters are well-written, ba!, they are superb written. Each character has his/her own history, background and special skills. A few characters made just to show off as the plain foes have no specific history, but you know from the first glance, if you like it or not. That's probably the one of the best things in 'Naruto' manga.

Themes: 7
Shonen title, so: 'friendship', 'working hard for your dreams', 'genius and hard-work', 'protect what's important to you', 'power and responsibility' xD and much more. All are well written, and divided in such a way, that it's not a nuisance, but a pleasure from within.

Originality: 10
I read many shonen title's, and 'Naruto' just seems to me the perfect shonen created up till now. I'm probably exageratting, but it's rather non-objective review. I think everything, from the beginning until now, is somewhat unique, and cool. Even if I read somewhat myths or other things, which seem quite correspond to Naruto, it's always done in the way by Kishimoto-sensei, that it shocks me - in positive way.

Overall: 10
It's a piece of art in shonen genre mangas. It's masterpiece. It's a title, which every single person should read, if it's hobby is manga, exclusively 'shonen' one. I will just say one more thing: just read it and see for yourself. If, for some reason, you didn't like it, just stop and write your own review <based on chapters you read>

<I tried, i tried to be objective :x>. That's right, I'm completely fan/maniac of 'Naruto' <3 <if I would nto attempt to force myself, everywhere would be 10/10 >


Want more discussion on Naruto? Go here:
Naruto Discussion Boards

Spoiler: Manga's images taken from earlier chapters to avoid spoiler, generally the art improves

 

[Mooncrow]

Thanks for your work =)

And I guess Naruto deserves at least one fanboy review^^ though I would encourage more objectivity from future reviewers

I'm a little surprised at your theme score though; actually theme is one category I rate Naruto quite highly in. Kishimoto's exploration of "causality" is very well done through the various characters and situations.

All in all, if you weren't objective, at least you made your biases clear, and that's all I really ask, so thank you again for participating!

 

[secretAZNman19]

i would think that the characters would deserve a lower rating because i personally don't like the main. right now, i feel like reading naruto because im interested in the less important characters, shikamaru is my favorite.

 

[Obxist]

for me its also way to high...

Category Ratings: (1-10 scale)

Art : 6
its art so i am thinking about how hard or detail an art could be and naruto doesnt have much detail.. its simple and plain... but the mangaka draw the emotion pretty nice
so i could give it 6 out of 10

Plot : 6
yeah... Naruto got many anti climax... so sometimes its boring to read it...

Characters : 8.5
Characthers is well developed... they got many characters and most of them got their own story..

Themes : 6
well shonen like not much new theme in naruto

Originality : 7
Okay ninja story is common... but i love the idea of how they describe ninja level, the test and others... so i gave it 7

Overall : 8
you should read it.. its nice and good ... but i am not saying its a must...

 

[freaky2]

I can agree with Obxist's review more than the first one :P
Naruto starts really well, and it's original, but I think Kishimoto fails a bit in his long-term planning, sorry to say it.
Even so, I keep reading it, so it's by no means crappy^^

 

[Leo Seta]

Category Ratings: (1-10 scale)

Art: 6
What started out as a rather fun sketchy style has developed into something rather more boring and lacking in detail. The inking is very singular and lacks any depth. The art does its job of course but it is certainly not one of Naruto's strong points.

Plot: 7
Like the art, Naruto's plot began strong but has seemed to fail in the long run. Part 1 had a flow of strong arcs and interesting character development with some nice twists. Part 2 unfortunately has so far been much weaker than the first, lacking much character development, awkward twists and a general failing to carry the themes that had initially made it so strong.

Characters: 8
Whilst the cast has now become too large for all of them to get much attention, the characters that have been developed are strong, believable and likable.

Themes: 8.5
Naruto contains your staple Shonen theme's "friendship", "teamwork", "good overcomes evil" etc etc. It does however, have a few other themes that does make it stand out. In particular that of loneliness and acceptance. Best shown in the development of Naruto, Gaara and Sasuke and the relationships that the latter two have with the main character, this is partially what made Part 1 of Naruto a fan favorite.

Originality: 6
Pretty much your usual Shonen set up and execution... just with ninjas.

Overall: 7
Part 1 of Naruto was a very strong Shonen series that bred it an ARMY of fanboys, thus making Part 2 so incredibly popular despite it's weakness in comparison with other mangas of the moment. The series is still definitely worth a read and may well save itself before the end... but at the moment it's not really worth the credit it's given by the masses.

