Summary
Narutois renowned for its character-driven narrative and dense lore. Naruto and the other core members of Team Seven — Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura — serve as initial vehicles to unravel an awe-inspiring world rich with unexpected connections. This journey starts in Konoha and the Land of Fire, gradually working its way out while quilting all of its areas into an unforgettable narrative.
It’s hard to nail down what it means to tell a “good story”. Anybody who has earnestly tried their hand at writing fiction knows that it’s much easier said than done.
Beyond that, every series creates different needs for itself with its setting and cast. ForNarutospecifically, one interview with creator Masashi Kishimoto gives vital insight into its success.
10 Ways Naruto Changed Anime Forever
Naruto is part of more than one generation of anime fans. Acclaimed and loved around the world, the 2002 series left a huge impact on the industry.
Kishimoto’s Secret For Naruto’s Success Is Remarkably Simple
Kishimoto Proudly Puts Characters Before All Else
Kishimotowas interviewed by Cinema Today in 2015, discussing cinema’s influence on his work, including his creative process. Kishimoto eloquently describes the way heapproaches storytelling throughout: he first focuses on “allowing [the readers/viewers] to understand the characters”, then builds out the story from there. This might seem straightforward, but there are a lot of ways to work characters into stories, so characterizing very aggressively to show one’s hand at the start of the story isn’t intuitive in practice.
Using staple characters Naruto and Sasuke as examples, Kishimoto elaborates. He gives a basic example with Sasuke, saying that if he decides Sasuke likes tea but not juice, then he can’t make Sasuke drink juice without changing the character. This analogy is then made more concrete when he starts to discuss Naruto. Naruto starts out young and inarticulate, so Kishimoto is careful about presenting him properly:
I also couldn’t have Naruto speak complicated words. [… I]t was ok if it was something he had experienced, but if he suddenly said something grown up about something where he had no experience, it would be a lie. I had decided the characters first, so that wouldn’t have worked honestly.
This honesty makesNaruto’s characters strong and easy to identify with,especially for its shōnen demographic. Kids latch on to good stories, but they latch on even more to good characters – especially ones with cool powers. It’s no wonder, then, thatNarutobattles play out on playgrounds and school notebook sketches worldwide.
Naruto’s Strength Is Its Simplicity
Kishimoto’s Creative Approach Gives Naruto Strong Foundations
Naruto’s strong characterization has been there from the beginning. At the start of the series, every character embodies a simple roster of core traits and behaviors.From the first arc, Naruto is a steadfast and headstrong person who places his ideals and goals above all. Sasuke is a character who is utterly devoted, but who isolates his devotion to a single thing at a time. Sakura also remains resolute, empathetic, and endearingly proud of her own abilities. Their bonds also remain, changing over time.Narutois different because it wears its characters on its sleeve from day one - the surprises emerge in their situations and growth.
Far from boxing characters in, that growth is what drives the series and makes it so dynamic. Following the death of Jiraiya inNaruto Shippuden, Naruto is utterly destroyed - viewers quickly realize this is the first time it’s ever happened. The traits he had beforehand then push him to grow even stronger and bounce back even from his greatest depths yet. By establishing a baseline,characters are able to respond, grow, and exhibit emotions in clever ways that only feel obvious because a subtle change feels so off.
Some argue this method has had hiccups, which is fair. However, for the most part, Kishimoto’s launch-day vision forNarutoremains consistent and appropriate. Looking atBoruto, that seems to be the case even after many years have passed in bothNaruto’s world and our own.
Naruto
Cast
Naruto is an action-adventure anime series based on the manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. The titular Naruto Uzumaki is a fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit sealed inside him, which once wreaked havoc on his village. Shunned by his community yet determined to earn their respect, Naruto dreams of becoming the greatest ninja, the Hokage. This series follows his journey through the Ninja Academy as he continues to train and grow, hoping to prove himself to his peers- and himself.
