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80 out of 91 people found the following review useful: Who says adults can't watch cartoons?, 8 September 2004 Author: ToniPane from Maryland, USA
A friend of mine introduced me to the Naruto series, and I have liked it from the first moment I saw Gaara of the Sand walk across the screen! I am now engaged with trying to watch all of the episodes starting with the very first one, and I am impressed beyond measure by it's storyline, which manages to combine action, adventure, humor, science fiction/fantasy, and coming-of-age elements all in one. I wouldn't recommend it for young children due to some very dark elements which surface and, of course, violence. However, the very dark elements succeed in intensifying the storyline, and in character building. All the characters are very unique, no cookie-cutter fill-ins here!, and the bad guys are especially well developed. This is a far cry from Skeletor and Cobra which were the villains of my youth (and oops, I've just dated myself). The only drawback I can think of are the excessively long battle scenes, which can take up several episodes. The number of episodes in proportion to the importance of the battle.
71 out of 82 people found the following review useful: First Anime I've watched and it got me hooked, 8 February 2005 Author: Rico112 from United States
Last year my roommate got me hooked on watching Naruto. I had never really been a big Anime fan. Shows like DBZ and Inuyasha never really appealed to me. I had seen a few episodes of Tri-Gun and found it rather interesting but the story of Naruto is what really drew me in. The quality with which it is written is very well done. And is not centered entirely around fighting, there actually is a plot here. The story is about 3 ninjas as they progress from genin level (beginning ninjas) onward to some rather high lvl battles and their hardships along the way. Each of these characters is well described with a rich background. And each character possesses unique abilities, none of which I have found boring or pointless so far. Currently I have read all the manga and have all the Anime downloaded. It is a truly excellent series. I fear that if they do bring it to the US. that sites that provide us with the anime may not be allowed to continue providing us with the show and if it comes to US television it will be edited because they will probably intend for kids to watch it and in it's original state it is entirely inappropriate and in no way should be compared to a Saturday morning cartoon show. The different jutsus are exciting to watch and well thought out. Battles can tend to last multiple episodes but to me that does not matter, the flashbacks just add to the storyline. The quality of the actual animation which can really be seen during the fight scenes is unbelievable. They truly have some very talented artists working for them. Lastly, the music is top notch. The intro's are extremely cool and the music in the actual show is also very well done.
60 out of 94 people found the following review useful: NOT A DBZ RIPOFF, 1 October 2004 Author: Hitoshirenu (Incubus420666@hotmail.com) from Tampa, FL
OK, so I've watched 103 episodes so far of this series, and I have to say it, Naruto is original. Yes Mishimoto was a big follower of Toriyama, and in many ways Naruto is a sort of homage to him. But Naruto has a lot of things that DBZ was missing. First off, when characters die, THEY STAY DEAD!!!!! There is no special way to wish them back. Once they're gone they're gone. Second, music: the music in Naruto is 100X better then anything heard in DBZ. Dbz did have some cool themes, but Naruto is the only series where I have actually imported the soundtrack. There's almost nothing wrong with the soundtrack other then the usual soft theme. Granted it isn't a Yoko Kanno piece, but in essence not everything should be compared to the work she does because it invariably falls short. Thirdly, character development:The characters develop feelings for each other, and you will find yourself developing feelings for the characters. There are animes that do that, but not to the extent Naruto does. I have cried multiple times while watching Naruto because of the pain that Naruto and Company have to go through. Mostly Naruto in his quest to become Hokage. In DBZ, I couldn't care less about what happened. Fourth, fights: There is nothing wrong with the length of the fights in Naruto. They're not too fast and they're not too unbearably long. The average fight lasts about 4 episodes. There is an exception to this in the 70s, but only because there are two fights going on at the exact same time. In short, download the first 20 episodes, which takes you through the first saga. Yes, 103 episodes is a lot of time, but the story will keep you engrossed. Also of note, Happy Birthday to the anime which turns 2 years old on Sunday Oct. 3rd. I give this a 9/10
28 out of 31 people found the following review useful: Far better than one would expect., 23 March 2006 Author: Thomas Plante (TJ1380@gmail.com) from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
For the last few years, nearly everybody I know who watches anime has been raving about the anime series "Naruto" and proclaiming it as one of the best new anime series in a long time. Judging from the way they've all been talking, I have been expecting this show to become a huge worldwide phenomenon not unlike "Dragonball Z," another anime that was being hailed as one of the all-time greatest anime shows. I will admit that I jumped on the "DBZ" bandwagon and have seen nearly the entire series, but I never really saw it as the sublime work of art that all the fanboys drooled over for so long. It had its moments and was kind of fun, but it also moved really slowly, with fights being dragged out far longer than they had any right to be. It also became way too predictable, with story lines that pretty much consisted of the main characters desperately trying to become stronger so they can face the next ludicrously powerful scary bad guy. Needless to say, I found that the show became tiresome long before most of its fans stopped worshiping Goku and Vegeta as spiky-haired gods. It was for this reason why I was so hesitant to check out "Naruto;" it seemed to have basically the same fans as "DBZ," which led me to believe that perhaps it wasn't the masterpiece that people said it was.Fortunately, I was wrong. While I don't think it's the greatest anime to come out of Japan, I will say that it has me hooked. It does have some problems such as main characters that can get really annoying and fights that are occasionally dragged out to epic lengths, but after watching the first thirty or so episodes it became clear why this show has so many fans. On the surface, "Naruto" appears to be a typical children's show, with lots of (mostly) child-friendly humor and an energetic and mischievous boy hero in the lead role. After a few episodes however, it becomes clear that this show is quite a bit darker than it first lets on. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura may be ninjas-in-training, but they are also only children, and the reality of what they are training to be frequently rears its ugly head in the form of some dangerous and rather frightening opponents and situations. While it is fun to see Naruto and his team go up against the bad guys with their mystical "jutsu" abilities, that fun is frequently muted by the fact that these kids are often out of their league and seem genuinely afraid for their lives. This and other darker elements such as Sasuke's obsession with killing his brother and the fact that Naruto has been ostracized in his own village thanks to a demon within him give the show a kind of tension and pathos that I never felt from "Dragon Ball Z." An English-language version of "Naruto" is currently airing on the Cartoon Network, but the 170-plus episodes of the far superior Japanese version have been floating around the internet for years. Download a few episodes and take a look. You won't be disappointed.
32 out of 46 people found the following review useful: Amazing show., 18 August 2005 Author: gts7133 from United States
I have watched Naruto for about a year now and I have to say that it is one of the most engaging and developed anime shows ever. There are currently 146 episode, 2 specials, and 1 movie and all of them have something positive to contribute to the anime world. The only thing that slows the pace down is the flash back episodes, or the episodes where it is heavily based on dialog. The action in the show is fantastic and the animation in the show is done perfectly. But the one thing that makes this anime a cut above the rest is the music. With original recordings, the in show music is the icing on this already delicious cake. I highly recommend Naruto if you are looking for a deep, engaging anime show dripping in style and originality.
39 out of 60 people found the following review useful: Warning: Highly Addictive Show!, 19 June 2005 Author: YGG1000 from USA
I'm sure by now that you're read plenty of reviews that have exclaimed on its pros and cons, so I will only go into them very lightly.Cons first. The animation isn't bad, but could be better. Meh...I'm fine with the animation, yet others seem to make a big deal over it. Whatever. Also, it has been mentioned often that Naruto is very like DBZ. That it is. Its main similarity/flaw is how long the fights take. Although its not as bad as DBZ, some fights take up to 3 or 4 episodes which is a bit drawn out. >.< Other than the intros and outros (which are wonderful!) the music is pretty bland. Meh. So those are all of the bad things I could think of. Seriously though, I like the series enough that I don't mind or even notice any of these 'flaws'. People just seem to like to complain about them.Yay! Pro time! Again, lets touch on Naruto's similarities to DBZ. Naruto is head and shoulders above DBZ on almost every level. Naruto actually has GASP character depth and development! This is one of Naruto's strong points. The reason the series is so addictive is how likable all of the characters are. So even if you don't like the main characters (Naruto-loud, clumsy, strong willed. Sasuke-cold, angsty, strong. Sakura-love struck and smart) there are PLENTY of minor characters to satisfy any of your favorite character cravings. All of my favorite characters are side characters! Also, the villains have depth unlike DBZ. All of the villains actually have a reason (no matter how psychotic) to do what they do. Tragedy seems to be a big part of Naruto and almost every character has suffered including the villains.OK, I'm done. I say Definitely check this series out, you'll become hooked, I promise! Keep a lookout for my favorite characters: Neji, Itachi and Gaara!! 9/10
20 out of 24 people found the following review useful: A brief description and opinion about the Japanese Anime TV Series "Naruto.", 17 June 2004 Author: Matt (mgreenwald) from Denver, Colorado
Here is the description of the series as it appears on the website or a DVD/VHS."In a concealed village, a young man hides within a bunch of leaves. His name is Uzumaki Naruto, a mischievous boy attending Ninja Academy. Everyday, he does nothing but cause mischief and making Iruka-sensei mad. And above all, it's doubtful that he'll be able to graduate from the Academy. But Naruto has a dream... A dream that he'll become the head of the Ninja village, following Hokage and will become the best ninja around. However, all the adults in the village give Naruto cold looks. The truth is, Naruto has a secret about his birth. 12 years ago, "Kyuubi no Youko" (Nine Tailed Fox - A kind of evil spirit who tormented the village, was sealed within Naruto's body who was, at the time, a baby. The head of the academy, Mizuki, uses Naruto to steal the "Fuujin Scrolls" and makes Naruto understand his past. Naruto is outraged. Even with Iruka's help, Naruto just barely defeats Mizuki. Knowing Naruto's secret, Iruka knows Naruto will meet someone who'll help him and so, makes a decision. Naruto is allowed to graduate safely from Ninja Academy. Along with his classmates, Uchiwa Sasuke and Haruno Sakura together, they make their first step as Ninjas!" -TV TokyoThe series is still ongoing in Japan and is aired weekly at 7:30PM on Tuesday nights. Well anyways I have been watching the show now for about seven months and it is incredible. All the main characters are very dynamic and most of which you will grow to like more and more. The animation is good and the style isn't very unique but the story is incredible and so are all the fine details about all Ninja Techniques. The 'world' Naruto takes place in is wonderful and incredibly detailed with history and different cultures. The setting is almost that of feudal Japan in respect to weapons and the types of soldiers and different classes and military ranks. But its modern in respect to technology and clothing. The plot is very good and sometimes very suspenseful and always interesting. If you enjoy action, adventure, a lot of details, and emotion, look no further Naruto has all of these qualities and much more. This is an excellent TV series with no end in sight.