 

[weixiaobao]

I think theme and originality should switch.. since theme isn't suppose to confuse with originality .. if it is a good theme, and well written then theme should be 10 but if the theme is a bit overused then originality should go down...

anyway.. good review..

 

[juUnior]

People Maybe when Your adressing the first post revies of mine, you can also read Obxist and Leo Seta short reviews ^^ Don't just criticise that or that <I don't mind that at all> but if so, you can also write short points of category, give Your own note and vuala - we can create topics with reviews, not just comments. People searching for new series will read not one, but more reviews and will have they own opinion if to read, or not ^^ <actually information thingy should be in the first post, but later on I think we can ommit that and just go to Category Ratings <I'm not saying this, because you comment, but it's nice to see other points in category like in Obxist or Leo commentaries ^^>
btw. If you wish to comment, do it, but right now we have 3 reviews done by 3 people, so don't forget that

 

[Dark-Kaomi]

I've always enjoyed Naruto for it's originality and characters. The plot's a bit overdone but there isn't much to work with in a fighting series. I think Kishimoto did very well in that respect. Recently, though, his plots have felt off, almost forced. Kind of like he's run out of ideas. Something that I respect him for though is his ability to kill of characters, even well loved ones. Very few authors can do that and still have a strong fan base. Overall, I think this is a great series for anyone who likes fights, friends, and of course, ninjas.

 

[Mooncrow]

I have to agree with you there; no one does a death scene like Kishimoto. Definitely one of his strong points.

 

[Amatersu]

I think the first arc was the best one. That's what hooked me onto the series. To say why would constitute spoilers it, but the fights in it differ greatly from the later ones which is what appealed to me.

 

[Inkovic]

I love Naruto, I do. But I wouldn't give it a 10. an 8 at the most mainly with some plot issues as well as the nindo theme done to death during Part I.

 

[kingsenol]

Category Ratings: (1-10 scale)

Art: 7.5
the art s pretty basic but still looks decent enough and sometimes actually pretty damn good. there are pieces of art in the manga that are worth a 9 or even higher and some low as a 6. overall kishi really delivers in the fight moments and choreography, which is what most people actually suck at. also, he uses very unusual camera points (placing of characters and the way they are viewed during the fitghts that really makes their movements come alive), maiking actions seem almost as lively as the ones in blade of the immortal (my personal favorite manga of all time).

Plot: 8
plot is somewhat basic but the characters and the fact that its actually pretty decent for a shonen make me it a 8. there are no shonen with better storys IMO, unless you look for mangas meant for an older audience like berserk, vagabond or blade of the immortal (or non fighters like akira and monster to name a few). if i reviewed it as a non shonen it wouldn't get more than a 6.5 or 7 at the most.

Characters: 9
yes the guy before me made the right comment about the characters. never have a met a shonen with characters this great. though kishi did suffer from rare moments of stupidity (sai?), generally his characters are pretty unique and have something that sets them apart from the others. most of the good guys/girls look pretty decent design wise and im really happy that at least this manga hasn't gone all popculture like all these new mangas and animes with people wearing those cliché gay ass tight latex suits or things in those direction. (what ever happened to those glorious days of the mid 90's when designs where mostly top notch). especially most fan favorites look too damn good, characters like itachi, orochimaru, the kages, the rest of the akas, even some of the konoha punks (i mean nins) look pretty damn decent to actually good. the characters are the best in a shonen ever, rivaling those of DBZ in pure brilliance.

Themes: 5
its all about hard work, friendships and bonds you create with people. while its not a bad thing, the main character(s) are too damn bonded that it makes the theme a little boring and frustrating even. though, even though they are the main themes of the manga (and that hard work WILL surpass genius), which are pretty boring actually, the characters living the themes sometimes make up for it. though its time the stupid main character starts making up for his stupidity and his main theme of trying to bring sasuke back.

Originality: 10
yes a 10. in all actuality, i was really waiting for another one of those samurai/ninja mangas to come out again, and i mean quality ones like blade of the immortal and ninja scroll. what do i get? i kiddy manga with ninjas in it. then my little brothers started reading it and watching the anime actually getting hooked on it. didn't understand why. till i started watching the anime, first 10 eps where pretty boring IMO, though after the first 20 or so i was also pretty hooked. well the anime got worse and worse, becoming a piece of shit now after the fillers. the good point about it? well i started reading the manga at the same time i started to watch the anime (when it was still before its 20th eps), and damn. i got hooked. the manga has still never let me down (well some small points did harm it a little, some characters getting stupid and just dying of out of stupidity, like kakuzu and jiraiya, not seeing how jiraiya actually was able to nail one of pains bodies while they seemed unkillable, yeah, wtf). the sheer amount of characters and potential of this manga made kishi a very wealthy man, its not hard to see why. just read it and find out for yourself.

