Today we are getting into one of the longer running animes of our generation. This anime has technology, magic, and, best of all, ninjas. Naruto has it all and it is one of the best anime out there today. There are plenty of nay-sayers but the truth is that the anime is great. So great, in fact, that there is a large population of translators here in the US that change the weekly episodes and manga into English regularly as soon as they are released in Japan.
Naruto is awesomeness wrapped in greatness with a very good story and plenty of action and great sound. The voice acting, Japanese cast, is perfect and spot on every time. The English cast, localization is done by FUNimation is not as good and some of the translations don’t cross over well into English creating lots of annoying catch phrases, can you say “Believe It!” Most people have completely forgotten what the English cast even sounds like, preferring the great Japanese voices and subtitles. The anime also has great music. It fits with story elements perfectly conveying sadness and energy at appropriate times.
Story is great as well. Over the years Naruto has grown from an arrogant wannabe to one of the most powerful ninja’s of his day. He, and the other characters, show growth over the course of the anime, experiencing real loss, pain, and suffering that brings real emotion from viewers. Sakura, Sauske, Hinata, Neji, and the others lend their aide to Naruto in his ongoing quest to become Hokage, the leader of the ninja village in which they reside. In the beginning all the characters look down upon Naruto, but as he matures and learns what being Hokage really means, his peers come to rely on him as they do the Hokage. As the story progresses they along with Naruto have surprising roles.
As far as animation goes this is the standard all other anime must be measured by. Naruto is a perfect five out of five in this area. Naruto is clean all the time. Characters are distinct and hard to confuse with one another. It goes beyond just hair or eye color that is usually used to tell characters in large cast apart. The colors are vibrant but not painful and the pallet is well put together and brings the scenes to life perfectly. During action sequences we stay focused on characters mostly. There are no blurs or cut aways for special attacks we see moves as they connect and feel each blow.
Naruto is a great anime for people new to the genre and those that have been watching for years. It is one where the original Japanese cast shines and you will want to leave the subtitles on for. If you ever want to give someone an example of a cartoon that handles mature themes and does it in realistic ways seek out Naruto. It reminds you cartoons aren’t just for kids.
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