18 out of 21 people found the following review useful: It can grow on you..., 24 February 2007 Author: Lucas Diego from California
I've seen a lot of anime throughout the years. I've seen what people call the 'good stuff', I've seen the 'bad stuff'. In time, I realized and accepted that not everyone is going to like something, or dislike it. No matter what the anime (or movie, or book, or game, etc.) it boils down to personal preference. So, how do you know if you'd like something you've never seen but heard so much about? When I first started Naruto, I saw the potential in it. From the first episode, they presented a distinct setting with distinct characters. Sure, archetypes were being followed (the boy dreaming of becoming big, the old grandfatherly figure, the teacher, the rival). The first episode showed emotion and depth to its main character and what he will struggle with, along with the dynamics of his interaction with other characters and their quirks.Cut about ten episodes later, the plot arc currently being followed felt to me like it was not going to matter much to the main story. Some episodes had drawn out battles, and I got that feeling that the anime would be the type where they would go from different area to different area, developing their skills and learning moral lessons and such, but there would be no grand plot, no B story, that tied the series together. I also worried it would fall into mediocrity. Without giving anything away, by the end of that arc (about 19 episodes in), my mind was changed.Having seen all of the series up to the current episodes, I can say at least for myself that at its best Naruto is a deeper anime than some give credit to, and can be quite addicting. A strong focus is on its characters as they develop throughout the series and there are moments of real emotion, tragedy, intensity and even just amusement. It's not perfect, as there are slow times in the series (and the cartoon suffers from tricks to get as many episodes out of the original story as they can), and I won't say everyone will end up liking it but I can say it had unexpectedly become one of my favorite anime.
25 out of 38 people found the following review useful: The story of a true underdog ... Naruto, 10 July 2005 Author: infinito2345 from India
well this is an amazing story based on the Japanese manga .... The characterizations are rich and the plot is excellently developed .... Though it may be slightly predictable ...and sometimes the comedy sucks ..... the fights and music tracks are quite awesome ..... this is the true story of an underdog...naruto ... recognized by no one and hated by everyone...for possessing no ninja skills and a demon fox trapped inside him ...... how he battles with his sheer will and determination against insurmountable odds to achieve a goal he set for himself is poignantly portrayed in the series ..... the series drags slightly in between but picks up pace and becomes heavily addictive later on ..... Maybe there is a naruto in all of us ...maybe there is a fighting spirit deep within us which can never be extinguished .. this wonderful Japanese anime is a tribute to this amazing attribute inherent in everyone of us .... it tells about friendship,loyalty,courage and unselfishness ... it tells about arrogance,deception and hatred .... it is a journey of varying emotions ... it is the story of a true underdog called naruto ..... don't miss this amazing anime ... i rate it 8.7/10
21 out of 33 people found the following review useful: Very good and addictive anime!, 20 September 2005 Author: eternalrequiem from United States
I like anime, but am very picky and choosy with it. Most anime tends to stray from the storyline and go into something completely off the wall, or the subject matter to begin with is very juvenile. Not Naruto. The storyline is consistent and complete. Everything that happens which seems extraordinary is explained in detail, thus the viewer can keep up with what's going on. There is character growth and development. Naruto is based off a Japanese comic (manga) of the same name. A few episodes stray from the manga's storyline, these are generally bad episodes where the characters go against their nature... luckily they are short stints. In America the first 60 episodes are due to come out on toonami which was a horrendous choice for cartoon network. This will eliminate the adult aspects of the anime. I would've thought it would debut on adult swim. in Japan, up through episode 130ish, the story is consistent and enjoyable.
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