Overall: 8
i will never give another shonen manga a point of this magnitude. there are things in the manga that will keep reminding us that it is a shonen and that its actually meant for kids (though adults like myself like it too it seems), yet even though of these facts it still remains to impress me most of the time. and the characters keep me returning to see what will happen to them. kishi has made them really likable and interesting. some shonens have the art, some the story, some the characters, naruto is basically the shonen that has all of it, and then some. best shonen ever created, period.

hope y'all liked it.

 

[LoktarOgar]

Now how can you write such an accurate review of BotI and then claim stuff like "best shonen ever created" about Naruto? >_>;

 

[kingsenol]

Now how can you write such an accurate review of BotI and then claim stuff like "best shonen ever created" about Naruto? >_>;

because it is a shonen. tell me how many shonens you know that can rival naruto? none. mention the best ones, HxH, 666, DBZ, jojo, yuyuhakusho and all that other shit? yeah, HXH was pretty good, but looking at the rest, name me a shonen that can hold its own against naruto the manga? thanx. FMA, ok if this is a shonen it can, but besides this one? and don't you dare say bleach or anything as corny as that, cause its all shonen and not of narutos quality.

p.s. i rated it as a shonen. meaning a story that was originally for kids (this rate it softer). on its own naruto is still worth a 6 overall at the very least. maybe even a 7. don't go comparing it to stuff like berserk or blade of the immortal. these mangas are in a different league, like how one wouldn't compare akira to bleach. just my 2 cents. besides i don't think you wanna make some kid cry by saying naruto isn't as good as that. -_-.

 

[Luckas]

because it is a shonen. tell me how many shonens you know that can rival naruto?

One Piece and Bleach until the end of Soul Society was only slightly inferior to Naruto.

 

[Mooncrow]

Honestly, there are a lot of shonen series that can rival Naruto. While in the beginning Naruto held a great deal of potential, it has mostly been squandered. It's still a good series, and I'll put it in the top 10 shonen, but it never really reached the greatness that it's early chapters hinted at =/

If you are looking for stuff to read that's similar, you can check out One Piece, HSD Kenichi, Fairy Tail, ES21, Hajime no Ippo, etc

 

[juUnior]

kingsenol great points You have in Your review. While I was reading it, it came out to me, that you actually was writing all the thing, which I would write myself, if I would try to be ..hmm.. more objective <3
I really liked how You mentioned in Art thingy the way Kishi draws some things better and some worse ^^" How You actually said, that you give points for Plot in shonen category <yeah, shonen xD I don't like comparing not compatible genre style, just like you> How You gave characters 9 and said how they are well written <and in good proportion actually xD> About mentioned Sai - maybe it's a waste of time, but I think on the longer thing, he actually is also unique from all the characters, and people can start talking how they like it or not <and just the way Naruto is better than anything else in shonen category if it means for characters: there are likeable characters, non-likeable, those who you hate of detest, those who you love, and so on xD> And originality.. hmm looking on 10 seemed to me non realistic, when I read the parts before, but actually I must say, that people can only give in originality 10, if They know anything about myth stuff from Japan, China, real fighting styles, and know, how Kishi handles it.
I think it's fair to say 8 for overall in shonen category, is someone is objective.
Good review!

 

[Shinichiro]

Before we get onto the whole review business, let me first say that this is a nifty new forum section; although I have been using the site for over a year, this new development inspired me to finally register. Now, onto Naruto.

Category Ratings: (1-10 scale)

Art: 8.5 (Sufficient)
While Naruto's art doesn't leap off the page in epic glory, it's definitely sufficient for conveying pretty much everything that occurs, and its style fits the manga well. Although I've rated this a 8.5, I'm going to declare the artwork "perfectly fine". I'm not really sure how it could be improved on, but it's not eye-bogglingly splendiferous...and it doesn't have to be.

