YOUR MANGA MINUTE SPECIAL: NARUTO, PART 1

[MattBrady]

Your Manga Minute Special:
Naruto Part 1
By Troy Brownfield

Naruto rules. Granted, there are a lot of ways to read that statement. You could say that Naruto rules in the bookstores, where that series has done champion numbers for VIZ Media. One could note that Naruto rules on TV, with increasing viewership of the anime series on Cartoon Network. And of course, you could say that it rules in the sense that it’s a fast-paced, action-packed, rather enjoyable manga series that in many ways is the spiritual heir of previous VIZ monolith Dragonball Z, only with the added complications and textures of the trials of adolescence, young love, and the fact that our hero is the home of a nine-tailed fox demon.

Nartuo comes to us from the talented Masashi Kishimoto, a 32-year-old artist and writer from Okayama Prefecture. (Interestingly, Kishimoto has a twin brother, Seishi; Seishi is himself a manga-ka who does 666 Satan. One wonders if Naruto’s duplicate technique was influenced in any way by the fact that his creator, in theory, has a genetic duplicate). Kishimoto began Naruto, only his second long-form work, in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999. Along the way, he’s drawn much praise, including the coveted Hop Step award and an American Quill Award (for Best Graphic Novel for volume 7) in 2006.

With such prodigious success, I believe that an examination of appeal is in order. In this first installment, we’ll take a look at some of the larger thematic issues inherent in the series thus far (the thirteenth manga volume to be released in English from VIZ arrives on Tuesday, March 6th) and at some of the characteristics that help make the series and its stars so popular.

The Dragonball Archetype

Though Kishimoto has noted Dragonball guru Akira Toriyama as a influence, his style and stories are not merely clones of Goku and the gang. In fact, much of what Kishimoto does centers more completely around the ideas of maturity and the complexity of growing up in a number of difficult circumstances. While it’s true that Toriyama began the trials of Goku with him as a young man, there is a multi-year gap between his original adventures as a youngster and his return as an adult parent. Even though we eventually see more of the maturation of Gohan, this is never the central element (though his training and ascension to greater power are a benchmark of the Cell saga). Naruto, on the other hand, puts most of those pieces front and center.

The true area of DB influence, then, would appear to be in the elaborate and lengthy battle scenes. Toriyama always excelled at the building of characters in and through action. Kishimoto does as well. His battle scenes are meant to evoke the mental and emotional struggles of the characters, forcing them to reflect on their weaknesses and insecurities in order to attain greater eventual victory.

A large emphasis is also placed on the idea of improvement through training. The ninja that populate the Naruto landscape, however, exist in a school-and-team hierarchy; our protagonists are literally learning as they go. While a teaching/training component does exist in DB, here its much more formal. In fact, it’s this setting that builds one of the series’ strongest appeals.

School Days

The school-and-training motif continues to be one of the most popular in various manga series. Really, in terms of international comics, that theme cuts across many borders, most obviously with X-Men. In the manga world, consider everything from Neon Genesis Evangelion to Psychic Academy and beyond. There’s a basic identification factor, particularly with the teen audience, when you set a series in their most familiar of environs.

Of course, the added attraction is that the characters are in training to be ninjas. In regular classes, you may learn how to diagram a sentence. In these, you learn how to breathe fire. Slightly more enjoyable, no? That selection of a readily acceptable environment and the subsequent twists offer many clever situations and story opportunities. Sure, there’s not a huge amount of “classroom time” (save for a couple of brilliant exam scenes), but it’s the overall motif that’s important.

Think about our collective favorite teen movies. Even the ones that don’t spend that much time at school are still shaped and informed by the relationships and structures that exist due to the confines of that building. Can’t Hardly Wait spends almost zero time at the school, but the interactions of the characters were shaped long ago by some type of predestination designed by the social gods. In The Breakfast Club, even though the characters are in a Saturday detention, they initially fall rigidly into the norms of their daily patterns and groupings.

That element is most obviously present in terms of the three-member teams. As our young heroes advance through the initial stages of their educations, they are placed in groups of three for ongoing training and missions. While Naruto and his teammates Sasuke and Sakura could readily be considered an “outcast” group, it doesn’t take much to see how other teams mirror other conventional teenage social structures. Choji is the “fat kid”, Ino is the social climber, and so on. Oh, and Kankuro, Temari and Gaara are obviously the neo-Goth kids.

Growing Pains

Similarly, many facets of the plot hinge upon the inborn complications of maturity. Naruto himself begins from an isolated place. He’s hyperactive, angry, and generally lacks understanding of the larger situation that has essentially made him an outcast from a young age. In many ways, he echoes the thematic eternal teenager that many of us feel inside of ourselves; he represents those facets of our personality that we wish others would understand. Part of the joy of the plot is in watching him grow to accept not only the truth about himself, but the fact that he needs to try to connect to others in a meaningful way beyond boastfulness and a burning desire to prove himself.

