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[Categories: Anime Reviews]

Naruto episodes 1-13: A newcomer’s first impressions

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Naruto]

It had to happen eventually. Even in this rural backwater in the north of England it’s impossible to avoid the cheeky grin of everyone’s favourite ninja: a certain Naruto Uzumaki. Accompanying the feverish hype that’s reached a nauseating level, Manga Entertainment have begun to release the first episodes on DVD. Naturally, I was curious enough to take advantage of their well-priced offer and see what all the fuss is about. From here on in I won’t be going in-depth in episode synopses or character profiles since you either 1). know more about the show than I do already or 2). you don’t care to begin with. For now I’ll just outline my own personal impressions.

Reason dictates that I shouldn’t like this show. Shounen Jump stuff isn’t ‘my thing’ at the best of times but after seeing only the first episode on fansub ages ago I figured thirteen episodes at such a low RRP wouldn’t be much of a loss. Strange then, that I found myself sitting down and watching as many as five instalments in one sitting and actually caring about the characters and what happens to them.

Apart from the obvious fact that ninjas rule, my main reason for watching Naruto is the cast. Fundamentally it’s a story of friendship and growing up: in these episodes we meet a large number of characters but once our hero is sent on his first major mission after graduating (an amusing and insightful introduction ot the series) the story charts the first stages in his journey to becoming a fully-trained ninja. At this point only three other characters are given much screentime: the talented but angsty Sasuke, his admirer Sakura (who Naruto has a crush on, completing the love triangle) and their trainer Kakashi. Right from the start I took a liking to Kakashi: outwardly, he’s laconic and laid-back but his techniques, such as the Sharingan, are top-notch and he doesn’t miss a trick. The four of them make a great team and the way in which they interact is the main reason why Naruto works so well.

The background to the story is an interesting one: in addition to more recognisable items such as mechanical cranes and two-way radios, the Hidden Leaf Village and the surrounding landscapes are a timeless mixture of the old and new. The music bounces from traditional Japanese folk to modern rock and back again as the situation requires it; my personal favourite is the closing theme Wind. The humour and themes are very much geared to a younger audience (the inevitable violence excepted) but it’s rare to see a kids’ show tackle more serious issues with such dexterity: quite frankly I don’t see why a jaded twenty-something such as myself can’t enjoy it too.

Summary
While Naruto follows the cliches of the martial arts genre with the intermittent recaps and lengthy dialogue that go along with the action scenes, it has a surprising emotional clout and real heart where the characterisation is concerned. The relationships and storylines have plenty of mileage and of course seeing ninjas in action always has some entertainment value. As surprised as I am at saying it, this show is actually quite good after all.

[Filed under Anime Reviews]  [Tags: Naruto]

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