72 Views of Konoha: A Naruto Retrospective (Part 1)

“The final chapter… I’ll call it: Frog at the bottom of the well drifts off into the great ocean. Just barely glorious… But glorious indeed. Now I suppose it’s about time I put down my pen.”

When I think about this quote, a well of emotions begins to burst forth from my memory. I remember the day that I first read it, the emotions I felt, and the impact it had very clearly. I remember the thoughts that swirled around in my head as I laid on my bed, processing the events that took place. Sure it’s a fictional story filled with fictional characters, but at the time the emotions were all too real. These were characters I had been growing up with for years by that point. Their stories were like those of a close friend. I cared about what happened to them and couldn’t wait to catch up each week. So when the unthinkable happened, it just hit me like a ton of bricks.

I clearly wasn’t the only one to connect with Naruto. To this day it’s easy to find old and new fans alike reacting to, ranting about, and discussing their feelings on Naruto. It’s become one of anime and manga’s most iconic series, impacting the lives of fans across the globe in many different ways.

It’s because of that impact on my life that I have always wanted to do something to show my appreciation for Masashi Kishimoto’s work. Naruto helped bring me into the world of manga and anime and dominated my early experiences with the fandom. It was a gateway that lead me to the fandom that I love so much today, and the fandom that has shaped my life in so many different ways. That leads us to this new project, 72 Views of Konoha, where I will be taking a look at Naruto and all of its triumphs, as well as its shortcomings. Although Naruto wasn’t always able to live up to itself during its 72 volume run, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy my time spent with the series. For every low point in the series there were plenty of highs to look back on and appreciate. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it has had an important enough impact on my life that it deserves to be praised for what it is.

First View

I think first volumes are incredibly important to a manga’s structure and success. They are like previews for the series to be, showing the reader everything the mangaka has going for them. An interesting introduction will leave the reader engaged and excited for what’s to come. The artwork of those first hundred or so pages will set expectations. The writing will set the pace, tone and form for the story. That one tankōbon can literally make or break the series.

This idea of the first volume being just as important as any one arc or ending to a series is why I think I am so harsh when I discuss them. It’s not that the series is doomed if the first volume fails to impress, plenty of manga series have improved in a multitude of ways throughout their runs (look at the artwork in the early chapters of Attack on Titan for instance), but more often than not the series that really impress and stick with me are able to do so from the start. When I look at something like Oyasumi Punpun, Vagabond, or Witch Hat Atelier, they captivated me from chapter one, only building upon those incredible first chapters as the series continued. So for a manga to really blow me away, it needs to do so from the start.

With that said, Naruto’s first volume is a bit of a bumpy ride. But it ultimately does a great job introducing the series and its strongest elements, so its not all bad. Framing the series introduction around Naruto and his struggles does the series wonders in its early chapters. It’s easy to see the series as nothing but super-powered ninja’s battling it out in typical shonen style, but underlying all of the action is a story about struggle and growth. And unlike many of the shonen series that came before and after, it goes beyond simply having the main character fight progressively stronger foes to portray that message.

From it’s opening pages it’s clear that Naruto is both alone and outcast. The opening panels depicting Naruto as a delinquent who frequently causes trouble and is unwilling to take his studies seriously is immediately contrasted with the scorn he receives from the onlooking villagers and his teacher. It’s clear that Naruto feels alone and is only acting out as a form of gaining attention, especially once the commotion is settled and everyone returns to avoiding giving him much regard.

“It’s not like there’s anyone waiting at home for me.”

Naruto, Chapter 1 pg. 15

Naruto’s loneliness is baked into his character, creating a conflict easily sympathized with by many of its young readers. Whether you have had troubles making friends, had a lonely homelife, or couldn’t gain acknowledgement and respect from others, it’s a common struggle for young people to have. By tapping into such a broad experience, it allows the reader to tap into Naruto’s story and see a bit of themselves in it. So with every step further Naruto takes in his development, it’s almost feels like you are growing along side of him.

One of Naruto’s biggest strength’s in tackling this theme is how it avoids coming off overly rosy, balancing the tone with progress and trouble. It doesn’t stick to one note, with Naruto boldly declaring how he will one day be the best and earn everyone’s respect. It grounds Naruto by showing both sides to his struggle, the great days where he feels on the top of the world as well as the days he is alone with no one’s shoulder to lean on. It’s easy for shonen stories to get caught up in their own ideals, having characters consistently overcoming their troubles and rarely stumbling backwards. This idea of constantly moving forward is kind of baked into many shonen stories, with yesterday’s opponent acting as a building block for today’s growth. Naruto makes it clear though that sometimes these struggles are not so easily overcome, and simply trying ones best and overcoming that obstacle one day does not guarantee it will not make itself present again in the future. Despite that Naruto keeps moving forward and developing not only in his training as a ninja but also in his relationships with others. Despite his loneliness and ineptitude, he constantly picks himself up.