Simiarly, Sasuke comes from an embittered place. An attractive and talented young man, he nevertheless carries his own baggage and dangerous history. His initial dismissal of Naruto is totally in character with what such a teen might thing, and his path toward valuing Naruto as both teammate and friend is part of the arc of his own growth.

Sakura, for her part, must build over her preconceived notions and look beyond potentially shallow crushes. She has it bad for Sasuke, but that infatuation not only blinds her to others feelings, but actually makes her undervalue herself in certain ways. It’s a mark of her journey that she has to learn how to exist both independently and within the team. Of course, many of these emotional constructions are deal with in battle and on missions. The various characters often confront a personal demon to sometimes defeat a literal one. Several duels intersect with conflicts of conscience or personal reflection, and it is decisions made at these critical junctures that allow the characters to continue to grow.

Well, Fighting

But even with all the psychological aspects, Naruto contains plenty of action, and quite a few laughs. Let’s face it; the main character starts off as a braggart and a doofus, a guy who survives as much in the beginning by sheer luck as skill. Many elements can be wrung for laughs, whether its Rock Lee’s proper personality juxtaposed with his drunken fighting disciple or whether it’s a certain teacher’s apparent affinity for girlie mags.

Still, many audience members will be drawn in by the prospect of ninja combat. And on that score, Naruto is spectacular. Chakra-driven super-powers and physical disciplines combine in outrageous battles that sprawl for pages. Even as the characters develop, they are engaging in amazing, super-hero level feats of derring-do. Kishimoto paces these scenes brilliant, constructing an edge of suspense that is skillfully maintained throughout the many chapters.

Take together, these are just a few of the qualities that power this most popular of series. In the next installment, I’m going to break down the cast a bit and take a look at some of the leading lights and structures of Naruto’s world.

Check out www.VIZ.com for more on Naruto manga and anime.

[johnny.blaze]

Naruto is one of the all time best manga/anime. 'Nuf sed.

btw great article Troy!

[deathshead2]

I still don't see the appeal of this manga/anime.

[tiso_spencer]

Want to know why it is so damn popular?

Ninjas + DBZ = Naruto

[durkadurka]

YES! NARUTO!!!
Although, not worth watching on Cartoon Network. Download the Japanese with subtitles and save yourself a world of agony.

[johnny.blaze]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Still, many audience members will be drawn in by the prospect of ninja combat. And on that score, Naruto is spectacular. Chakra-driven super-powers and physical disciplines combine in outrageous battles that sprawl for pages. Even as the characters develop, they are engaging in amazing, super-hero level feats of derring-do. Kishimoto paces these scenes brilliant, constructing an edge of suspense that is skillfully maintained throughout the many chapters.

Take together, these are just a few of the qualities that power this most popular of series. In the next installment, I’m going to break down the cast a bit and take a look at some of the leading lights and structures of Naruto’s world.

Yup. I think this is perhaps one of the greatest all time anime fights:

[O.J. Flow]

...anything like that rock and/or roll I keep hearing about??

[HartyPotter]

Originally Posted by johnny.blaze

Yup. I think this is perhaps one of the greatest all time anime fights:

You're so totally right. That fight, the Sasuke v. Orochimaru fight during the Chuunin exams, and the last Naruto v. Sasuke fight are just amazing.

[durkadurka]

Originally Posted by HartyPotter

You're so totally right. That fight, the Sasuke v. Orochimaru fight during the Chuunin exams, and the last Naruto v. Sasuke fight are just amazing.

Rock Lee vs. Kimimaro was pretty badass as well. Hehe, he's a drunk.

[neodragzero]

Originally Posted by HartyPotter

You're so totally right. That fight, the Sasuke v. Orochimaru fight during the Chuunin exams, and the last Naruto v. Sasuke fight are just amazing.

Meh, I've seen better.

But seriously, I stopped being much of a Naruto fan after a certain point.

[Jack Burton]

Kakashi rules. That is all.

[HartyPotter]

Sasuke v. Orochimaru

[mugiwara]

I'm a big manga fan and I tried to like Naruto but I had to drop the title, despite the good art and great battles. I hate characters, especially Sasuke and Gaara: "booo, I'm dark, I'm angry, I'm boring!"
The only one I liked is Rock Lee but since he doesn't appear so often...
In the shonen action category, One Piece or Hunter X Hunter are far better.

[Kenro]

Originally Posted by johnny.blaze

Yup. I think this is perhaps one of the greatest all time anime fights:

Good but not great. Not on the level as Kenshiro vs. Raoh (the final one), Son Gohan vs. Cell, Kenshin vs. Saitoh, Yusuke vs. Togoro. I think the final Naruto and Sasuke battle will be up there on that level. I'm hoping it will be.

[Uchiha_Prodigy]

Its a shounen series, its not going to appeal to everyone. You either love it or hate it. While I agree its popular with this generation of kids, I still think Spiderman is more popular, due to the movies.

