If you're an anime fan and have access to the internet or society in general, it's clear that one of the most popular anime series around is currently Naruto. By no means is it the only ninja-based series out there, so what sets it apart from the others so dramatically?
Now before the flamers start getting their fingers warmed up, let's begin with the criticism that I hear all the time.
"REAL ninjas don't wear orange and yell out their attacks or jump around yelling 'believe it'".
This is the complaint that bugs me the most, mostly because of the lack of thought behind it.
It's blatantly obvious that Naruto is NOT, in fact, based off real ninja. It's creativity that creates a truly successful story. Besides the little that's known about true, historic ninja, Naruto breaks the mold of the typical ninja stereotype; so yes they wear bright colors, yes they live peacefully in hidden villages, yes they can use chakra. Who's to say that someone's imagination is wrong?
It's only natural that a story's success can be largely attributed to the characters in it. Yes, there's a lot of fun made of them, especially the ever-angsty Sasuke. But let's take a moment to look past that.
There are such a wide variety of characters due to their sheer numbers. But numbers hardly count for anything if there isn't some personality to back them up. Each character in Naruto has a very unique disposition and helps balance the others out. At first glance people may disagree, but taking into account the situations that the characters live and develop through their reactions, you'll find this to be true. I believe that just about everyone can find a little of themselves in any of the characters, from Kakashi's exaggerated laid-back personality to Hinata's overwhelming shyness. There is a point at which people can take it too far and actually try to adapt the entire personality of the character they relate with, but finding a character to relate to alone isn't a negative thing. It's in human nature to look for things to connect with, because knowing that problems are shared and having a feeling of companionship is fulfilling.
The themes that can be found in Naruto are fairly obvious, but worth mentioning. Throughout the series, there is no shortage of the the ideas of friendship, teamwork, and overcoming challenges. Put into this context, it may seem oversimplified, even juvenile, but as well as being positive themes, they're also shared in countless other series, movies, and novels. What I admire about this series is the many different perspectives. If you look at a typical action hero movie, there's a hero, his sidekick, and a villain. It follows the typical structure of following the hero through his trials, overcoming them, and emerging the victor, usually with a lesson or two in mind. But the sidekick is rather left in the dust. It seems like their only role is a supporting one, and while there's nothing wrong with that, Naruto takes a slightly different approach. All the main characters in Naruto have their own challenges to face, and each one is treated individually; it's not exclusively a story about Naruto, it's about the village as a whole, his comrades, and the relationships between them.
It's my belief that even if you don't necessarily agree with an idea, it's important to at least try and understand it before throwing out criticism. I will say that I'm not, in particular, a fan of Naruto, but I still stand behind my belief that it is a creative and well-developed series. So please keep in mind, before trying to discredit any series, that there can be good attributes to it, even if they may not agree with your personal opinion. We all share a common love of Japanese animation, but if we each didn't have our own ideas we'd be one rather dull mass.