“I’m going to surpass every one who came before me!”

Naruto, Chapter 1 pg. 17

By the end of chapter one he finally earns the respect of someone else, making Iruka sensei his first real connection and setting up one of the main themes and structures for character development moving forward. Depicting that struggle of trying, moving forward, failing, and carrying on beyond that failure is the backbone to Naruto’s storytelling, and it’s what makes Naruto so special.

Where chapter one excels as an introduction to the series, chapters two and three really drop the ball in continuing that momentum. Where chapter one showed serious progression for Naruto’s character as we see him finally complete his genin test and become a ninja, chapter two fails to capitalize on that fact by progressing the plot in a meaningful way. The following chapters really should have continued with Naruto’s story of becoming a full fledged ninja, but instead it stalls out with chapters that ultimately feel inconsequential.

Chapter 2 follows Naruto shortly after becoming a full fledged ninja. It’s mostly centered around Konohamaru, a kid who somewhat looks up to Naruto and also wishes to one day become Hokage. In his chapter we also learn of the demon fox sealed within Naruto, giving context as to why Naruto has been shunned his entire life. Nothing really happens though, and the reader is left with no more information as to where the series is going than when they finished the previous chapter. What’s more, it is also lacking in anything to keep the reader engaged with the story. It’s set up as a gag chapter but it uses the same “sexy jutsu” gag used in chapter one as its punchline, rendering it moot. Even if you try and dig into the thematic significance of the chapter, you’ll only find a half baked “it takes a lot of hard work and commitment to reach ones goals”. It’s a theme explored in most shonen stories, from action-adventure series to sports. The “training arc” is the very embodiment of this idea. With that in mind, it’s not surprising to see it show up in a manga like Naruto.

Spending the entire second chapter doing nothing in order to deliver this message was a mistake though. As mentioned earlier, it’s a theme that shows up a lot in shonen, with “training” and “exam” arcs becoming so popular they appear in almost every mainstream series. Even series that forgo including dedicated arcs can explore the idea by showcasing characters training or practicing during the regular progression of the stories. In fact, Kishimoto will later do just that in volume three. There really is no escaping this theme in a series like Naruto, so it feels completely unnecessary to beat the reader over the head with it so early and delaying the series from progressing where it needs to in these early chapters.

Chapter three continues to derail the momentum of the story, featuring a short gag chapter focusing on the relationship between the three members of the new cell seven. Again, the purpose of this chapter was to introduce something that could have naturally been explored in the story.

For comparison, let’s look at another popular action shounen series that I think has an incredible first volume: My Hero Academia. In that series, the momentum of its spectacular first chapter is carried on by progressing the plot while it explores each of the themes the series wishes to tackle. Its first chapter focuses on “what makes a hero”, showcasing that its not all about having the most powerful ability but about having the heart and courage to step into danger when others need help. It ends with the main character Izuku Midoriya inspiring the world’s greatest hero All Might through his courageous spirit and being chosen to inherit his power (despite being powerless himself). Chapter two continues the story by having Midoriya train his body in order to receive All Might’s power, exploring the theme of “hard work is needed to reach ones goals” that I mentioned is often explored in shounen. Chapter three continues to explore the themes of the past two chapters by following Midoriya as he takes the entrance exam to a hero training school. Seeing him use his newly attained powers, and ultimately making a huge sacrifice by saving someone from a dangerous situation and putting his entrance exam in jeopardy makes it clear what My Hero Academia is going to be about.

Though both series use their opening chapters to explore the main messages the series will explore, My Hero Academia is able to keep the momentum of the story going whereas Naruto stumbles. Each chapter of My Hero Academia’s opening is exciting as you watch the beginning of Midoriya’s growth and begin to see what the series will have in store, from Midoriya’s inspiring spirit to the awesome action shots the series will be known for. Naruto really doesn’t start getting rolling until chapter four. Despite these hiccups in the start, Naruto is able to finish strong in its first volume as the rest of the chapters start to really explore all of the series best features.

Chapter four begins with the team meeting Kakashi sensei for the first time, and serves as the first time we get to see the whole group together. Though we already met Sasuke and Sakura in chapter three, it’s this chapter where we really get a feel of the characters. Whereas Naruto strives for greatness, to best everyone else in the village and achieve the title of Hokage, Sasuke’s only goal is to one day kill his target. His edgy temperament clashes with Naruto’s loud and rambunctious energy, pretty clearly signaling their rivalry to come. Sakura’s introduction is kinda useless in figuring out what she is actually about, which isn’t far off how her role will play out in the group. One of the most common complaints about Kishimoto’s writing is the lack of depth in his female characters, and it is pretty evident from early on. For the most part, Sakura’s entire personality will revolve around being in love with Sasuke for these early chapters.