[Floodnado]

I can't stand Naruto myself as it's essentially all the worst parts of Dragonball Z (overly long fights, lots of chracters but only a few doing anything, lots of filler) x10. It's a shame that horrible stuff like this and Inuyasha gets massively popular over here while Gundam (REAL Gundam) gets ignored.

There's nothing to it. The plot is dumb, most of the characters are incredibly annoying (the only one I saw who wasn't was Shikamaru), the fights aren't all that great and they'll stay on one fight/story forever. And I'm surprised that female fans aren't particularly insulted that the female characters exist to do little more than act like cheerleaders for whatever male character they like.

All the series has going for it is that some of the character designs are alright as aside from that, it's basically a guide showing you how to use every negative shounen cliche.

[The 'Nam]

When I first started dabbling in manga, a little over a year ago, I tried this out and I hated it. Couldn't even finish the first volume - it was a bit hard to follow, and I disliked the characters a lot. Which is a shame, because like you said, the 'school' basis is very appealing, and ninjas are cool, so I thought I would really enjoy it.

Now, I buy manga all the time, and I went back and reread the whole first volume, and I still don't have a clue what's so good about it. I still think I would really enjoy it, but I can't get into it. My faovirte manga are Monster, Death Note, Azumanga Daioh, Pantheon High, Drifting Classroom, Mail, and Kurosagi Corpse Dellivery Service - pretty varied stuff, and all I would recommend to people who can't seem to get into Naruto. It's a bit baffling, to be honest.

But this article was an interesting look at the series, and makes me wanna give the second volume a shot. Maybe now I'll be able to look at it in a new way.

[SuperturboZ]

And I'm surprised that female fans aren't particularly insulted that the female characters exist to do little more than act like cheerleaders for whatever male character they like

Sakura takes a more active role later. She gets specialized training during the 2 1/2 year gap and powers up quite a bit.

One thing I like about Naruto is while you have your main cast they do rotate characters in and out so it's not just Naruto, sakura and Sasuke. But even that team goes through some changes later.

Even Garra goes through some changes later in the series. While he's still kind of dark he's not 100% emo boy like he used to be.

These characters grow and die, unlike a certain Xteam.

[CodeGuy]

Originally Posted by deathshead2

I still don't see the appeal of this manga/anime.

The kid nobody believes in perseveres until he's not only a champion, but an inspiration to others. That's certainly not a theme for everyone, but it's a strong part of the show and some people enjoy it.

All the criticisms are correct. Certain story elements drag along, characters can be annoying, and things get a bit dopey sometimes. But doing those things allows for the parts that other people love. So it's built on trade offs and it's natural that some love it and some hate it.

[jtci88]

Originally Posted by tiso_spencer

Want to know why it is so damn popular?

Ninjas + DBZ = Naruto

Actually it's more like:

Ninjas + DB humor + DBZ action + character development = Naruto

[mopocalypse]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

You could say that it rules in the sense that it’s a fast-paced, action-packed, rather enjoyable manga series that in many ways is the spiritual heir of previous VIZ monolith Dragonball Z, only with the added complications and textures of the trials of adolescence, young love, and the fact that our hero is the home of a nine-tailed fox demon.

Couldn't agree more

[olympichero]

Naruto is the $hit. I don't mess with the American version though. It's strictly Japanese for me.

[Scavenger]

As Troy said, Sakura's story is about growning up, looking beyond the cute boy she has a crush on and seeing there's more to people then looks. One of my favorite parts in the Part 1 series is her realization that while she's been sitting on the sidelines cheering Sasuke, both he and especialy Naruto have far out paced her, and she becomes determined to change that. And Hinata's character arc durring the exams is one of the strongest, both, as she grows, but also shows how Naruto has gone from being the town reject to someone who inspires others to better themselves. Ino hasn't done much, but then her role is more as Sakura's friend/rival.

I actually find the weakest part of the series the fights. They're well done, but they tend to go on just too long and get in the way of a lot of great character stuff (but the fights are what pays the bills)

[LunarDaydreamer]

Sometimes, even with a the hype - a series comes along which is utterly worth it.

Naruto is a fabulous series. 'The Bridge' arc in itself, which is 9 or so parts I think, is just *stunning*. Brilliant characterisation, wonderful storytelling and i've been loving it.

Kudos for the wonderful boxed sets from Viz, which are fabulously designed and come with all manner of fabulous goodies.

[RockLeefan]

As my name suggests, this is one of my all-time favourite series. period. I have yet to sample the mangas, but judging on the quality of the anime fillers, it must be great. I think Naruto has a lot of parallels with the X-men in the sense both feature teenagers that have amazing powers. In Naruto it's a ninja skill, in X-men it's a mutation. Sometimes i wish the X-men title's could be as inventive with special powers and their uses as in Naruto.
And yes, the Sasuke Naruto battle was awesome. And Rocklee shedding his weights against Gaara was priceless.