It's so hard to even enjoy Naruto anymore it's not even funny. To me, it's not even the ship war that I care about right now. More so the fact that the executives behind it are bleeding it right now and how the fan base honestly does not care at all. 'Killing' off Naruto is a cheap shot to just about every single fan of the series. We have followed it for over a decade yet the only thing the fanbase is interested in is "OH MY GOD BORUTO HAS A BYAKUGAN." Or Hinata's knockers (Ironic humor i hope.)

When the new manga released there was such a miniscule amount of attention towards Naruto's death apart from the tabloid youtuber kitten that gets posted daily then swept under the rug. Nobody really cared. In the end, not even the journey matters anymore.

Where is the supposed peace that Naruto set out to create? The Shinobi Villages are united. Better toss in space aliens for good measure. kitten on the series some more.

Nuke Konoha for the N'th time. Nobody cares.

Now there's even talk of Boruto surpassing Naruto completely with these contrived plot tattoo powers out of absolutely nowhere. The Mitsuki one shot is a complete downplay of Naruto, Hashirama, and Jiraya's sage mode training which technically took years of training but a random kid can burst into sage flames in the course of one chapter. Guess one of the high points of the series doesn't matter anymore.

All the Boruto Manga is doing, is demonstrating just how futile the original series was. What is the point of Naruto becoming hokage, learning the rasengan, sage mode, defeating Kurama, getting deus ex machina sage powers, and beating Sasuke since Ikemoto killed off Naruto.

Since Boruto has the canon label now there is this lingering shadow over the entire franchise that essentially screams 'pointless!' It doesn't even have the artistic qualities of a story such as Sweeney Todd. There is no tragic ending. Only a kitten beginning and a view of what's to come. There is no good to come of it due to the entire concept of a sequel has to be so contrived and deliberate in order to work in the Naruto Franchise. Instead going with it's strengths (The focus on the side characters in arcs such as the Chunnin Exams and World-lore) it plays on it's weaknesses. (Bad Guys, Power Creep, Ships)

I and many others probably would have preferred it if there were no sequel in the first place. But that's obviously not going to happen. I'd have preferred if the Hiden Novels were a new manga if anything. Show us the world after the war. The rebuilding efforts and so on. Anything but contrived kitten for shock value. It plays on the franchise's strengths rather than blowing away everything that was built up.

It's sickening how Naruto the original series is going to be overshadowed by Boruto simply due to it being a cash cow sequel. I used to enjoy simply reading a random chapter, or watching a random episode. But there is the constant lingering whisper that everything that I'm watching or reading is a complete waste of my time since in actuality, it doesn't matter any more. And the sad thing is, the new manga is just an overhyped fan fiction. It tosses away the core of the series just to get cash. There is no quality behind it. If it was, than it wouldn't be in recap hell right now. It shows that it's been written into a complete corner and whoever the hell actually is writing it has no idea what he or she is doing which begs the question What the hell is the actual point of this?

Is it really so freaking difficult to just end it? Instead of spoon feeding contrived kitten why not give some kind of closure? An open ended ending maybe? Is the story of a 'kid trying to get out of his father's shadow' cliche really good sequel bait when all it is, is a pity fest? Boruto has no redeeming qualities and it shouldn't. It lacks heart and substance which Naruto undeniably had. (Even if it lost it somewhere along the way.) If you take away the shipping lens every character was unique and likeable. Sakura attempting to better herself throughout the series, Hinata attempting to become a strong leader. It's all downplayed due to the ending+ continuation. That heart was there. But it's being so overshadowed by Boruto that even now the original series has lost it's luster because in the end,

Absolutely none of the developments made over the course of the series matter since all of the characters we liked are now considered dead, or glorified side characters.

And that REALLY sucks.

Yeah Kishi's art definitely still gave off a familiar vibe considering how it wasn't part of a contrived movie marred by some kind of meddling, executive or otherwise.

While I don't enjoy the general aesthetics of the entire design. I still see Naruto behind it.

Contrast it with his Boruto Manga redesign.

He's just generic. The palette swap does work in his favor. But he seriously looks like he's still in Shippuden height-wise. The main issue I see rising up is that Naruto is simply a character not designed to look like an adult. is appearance is too unique in the sense that no matter who designs him as an adult. He just doesn't look "right" to the viewer. The whiskers, spiky hair, etc. It just doesn't translate well leading to the toned down and odd look. Factoring in the random design change. I seriously have no idea what the heck the intention of the design is. If it doesn't work and is never going to, why keep trying?

Yeah I feel a bit nit-picky about some things but one of the primary appealing features for the series was the art style. It didn't try to be crazy groundbreaking or anything. But it still looked good. Every character was unique in his/her own way until late in the series. (Mainly Obito being a complete palette swap of Naruto. Some of the kids too.) 

And on the headband for the head scaling? Absolutely believe that. When i used to fiddle around in class and such to pass the time, I'd always draw using the headband to give myself an idea of what goes where. 

It just feels like design-wise a lot could have been done better in the epilogue chapters.

Sometimes I wonder if this was the real future Naruto that Kishi was shooting for:

 

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

I really liked this design. It didn't give off that whole exaggerated Minato look that some fan-art gives off or the completely OOC looking designs that we got in canon. The last was awful in that regard. It keeps Naruto recognizable yet matures him to the point where he seems "different" in a way. Its a perfect middle ground.

Hair wise its no big deal. It's probably due to the gigantic headband which makes Naruto's face look awful. The jacket just is tacky and off. Makes him look like some kind of dictator. At least he's smiling. But in general the only theme that is kept is orange and black. It's not awful, but its not something I particularly like. Honestly A LOT better than his hokage design. 

His hokage design from the movie just seems too plain and bland. It borrows from Minato with the cloak but whereas in Minato's case it worked, it really doesn't fit here. The white on top of orange is a bad combination and the quasi-future jacket is tacky. Face-wise it just seems like it's trying too hard to make Naruto seem old and shape-wise it seems too masculine for his features. In action he just does not look right at all.

EIther due to fault of SP or otherwise, As an adult, the design just is off and drab. It doesn't scream Naruto at all. Mostly due to it being a cop out for Kishi to self insert to make a point at the cost of the story. It's too mature for a character who is everything but mature. Throughout the series it's been really established that Naruto is not one to follow orders, one who enjoys legal jargon, and looking down upon people like so. This on the shows a world weary old man who would rather sit and do office work than make a difference.

Its unappealing to those who actually liked Naruto's character and/or personality. It's really depressing to me as I followed the story and in the end I can't even enjoy the character I liked throughout the series anymore.

The same goes for just about any character now. Sasuke is completely defeated and stone-faced. Sakura just seems to be running around like a robot. And any development Hinata did have is tossed away in favor of her just sitting around knitting scarves and being a house wife.

Any magic the series had left vanished with all of this new generation BS that everyone is spewing on about being the next best thing when it's absolutely awful to those who enjoyed the original series.

Space aliens and destroying the moon are one thing I really did not expect from this series almost a decade ago. along for the corny romance of the last. Instead of trying to be at least somewhat unique. It just completely fell apart to a DBZ power level disaster. 

The entire overcoming hatred theme the series tried to go with was so overly contrived and forced that it needed a deus ex machina plot device to actually say something about it. And with that it annihilated just about every other alternate theme the story tried to build up. It lost all of it's natural progression in an effort to get DBZ level big. Which really was not necessary what-so-ever.

Now it's only backbone is backstabbing other ships and a next generation series nobody cares for. It's tragic really. Naruto could have been something great. But shoddy writing and rushed decisions caused it to fall apart.

EDIT: Okay I seriously did not realize how long this was. Sorry about that. But I really wanted to get this off my chest!

Wow, I seriously thought I was the only one who just felt like the ending was off. And this is coming off of someone who really didn't care about the whole ship debate until the very end. In all honesty, I just expected Naruto in the end to go it alone ship-wise instead of this giant disaster that we have right now. And having browsed around here for a bit, all I can really say is:

Holy kitten, I knew it!

Around the time the series was ending I was trying my hardest to avoid spoilers because I'd rather have seen the ending in the anime. A goal which I lost long ago This was all because of a random untagged spoiler on the Naruto Forums. Going on about how Naruto and Sasuke both blew up each other's arms. So I dropped the anime and read the last chapters and was absolutely revolted by the contrived drivel that led to it. Sasuke's Bipolar attitudes towards everything in particular. I was all for his entire revolution plot if it were actually somewhat planned out instead of the straight out of left field: "Oh hey, I'm going to be hokage." Then the addition of Hagoromo destroying just about everything that the series tried to build up in part 1. Because Kishimoto couldn't make his up mind about anything in the series and instead opted to just take an easy route out due to writers fatigue. It's shoddy writing but it's not the cherry on top.

Instead, whether through executive meddling or otherwise. We got a jumble of cheap fanservice mixed in with character assassination on all fronts. That is the absolute insult that so many fans choose to ignore whether through ships or otherwise. Where to even begin? Massive essay incoming

Lets start with the titular character, Naruto. Because you know, the protagonist? The character we are supposed to like and understand? Gone. An empty husk like the series is right now. Tossed aside like an old toy because the newer cooler model is out now! He is like an old worn out toy that is seriously a joke at the end of the series. He is never there for his son. Because the plot demands so in order to create melodrama about how awful he is. He is never there for his children, always busy, so on and so forth. And the main excuse for it? "Lol people change" according to just about every ending supporter. I'm sorry, What? People just do a 180 degree flip because they get older? He loses any form of empathy he expressed through the entire series just because he needed to get out of the spotlight in order to bring in a new cash cow for the series to fester on. I sure as hell hope I don't ever do that. And I'm pretty sure nobody just gives up on all of his/her personality as soon as they hit 18 because of romance. It's just wrong on all fronts and completely unnecessary for the series. if it were developed effectively. (And it sure as hell was not.) I could maybe, just maybe get behind the idea of the cop out that happened right here. Yet there was absolutely no telegraphing at all. Leading to this point where we are right now. 

I think what made me realize it was partly because, if you really look back and think about it, Hinata always supported and acknowledged Naruto, even before Master Iruka. She had the ability to see beyond his reputation and see the true person inside. I think I started realizing that they were meant to be.

I grew up watching a character who literally said he would "never give up" yet in the Last, since he got rejected by Hinata (And don't give me the whole Toneri crap. It's irrelevant to the point whatsoever.) He gives up on everything and is perfectly willing to let the world burn. OUT OF CHARACTER. For the sake of romance. Anyone remember the entire spiel with Obito? The world will/won't end? Huh. Guess that doesn't matter does it? But so long as it makes money, who cares? Surprisingly, a lot of people as evidenced on this forum. Respect to you guys.

http://honyakusha-er...om-cinema-today

Q: Before now, you have had experience with supervision and story in movie production.

Kishimoto: With Road To Ninja –Naruto the Movie– I dealt with the composition, and in The Last –Naruto the Movie– I did the character designs and was chief story supervisor. However, this is the first time that I’ve completely written everything from the start, including the lines.

http://www.saiyanisl...narutos-finale/

Q: You will turn 40 years old on Nov. 8. How do you feel about that?

Kishimoto: I remain a child in terms of mentality. Nothing has changed from age 25, when the series started. I just worked at the desk to create high-quality, interesting manga, and 15 years passed before I knew it.

Furthermore, Lets time skip 20 years because this is exactly what the series needed. A fresh start, new technology, ugly character designs, fanservice characters through the roof, pop pairings (because they are the only thing keeping the series afloat.) Oh, and here's Naruto dead, and have his bratty son who nobody cares about because money.

