Twelve year-old shinobi-in-training, Naruto Uzumaki, lives in the hidden ninja village of Konoha. Shortly after he was born, the powerful nine-tailed demon fox was sealed inside him and, as the host of this monster, Naruto has spent his life as the village outcast. The show follows him in the early stages of his career and the deadly foes that not only pose a threat to Konoha, but also to himself and the entire ninja world. The show is known for its vibrant cast of characters, each with their own unique storyline which eventually intertwines with Naruto's. One of Naruto's closest friends and fellow ninjas is Sasuke Uchiha, who also dreams of becoming Hokage but has a tragic past that he struggles to come to terms with. Another friend of Naruto is Sakura Haruno, who is a skilled ninja but also has a crush on Sasuke, which causes some tension between the group.

Naruto's characters are literally a key component to what makes the series so masterfully crafted. Spanning from the perfectly developed protagonist Naruto Uzumaki himself, to the spine-chilling and sadistic Gaara, I believe that I have adored every single character presented thus far. The author of the series has proven himself repeatedly to an audience of millions across the globe through his gifts for storytelling, but by far, the most fascinating and complex dimensions of his story are the dozens of relationships Naruto forms throughout the plot. I could make daylong lists quoting the methods this protagonist has utilized to affect each and every secondary character, singularly the series' antagonists. It is truly incredible how one man could format such an intriguing tale all on his own, and for such an accomplishment, I greatly admire him. Meanwhile, the remaining cast simply seem to fit into nice little labelled boxes. Here’s the cool one; and there’s the evil genius guy; oh, and don’t forget that funny one, you know, with the massive eyebrows and freaky hairdo. While this is entertaining and helps to establish each person’s role, this stereotyping inevitably limits the amount of creativity in their characters.Overall, Naruto is a thrilling and emotional journey that follows the growth of a young boy into a powerful and respected ninja. It is a show that has captivated audiences around the world, and remains a beloved classic in the world of anime. Naruto doesn’t boast any exceptional animation, though from a long-running series, I don’t anticipate much else. However, the fight scenes do demonstrate some respectable movement, helping the viewer to engage with the action. Like many other classics of its genre, Naruto follows a fairly basic recipe in regards to Shounen manga; a flawed, dim-witted adolescent boy with a heavy burden is destined to save and eventually change is world. Dragonball, Fullmetal Alchemist, Hunter X Hunter, Shaman King, One Piece... I could list perhaps a dozen well-known and respected Shounen series that have also relied strictly upon this concept in the past. Admittedly, I had been drawn away from the series for over three years for that exact reason. Nevertheless, even in all its original indifference, Naruto began to stand out somehow as it progressed. Something I could not quite comprehend surfaced eventually, and in no time, I found myself completely drawn into the world and the characters of Naruto. Still, it is very difficult to review the story in its entirety, simply because it consists primarily of foreshadowing, and the smallest detail occurring today may very well have an enormous influence in the future. Nonetheless, I consider it to be well crafted and more than acceptable for a coming-of-age tale. All in all, I believe it is the emotions Naruto contains that make series so addictive and engaging. As such, I have rated it accordingly. Naruto is a popular anime show that was aired on TV Tokyo for a period of five years, from 2002 to 2007. The series follows the journey of a young boy named Naruto Uzumaki, who dreams of becoming Hokage, the leader of his village of Konohagakure. However, he faces many obstacles along the way, including the rejection of his fellow villagers due to a dangerous fox spirit that dwells within him. It was all going so well until I was unceremoniously dumped into an eighty-five-episode run of filler – goodbye quality storytelling, hello mediocrity! The extraneous episodes add nothing to the plotline, and honestly I couldn’t give a flying shuriken about the hidden star village, or some rare beetle with an incredible sense of smell. Half a point goes to the ‘Curry of Life’ arc, which at least raises a smile, but the rest fail to make a lasting impression. While marginally better than the dismal turds of filler that Bleach foists upon its viewers, I would still rather repeatedly stab myself in the leg with a kunai than sit through this third of the series again.

Toshio Masuda delivers a first-rate score to accompany the visuals. Each piece ideally suits the tone of the scene and serves well to heighten the series’ comedy, tension and drama.

Naruto Shippuden (Dub)

Throughout the show, Naruto faces many challenges, both physical and emotional. He learns to harness the power of the fox spirit within him, overcoming the fear and rejection of his fellow villagers. He also grows stronger as a ninja, mastering various techniques and gaining the respect of his peers.

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. The main antagonist of the series is Orochimaru, a powerful ninja who seeks immortality and is responsible for many of the conflicts that Naruto and his comrades face. Over time, Naruto and his friends encounter many other deadly opponents who test their skills as ninjas and their bond as a team.The series’ character designs are acceptable, but standard. Each character displays an odd visual attribute to match the quirk of their personalities. Details such as Kiba’s emphasised canine teeth help to re-affirm that he comes from a clan that works with ninja dogs, while the ‘Inner Sakura’ provides ample humour throughout. Though these idiosyncrasies aren’t spectacularly inventive, the result is nonetheless effective. Author/artist Masashi Kishimoto was born in 1974 in rural Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Like many kids, he was first inspired to become a manga artist in elementary school when he read Dragon Ball. After spending time in art college, he won the Hop Step Award for new manga artists with his story Karakuri. After considering various genres for his next project, Kishimoto decided on a story steeped in traditional Japanese culture.