I like this chapter because it does what chapter two ought to have done. It sets the stage for what’s next, since at this point we still don’t really know what Naruto is even supposed to be about. Chapter one ends with Naruto graduating from the ninja academy, but after that we don’t know what to expect. Chapter four gives us a bit of structure to the story, as now we know that the three new ninja will be fighting as a team completing missions with their new instructor, Kakashi, and their first mission will be a test against their very own instructor. The characters are given a goal in capturing a bell from Kakashi during the exercise, and a consequence in being sent back to the academy if they fail. It’s here that Naruto really starts to pull you in.

My favorite part of this chapter occurs during the last few pages. Being an action series, the flow of the action is quite important. If it’s too chaotic, the action becomes too illegible and won’t make much sense to the reader. You don’t want to make it too “clean” either though. Weight, speed and impact are hard to convey if all you show are clean, perfect shots of the characters and their actions. The final moments of chapter four give us a sneak peak as to what to expect in the coming chapters in terms of action. The panels are well laid out and easy to read, so you know which actions are being performed by which characters and when. The use of lines to blur the images are a pretty common way on conveying speed in manga, and it’s used here to great effect. Everything looks fast and kinetic, with characters moving in a blink of an eye. The paneling also helps the reader understand the difference between the students and teacher, with Naruto’s actions being spread out among various panels, with Kakashi’s only appearing in two. Before Naruto even knew it, Kakashi had gotten behind and completely countered his attack. The number of panels given to a characters actions is a clever way of conveying speed in this instance, and it does a great job of showing the gap in skill between Kakashi and his students.

The later half of volume one consists of the survival exercise, with Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke each taking on Kakashi to take a bell. Each of the “fights” (if you can call Sakura’s confrontation with Kakashi a fight) serves to showcase a different ninja technique. It’s refreshing when a series explores backstory or explains unique concepts of the story in such a natural way. Instead of just having Kakashi “teach” the group about the three techniques in an exposition dump, the reader gets to see each of them in action. How they work, the types of things that can be done, and their uses are all covered in these three chapters. Kakashi’s taijutsu is unmatched, as he is able to not only beat both Sasuke and Naruto in one-on-one fights but bests Naruto’s clone team attacks and Sasuke’s ambush. His genjustsu showcases how an illusion can attack someone’s psyche, rendering Sakura hopeless as she panics at the image of a dying Sasuke. Sasuke’s fireball jutsu surprises Kakashi at first as it is an advanced technique he did not think someone at Sasuke’s level would be able to accomplish, but all it takes is his own earth-style ninjutsu to completely catch Sasuke off-guard and incapacitate him. After it’s all said and done, we now know that in Naruto they can not only clone and disguise themselves, but the range of techniques available to ninja in this world range from controlling the elements to attacks on the mind. And we learn all of this while during exciting action sequences instead of just reading someone’s explain it.

Another thing I love about these chapters is the action. Though each bout is quite short, they each feature plenty of great set-piece moments to admire. Not only that, they are incredibly easy to read, even during the most hectic and all-out moments. The movements are easy to follow and show a great amount of thought behind them. It’s often the case that when a series wants to depict speed they do so by having the characters appear in different positions or doing different actions from panel to panel, simulating the effect of the characters moving too fast to track. What gets lost though is a sense of what the characters are actually doing and a sense of choreography. Kishimoto makes sure that each punch and kick is not only shown, but the movements between are also shown to give the reader a better sense of the action. The end result are action sequences that are incredibly fun to read, despite their relatively low stakes.

The first volume ends with a Kakashi’s declaration that the three ninja hopefuls of cell seven should just quit while they’re ahead. It is supposed to act as a kind of cliffhanger, though it kind of falls flat considering this is volume one of a battle shounen. What battle shounen is going to introduce its main characters only to write them off in the first volume? It’s pretty clear from what the overarching theme of defying expectations found in the first volume that Naruto isn’t going to throw in the towel just because they told him to.

Despite its failure to create any sort of tension leading into the next volume, the ending does at least set up the following volume in an interesting way. Met with this reality of their teacher beleiving they are not cut out to be ninja, how will the three of them respond? Will they settle their differences? Will Sakura do something useful to help the team? (We can at least dream of a scenerio where this was the case).

Overall, Naruto volume 1 does a lot right to set series expectations for whats to come. It introduces the major “mechanics” of the series, the series themes and its overall tone all while providing some fun action to keep things interesting. Chapters 2 and 3 really bog down the opening, but the volume is able to regain its footing with the chapters that follow it. If this were a new series coming out today I could see myself rating it around the same area as something like Jujutsu Kaisen: nothing spectacular but signs of promise. Pretty much from here on out though Naruto will only get better and better as the series progresses, until we reach the deeper parts of its run where things begin to slide into mediocrity. Until then, I look forward to enjoying the ride and diving into some of the most iconic moments to be published in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump.