66 replies to this topic

[Fenris]

For some reason I've always imagined Sasuke to have a beer belly.. That was my first impression of him.

[Anguyen92]

I've always thought that Naruto was very annoying, cocky (but has some of that humbleness to it), and subtly funny. Sakura, as this very attractive person, who's trying to find a purpose and meaning in her life, and, yes, she was annoying as well in a different way (Heck, that's probably the other reason I've started watching the series in the first place other than Naruto's main story). Kakashi, as this somewhat elitist, doesn't really want to train a couple of young kids, person (Obviously, after the time-skip, where he realizes that his former students are better than him, he, in turn, became very awesome in his own merits). Eh, as for Sasuke, my first impression of him is still my impression of him now. Thinks he's better than everyone else, doesn't seem to be humbled and really hates to think that there are someone better than him.

Edited by Anguyen92, 20 November 2011 - 06:34 AM.

[merryGOflava]

my first impression of......

naruto ( he had a funny voice XD and likes to show off, but cool)

sasuke (wasnt nice to naruto)

sakura (was funny)

[Darth Krypt]

Naruto - annoying as hell.
Sakura - freaking useless character.
Sasuke - so damn cool.

Oh how opinions can have a drastic change.

[merryGOflava]

Naruto - annoying as hell.
Sakura - freaking useless character.
Sasuke - so damn cool.

Oh how opinions can have a drastic change.

i think thats the point of first impressions in manga to prove you wrong most of the time XD

if they characters were perfect on the get-go that wouldnt be fun right? XD

Edited by merryGOflava, 20 November 2011 - 09:33 AM.

[Rocket]

if they characters were perfect on the get-go that wouldnt be fun right? XD

Amen to that

Although I loved Naruto from the start [and never liked Sasuke haha... but I never used to despised him to the extent I do now ]

[peanutbutter126]

Strangely, I wasn't really aware of my first impressions of the characters. Thinking back though, it might have been something like this:

Naruto - typical knucklehead, does some excruciatingly annoying things sometimes, the kind you must in most cases accept because he's the main character.
Sasuke - I found him hard to understand, even as a genin. I did like him though. But just very hard to understand.
Sakura - just... there. Didn't do much. I actually didn't find her that annoying and instead saw that she had potential for something.
Kakashi - an apathetic, freakishly strong pervert behind a mask

I think the scene that sums up most people's first impressions is the Naruto and Sasuke kiss scene Naruto being an idiot, Sasuke acting cool yet capable of childishness, and Sakura hanging Naruto out to dry by the entrails for stealing her beloved's first kiss.

[CloudMountainJuror]

Naruto - Needed a boot to the head
Sasuke - Needed a bigger boot to the head
Sakura - Needed the biggest boot to the head
Kakashi and Zabuza - Are the ones giving everyone else the boots to the head

[Toasty Warrior]

Naruto - Very annoying thanks to his believe it English dub line, thought he wasn't very bright, but had a big heart, and wondered why in the hell did he ever seen in Sakura or like her.

Sasuke - Always thought of him as an a**hole, and that impression still holds true to this day because of his actions against his friends.

Sakura - Oh boy... my opinion of Sakura at the beginning borderline on some of the NaruHina fans today, I thought she was totally useless and needed to be written out of the manga, and anime altogether or at least die a quick and painless death, but damn do opinions have a way of changing over the years.

Kakashi - I never really hated Kakashi at all, I thought of him as one of the best characters when Naruto first started airing, and I still think he is an awesome character until the others were introduced.

[FoolishYoungling]

Naruto- WAY TO HYPER? (which I later find out to be amazing.. )

Sakura- The new love of my life... (in the anime world)

Sasuke- Dangerous.. shouldn't be near my Sakura..

Kakashi- My dream of every school teacher

Jiraya- Please get this man near Hinata! (BOOBIES!)

Oriochimaru- Why is he here?

Kabuto- NEW FAVORITE EVIL VILLIAN! (then Sasuke and Madara came along.. but I kinda think Kabuto is cooler than Madara.. I'm not sure yet)

Tsunade- I was wondering where they were keeping the boobs at in this anime... (Not Being Perverted No Justu)

Ino- You and Shikamaru look great together!

Shikamaru- You will now be one of my top ten favorite characters!

Kiba- Please take Hinata for us all! (then I found love in SasuHina)

Hinata- your not really important to the manga... (Not Bashing No Justu)

Sai- LOL XD! You gotta stick around more!

Yamato- You creepy bro! Don't dare take Kakashi's place! (then he grew on me, and he never took anyone's place!)

Tenten- Hey, your kinda cute, but all you have is tools?

Temari- Your annoying.. (then Garaa turned good and she was okay)

Garaa- UMADBRO? (then he wasn't mad, and he grew into a great ninja.. YOU ARE AWESOME GARAA)

Neji- Your way better than Hinata! (and he still is)

Lee- Calm down... (and now I don't want him to calm down.. he is awesome! POWER OF YOUTH NO JUSTU!)

Guy- (same as what I said for Lee)

Tobi- My dog name is Tobie!

Madara- You are Tobi!? (remember it was first thought to be Tobi..)

Real Madara- HAXXXXXXX!!!!!!! (MAD/CURIOUS NO JUSTU)
------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay I could go on all night, but I'll end it here.. want to know what I think about more of them? Just ask me!

[ciardha]

Naruto- dumb, loud mouthed, ADDH disorder, bratty, but yet he had an endearing side due to his bond with Iruka, and some sympathy due to what we find out via Mizuki, and his pranks- including the sexy-no-jutsu were amusing. If the loud mouth bragging, brattiness, and hyperness and streak of willful ignorance was toned down I would have liked him a bit more.

Sasuke- self centered jerk who need his overblown ego seriously kicked down several notches. His sudden switch to thinking of Naruto when they were tested with the food at the bell test seemed a bit unbelievable- after his absolutely self-centered behavior and thinking he had no use for anyone else at all up till then. (and in manga canon too. Kishimoto should have hinted at that side of his personality before instead of just- boom- all a sudden he thinks of someone else's welfare, all of a sudden he's thinking as team player. Really it should have been Sakura who offered first, it would have fit with that side of her personality we had already seen- protecting her both her team mate's welfare.)

Kakashi- self-centered bully and creepy pervert (reading porn openly in front of 12 year olds, bad enough 12 year old boys but a 12 year old girl too,) total jerk to Sakura- unlike with Naruto he keeps his way overly judgmental and dismissive first impression of her, despite the fact she was the only one of the three kids who thought of her team mates welfare during the battle part of the bell test. She got the point of the test- teamwork, yet Kakashi doesn't see this.)

Sakura- pretty normal 12 year old girl with an unfortunate crush on jerky guy who couldn't care less about her, severe self-esteem issues partly because of the crush, but has much greater potential to develop as ninja than she thinks- under a sensei who would actually see her potential. Was the only one who understood and acted on the concept of team work during the battle. (when she attempted to distract Kakashi to allow Naruto a chance to flee and save himself)

I really disagreed with Kakashi bell test judgement of her- she believed she was endangering her life when she attempted to distract Kakashi to save Naruto and did so with no second thoughts. Yes, she does leaves Naruto at one point, but look at the situation- she could see Naruto was in no imminent danger and was in the process of freeing himself, then she hears what she thinks is Sasuke crying out in pain- thus in imminent danger and goes to do what she can try to do to save him from a danger so severe he cried out, (which she would believe would be quite bad since it caused the most skilled ninja student in her class to cry out in pain... )

Kakashi should have criticized her for rashly going into a situation unprepared instead of using the stealth training she'd learned in the Academy. That was her mistake. That was same mistake Naruto and Sasuke both made as well- added to not thinking of the welfare of the other team members at all. (I don't feel it was fair that Kakashi doesn't criticize Naruto or Sasuke for not thinking of the welfare the other members of the team, only Sakura- who did actually think of both her team mates welfare and acted to attempt to do something to save them. With Naruto, we have not even a moment where he thought of Sakura's welfare- even when she was "right beside him." And Sasuke observed Kakashi going after Naruto and did nothing at the point where Sakura acts to save Naruto.)

Naruto just went in without thinking at all, Sasuke got cocky and got caught, Sakura let her emotional bonds overwhelm her intelligence. Interestingly these are still their weaknesses in battle. (When Sakura's intelligence is dominant she can use her mind and strength to coolly win battles- see the battle with Sasori and how quickly she wins against Zetsu, and even her impressive battle with the Sound ninja in the Forest of Death in part 1.)

[FoolishYoungling]

Naruto: Oh god. Just please. *Puts tape over mouth* Shut up! Your annoying!

First Impression: Annoying.

Sakura: Uhh. Stop fangirling!/hitting!

First Impression: Useless

Sasuke: OMG. This guy is super beast and hot. *Fangirl scream* Go Sasuke! XD

First Impression: Very Cool and strong ~Team Sasuke~

Hinata: Oh na-na-nar- *faints*

First impression: Extremely shy and timid.

Orichimaru: Give me your body!!!!!!

First impression: Pedophile.

Jirayai: Oh hello! *Peeps into hotspring*

First impression: A pervert.

P.S. I began with the anime.....

SS fan at first?

[Rocket]

Naruto - Needed a boot to the head
Sasuke - Needed a bigger boot to the head
Sakura - Needed the biggest boot to the head
Kakashi and Zabuza - Are the ones giving everyone else the boots to the head

Was there anyone else who got this reference besides me?

[merryGOflava]

Strangely, I wasn't really aware of my first impressions of the characters. Thinking back though, it might have been something like this:

Naruto - typical knucklehead, does some excruciatingly annoying things sometimes, the kind you must in most cases accept because he's the main character.
Sasuke - I found him hard to understand, even as a genin. I did like him though. But just very hard to understand.
Sakura - just... there. Didn't do much. I actually didn't find her that annoying and instead saw that she had potential for something.
Kakashi - an apathetic, freakishly strong pervert behind a mask

I think the scene that sums up most people's first impressions is the Naruto and Sasuke kiss scene Naruto being an idiot, Sasuke acting cool yet capable of childishness, and Sakura hanging Naruto out to dry by the entrails for stealing her beloved's first kiss.

this sums up mine

i didnt really know how to hate or like a character back then, cause naruto was kinda my first major anime. so i didnt have much complaints XD

[SunnyGoflava]

All I know is I thought Naruto was loud, annoying yet interesting, Sakura was somewhat mean and weird and Sasuke was one of "those" characters...koff! Emo! koff!

But that quickly changed after the bridge arc! (Gotta admit though, it took me a while for Sakura!)

[Anguyen92]

All I know is I thought Naruto was loud, annoying yet interesting, Sakura was somewhat mean and weird and Sasuke was one of "those" characters...koff! Emo! koff!

But that quickly changed after the bridge arc! (Gotta admit though, it took me a while for Sakura!)

I think for Sakura, it either takes a long time to get used to her tendencies and characteristics or they just don't like her at all to this point. I've been supportive of her from the start but she didn't really wow me until that Gaara rescue arc during the early episodes of Shippuden. For Naruto, well he's been awesome the whole way, but he showed his awesomeness, the first time, during his fight against Gaara.

Edited by Anguyen92, 21 November 2011 - 07:09 AM.

[merryGOflava]

I think for Sakura, it either takes a long time to get used to her tendencies and characteristics or they just don't like her at all to this point. I've been supportive of her from the start but she didn't really wow me until that Gaara rescue arc during the early episodes of Shippuden. For Naruto, well he's been awesome the whole way, but he showed his awesomeness, the first time, during his fight against Gaara.

i liked sakura from the very start i never noticed her annoying behavior like everyone else.

and i think she wow'd me when she went against ino.

[LikeANinja]

My first impression of Naruto was, what a total badass, painting the Hokage Monument (which at the time i believed to be very important from all the people's reactions), he was alway hilarious in my opinion and was pretty cool considering with how many little jutsus he used. He was always pretty awesome in my opinion.

Sasuke was pretty cool in my first impression, but I just felt that he should get his ass handed to him by our resident hero, and i felt that he was right in attempting to kill Itachi (this was before the whole Uchiha Clan was evil and not the other way around nonsense). Through out the story until shippuden i just felt he was falling down the wrong path that was all.

Sakura- believe it or not, I liked her, she was important to the team, though not vital, and since i supported Naruto, i felt she should eventually fall in love with him (yes i liked NaruSaku, though not as much as now)

Kakashi - another badass, his tardiness was like mine, and his excuses were golden, he was and still is my faverouite character (though i feel he is abit underpowered, I mean he is supposed to know over 1000 jutsus, why is he not stronger?)

Lee - another kick-ass character, I mean I love martial arts and Lee was just the ultimate taijutsu freak with the exception of Gai of course, and they as a due never failed to provide comic relief.

There are a lot more but these are the first Impressions that stand out in my head

[Nate River]

I didn't necessarily have strong impression for the first couple of episodes I watched...and to the extent I did, I don't remember all of them.

Naruto: once the story talked a bit more about the back story and the ostracization I liked his character more. His actions and behavior had a source and I found him to be interesting.

Sakura: There are two character types in stories that I really tend to like. The first is the Evil-to-Good transformation. The other, I think, is a distance cousin to that, the spoiled/bratty/self-centered charater discovering there is a universe outside their own and maturing throughout the course of the story. I thought she might follow that pattern, so I had a rather positive first impression. The initial introduction didn't bother me at all nor did her crush on Sasuke.

Characters that start as perfect with little place to go are boring. I liked the impreferections because it gave her character someplace to go. Many fans lament the initial behavior. I wouldn't have minded for it to have been deeper and more drawn out, so long as she ultimately grew from or because of it. I think if he had not include the negative aspects of her character and started her off as the character many people seem to wish she was I would have been bored with her character.

Sasuke: I don't remember having a strong opinion either way. I wanted Naruto to show him up and all, but that isn't the same as hating his character.

Really, I should like Sasuke more than I do because of what I noted above. I think the pairing wars and interactions with die-hard Sasuke fans are part of my negative impression, but I also think it's how Kishimoto has handled certain issues surrounding him (for example, the fact that it took so long for anyone to ask whether letting Naruto and Sakura try to retrieve him was a good idea...it should have been asked long before it was, especially given standard protocol for missing-nin's) and my long-standing concern that his change from Evil back to Good will be quick and mostly the result of having it beat into him by Naruto rather than figuring it out on his own over a longer period of time.

[LegendaryArcanine42]

My first impression? Well I wasn't going to do this thread but since Nate posted ¬_¬

Firstly...

Naruto!

The typical Shounen protagonist, he's loud, he's proud and he gets hit constantly by his female love interest... SO CLICHE!!!

Sakura!

The typical Tsundere type A, she's loud, she's insecure and she likes to hit things instead of talking about her emotions... EVEN MORE CLICHE!!!

Sasuke!

The typical Shounen rival/anti-hero; he's dark, he's somewhat depressing and his hair reminiscent of a duck's bottom... NOT-SO-CLICHE, BUT STILL CLICHE!!!

Kakashi!

Tragic sensei who gets over his feelings with lemons... NOT CLICHE AT ALL!!

Overall, Naruto never really interested me as an anime because of it's characters... I found it interesting because of the story...

The characters were originally so simple and cliche that any crackpot author could do a somewhat decent job of characterizing them (Although, a certain someone might disagree with that, I will digress...) however, the sheer complexity of the storyline and how these simply-made characters reacted to these surroundings and adding in their back-stories and slight changes in personality due to these situations...

That is what intrigued me about Naruto, and that's what separated it from other Shounen Anime... Nowadays, I can't help but facepalm at the way things are going, and I can only hope, pray and be satisfied when Kishi has that spark of creativity that he got from the olden days...

It's been a long ride, but I have to say that it was worth it