Plot: 6
Naruto started with a nifty interpretation of a rather old plot. There's your classic outcast boy with some special, hidden power that isolates him from just about everyone; in this particular work, Kishimoto chose ninja as his theme, and it worked surprisingly well. He managed to deliver interesting (if not particularly brilliant or original) storylines that showcased his characters and their development. True, it wasn't a masterpiece and it didn't feature a deep, intricate storyline, but it really didn't have to. It was the growth of the characters, both as people and ninja, that was so interesting. Every time a member of team 7 unlocked a particularly power, we were all right there, absolutely thrilled. However, as manga are particularly wont to do, the writer couldn't pace himself and ran out of room, both in terms of plot and character growth. Soon enough, these powers stopped becoming cool and became overrated, gimmicky, cheap tricks. That's right, the show developed a DBZ complex with characters getting regular obscene power boosts in a manner that made it all seem ridiculous and left us feeling robbed and let down. Any characters who didn't have their own little super-saiyan mode are left behind as useless baggage, a blatant mockery to the crucial, jaw-droppingly awesome roles they once fulfilled.

Naruto isn't a bad manga; rather, its characters outgrew themselves too fast, leaving them nowhere left to go. There are very few manga that can thrive after its protagonists turn into big-shot-powerhouses, especially when they're big-shot-powerhouses-of-cheapness, and this is not one of them. And with the characters dragging, so too does the storyline, leaving us with a slow-as-molasses plot with disappointing progressions. Right now, the manga is still coasting off of all the momentum it accumulated in its glory days, but it can't continue as such for long before it simply becomes tiresome and runs the glory-bank dry.

Characters: 5
Naruto is filled with the best, most likable one-dimensional characters I have ever seen. Each character seems to have been assigned a unique fighting style, a quirk, and the physical appearance to match. In the beginning, it seemed that the fascinating characters had intentionally been portrayed so as to only scratch the surface, implying there was even more to back up an already strong character. Now that we're about 400 chapters in, it seems that, in fact, there is only surface to each and every character, and they, like the plot, are getting tiresome and drawn out. At this point, now that he has introduced so many dozens of characters, each working exclusively with their own group, it seems doubtful that Kishimoto could focus on developing a few characters further, even if he wanted to. But let's face it, it's a lot easier to reveal the "omg uber uber" abilities than it is to actually work any character into his characters, and as long as people keep buying so they can see the exploits of the characters they feel loyal too, why should he change?

Themes: 5
Though very simplistic, the themes present in the naruto series have been well-executed and easy to agree with... So, while the emotions the series evokes are present, Kishimoto seems to take the easy way out of virtually everything. Themes are...well done, but neither unique nor ambitious.

Originality: 2/10
I really had to divide this category up; the first ranking refers to originality in plot, characters, themes, and everything you'd expect in a manga. Even I, a longtime fan of the series, must admit that Kishimoto does absolutely nothing new. I know it may be difficult to find anything new to do, since there are so many bodies of literature and so many graphic novels out there, but even relative to what possibilities he could have taken, Kishimoto consistantly takes the easy way, and that's no fault. It just doesn't get him originality points. Characters are extremely archetypal and the plot...well it's about as classic as you can get at every turn. Kishi does rather well what everyone else has done before.

Now, for the SECOND category: this rating refers to the world which Kishimoto has created. The Naruto universe is...simply incredible. The author provides enough details for us to have a fairly solid idea of what's going on, but leaves just enough open to the imagination that it's not rigid and contrived. The idea of the hidden villages, the three major types of jutsu, the presence of bloodlines (though I differ with their execution...), the ninja ranking and training systems...everything about it is fantastically done. It is this aspect that has me hooked on the series, and it is for this that I would advise any prospective readers to pick up at least the first few volumes. I feel that this is what people refer to when they say: "Naruto had such promise, but it took a wrong turn." The initial setup, how Kishimoto has set up the board...it's all extremely well done. With a setup like that, virtually any story can succeed.

Overall: 7
A manga with high initial aspirations, this series promises but doesn't deliver; although many parts of this series are drab, dry, and rehashed, Kishimoto uses his splendid universe like a crutch to carry his story through, regardless of how many flaws drag it down. Definitely read at least first few volumes, the ones that lead us to hope, though be forewarned...you may fall in love with the world Kishimoto has set up and continue reading, even when deep inside you'll wish you'd stopped while the going was good.

 

[abu_89]

Naruto has potential... but we're stuck in a pretty bad slump right now. The story focuses too much on Sasuke now, after building up so much excitement about Naruto...

They should just rename the series Sasuke: The Uchiha Chronicles... :S