Lets just start this from the top. Boruto is absolutely not a fresh start to the series. All it is, is a fresh coat of paint. Peace? Nope, here's Konoha destroyed for the N'th time. Yaay. Oh and here are more aliens from a movie that is barely canon. As well as showing off how cool and overpowered the old characters look now because we need to make sure we have as many links as possible to hook in old fans. Some fresh start.

The entire concept of futuristic Konoha is just bizzare and contrived too. It simply doesn't fit with the entire ninja storyline. And the whole non-sense with Kawaki going on about the era of ninja is over really just sits wrong with me as a reader. A change in setting is fine. But an upheaval of the ground below us is not a sign of quality. It's a sign of desperation. It's contrived and unnecessary as usual. And it doesn't make for interesting reading in a series about "ninjas."

Now we have the new characters as well as updated redesigns of the old ones which I absolutely deplore. Boruto is a punk fashionista, Sadara seriously looks like a hooker, Mitsuki looks like Orochimaru 2.0, Sasuke is Madara 1 and 1/2, Sakura is more or less the same Hinata is all boobs,. And Naruto is a dead fish. Oh and Gaara is Hitler. Part 2 was the height of character design for me personally. But instead of actually following with some kind of theme towards design just about everyone in the series. They are either completely changed around, as some kind of sick joke, or fanservice. I don't see a spry and lively Naruto anymore (that joke about Himawari sterilizing naruto got a good laugh out of me, Kudos!) I see a completely defeated Sasuke. I see a punkish spoiled brat who gets everything handed to him on a plate yet still isn't happy even when he gets what he wants. It's quality. Right? More like everything that nobody asked for. As usual.

Boruto especially in the first chapter of the new manga is literally damage control. He gets an "uber-cool" redesign and an extra time skip that was unnecessary. AS USUAL. He becomes a mash-up of all the "cool" characters in the series. Awesome eye scar? Check!, Sword? Check! Crazy Super-Powers? Check! One Liner? Check! Yet behind all of it, all I see is a freaking cardboard cutout that needs this crap in order to hook a reader in. He can't be... I don't know? His own unique character? Not a mashup of what's the flavor of the month?

Sadara is a copy paste of Naruto as an Uchiha because there isn't anything new or original that the writers can do at the moment apart from what if an Uchiha wanted to become Hokage.

Mitsuki, especially from the one shot, just seems like he's going to be another completely broken character in terms of power level as well as another "edgy" Sasuke surrogate to keep character themes somewhat intact.

The pop pairings speak for themselves. Nobody cares. Here, have a kid.

“This is the last chapter of Naruto," Kishimoto said. "Once the last scene ends, it is over.”

http://www.idigitalt...new-york-481189

Oh and I can't forget the entire hook to the new series. Naruto is "probably" dead. Seeing as the entire series is focused around Boruto going: ME! ME! ME! He most likely is dead. There went my desire to even give the series a chance.

Just about the entire next-generation concept is absolutely overdone and unnecessary. It's damage control for each insult they hurled towards fans. Here's a ship-tease ending. Not Happy? Have a movie that has so much forced nostalgia that nobody with a sane mind would be able to enjoy it. "Tch, don't like that? Have Naruto's Inauguration but not really! Ha ha." "Okay, we realize you're really not happy with the way things are going right now...HERES A NEW MANGA! THE PROTAGONIST OF THE ORIGINAL STORY IS DEAD!" It's just an endless cycle of making things worse in order to make the thing before it seem better in comparison. It's an insult to just about every fan with a head on his/her shoulders.

I think that about hits everything that is wrong right now. Its painful to see this happen to a series that I followed since I was young. And from what I've seen, there is no stopping going down this hole. Right now, all I'm trying to see is the story I used to enjoy. But even then, it's impossible to not follow the newest thing coming out in the series. It's where the discussion is. I can say I don't like it. But it's obvious we can't sway other's opinions and thoughts right now. Or possibly ever.  At least there's still Road to Ninja, a movie which actually tried to keep some of the themes of the story intact.

All right, cutting it off here.

Some first post, Huh?