[Anime Reviews]
17 Jul 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Naruto]
If there's one thing that makes me keep coming back to Naruto, it's the feelings and emotions that form the motives for the characters; let's face it, no other Shounen Jump show has ever grabbed me interest! For all its cliches and repetition (the start-of-episode recaps are just the right length of time to allow me to fetch a beer from the kitchen without missing anything), Naruto has heart. The drawn-out epic battle that marked the end of our heroes' dealings with Zabuza shows the hallmarks of the series, both good and bad, summing up, perhaps, why it is eternally popular. The bad aspects are obvious but the positive side is what kept me hooked, and still does: Zabuza is bad-ass but Haku is driven by a more complex set of feelings and motivations, which made his end all the more poignant.
It's tragic to see someone sacrifice himself, unaware of the concept of self-worth; it's especially so when the person you sacrifice yourself for does not see the value of your life either. For Haku, it's a relief to see Zabuza grasp the magnitude of his apprentice's efforts, if only in his final seconds but I couldn't help but feel sorry for Haku when the trauma and waste of his life are revealed.
There's another revelation relating to Naruto's curse (watch how the fox-demon almost breaks free!), not to mention Kakashi's range of abilities (how many aces does that guy have up his sleeve?!) but the big surprise is how someone as straightforward and irresponsible as Naruto can inspire the whole population of a village to rise up and fight those who oppress them. So too is his seemingly endless supply of self-confidence: no matter how many times the little bugger gets knocked down (which, as with the first half of the season, is A LOT) he bounces back.
This engaging side of Naruto's character is his saving grace when he spends so much of his time being ignorant, impulsive and performing his favourite activity of acting before thinking - hardly the makings of a hero viewers can look up to. In the final section of the volume the junior ninja enter the next level of their training: the chunin exam. This section was really fun to watch, not least because I'd had several written exams a matter of days previously, which made it all the more entertaining to see how a sit-down test is done, 'ninja-style'. The amusing ways in which various candidates try to cheat, the reactions and behaviour during the gruelling task and the psychological rationale behind it all make for an experience that's way more enjoyable than a roomful of people sitting at desks ever ought to be.
An important addition that occurs during this later portion of the season is the re-introduction of a lot of characters who were only mentioned in passing earlier on, as well as plenty of new ones. My personal favourite new guy is Rock Lee: a lad who looks like a dork with his bowl-cut hairstyle and
Commander Amarao eyebrows but has skills that not even Sasuke's Sharingan can follow. Basically, Lee is the underdog who has reached the level he's at not through inherited abilities but hard work: you can't help but admire a guy like that.
Summary
I think I'll be staying with
Naruto, if only as far as the beginning of the notorious recap episodes. For all its flaws, this show is pure fun, with a healthy dose of humanity to keep things interesting. If nothing else, I want to see how the Orange Clad One fares during the physical part of the chunin exam - one thing that's for sure is that I miss the more dignified and fitting end theme of the earlier episodes. You readers ought to know by now that while I believe ninjas rule, I don't do cute!
[2 Comments]
[Anime Reviews]
02 Sep 2006
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.
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