41 replies to this topic

[rikakim94]

What made this manga stand out compared to other shonen mangas at the time. Was it the art, unique story telling? Naruto still falls into generic tropes and cliches but what made it stand out?

[AHK]

Yahagi.

[TouKen4Life3g]

Yahagi, Chuunin Exam (according to Kishi), concept (ninja), and easy to engage.

[Nar123]

The concept was pretty interesting in the beginning ( a loud ninja with a big burden hated by everyone looking to prove himself  and be acknowledged in a world where ninja are only tools) then the chuunin exam arc (headed by Yahagi)  also helped a lot introducing fan favorite characters (during part 1) like Neji and Rock Lee

 

For example, the main reason I got into Naruto was because I got captivated by Naruto's character, I wanted him to succeed and acquire everyone's acknowledgement and respect... the problem is that once this happened by the end of the Pein arc, the subsequent Naruto's character arc ( half assed quest for peace ) wasn't half as interesting because Kishimoto lacked the skill to develop something complex like that

There is also the problem that Naruto's search and longing for Sasuke was pretty intense during part 2, thanks to this Naruto's character during some arcs actually stopped being the title MC and only became a character that reacted to Sasuke's actions. Basically Kishimoto failed in making me continue cheering for Naruto after he got  praised by everyone in the village, this is the mark of a bad writer

Edited by Nar123, 16 May 2015 - 01:51 PM.

[Namikaze Clan]

Simple. Part 1

In part 1 we had good world building and themes of hardwork and overcoming destiny. Sasuke's story never felt like it overshadowed Naruto's and we had good team dynamic with Team 7. There were some low points such as Sakura's attitude but there was good stuff as well. Plus we had the chunin exams which introduced a bunch of interesting characters and had memorable moments.

Then part 2 came and it was all downhill from there

[trang95]

Simple. Part 1

In part 1 we had good world building and themes of hardwork and overcoming destiny. Sasuke's story never felt like it overshadowed Naruto's and we had good team dynamic with Team 7. There were some low points such as Sakura's attitude but there was good stuff as well. Plus we had the chunin exams which introduced a bunch of interesting characters and had memorable moments.

Then part 2 came and it was all downhill from there

Same here. As a 11-year old child going through some tough times back then, watching Part 1 Naruto was a soothing way to let myself forget for a while. I was truly engrossed in the world building of Naruto, and the story was truly captivating in my eyes- it wasn't until years later that I started watching Part 2...

[Nar123]

Simple. Part 1

In part 1 we had good world building and themes of hardwork and overcoming destiny. Sasuke's story never felt like it overshadowed Naruto's and we had good team dynamic with Team 7. There were some low points such as Sakura's attitude but there was good stuff as well. Plus we had the chunin exams which introduced a bunch of interesting characters and had memorable moments.

Then part 2 came and it was all downhill from there

 

I disagree with "good team 7 dynamic", it was never that good in my opinion. Sure, they had their moments mainly around the chuunin exam, but I think part 2 did a lot to make people see team 7 through nostalgia glasses, even I used to look like that. The truth was that team 7 was mostly team dysfunctional, we never really saw a strong moment for them as a team. I think that after the chuunin exam and before Itachi appears there should've existed some kind of arc that shows how much team 7 had progressed and that all of them were actually friends with each other. 

[griff142]

Yahagi.

Easily if is wasn't for him we would have this crap today a long time ago. For me he was behind the great arcs in the manga and helped flesh out the characters.

[Pix]

That blonde hair and blue eyes appeal to Western audiences. I mean, the West is what kept Naruto alive. Not Japan. If we weren't so interested in it, the sales of Naruto would be worse than Bleach's at the current moment.  

 

And I refuse to believe that the Chunnin Exams made Naruto popular. The Hunter exams didn't make HxH more popular, and the Chunnin was a complete rip off. 

[rocci]

@pix
Japan kept it alive too. Naruto is one of five manga who has sell 100 million manga in japan alone. And always standing beside onepiece.
While naruto is number 2(at his prime) in japan, in the west(read USA) naruto is number 1.

Maybe chunin exam work for naruto.

[Nar123]

That blonde hair and blue eyes appeal to Western audiences. I mean, the West is what kept Naruto alive. Not Japan. If we weren't so interested in it, the sales of Naruto would be worse than Bleach's at the current moment.  

 

And I refuse to believe that the Chunnin Exams made Naruto popular. The Hunter exams didn't make HxH more popular, and the Chunnin was a complete rip off. 

 

HxH was not really very known here in the west, besides Naruto got the privilege of appearing in a time where he was the sole big anime hit and didn't had to compete with DBZ for example

By the chuunin exam most of the people who watched using the TV were hooked because copy or not, it was an interesting arc. 

 

And blonde hair + blue eyes has A LOT of appeal in japan too ( at least with female characters) 

[Pix]

 

HxH was not really very known here in the west, besides Naruto got the privilege of appearing in a time where he was the sole big anime hit and didn't had to compete with DBZ for example

By the chuunin exam most of the people who watched using the TV were hooked because copy or not, it was an interesting arc. 

 

And blonde hair + blue eyes has A LOT of appeal in japan too ( at least with female characters) 

That's what I'm saying lol. Naruto appealed to the West, while HxH did not. If HxH would have came out with the second version of their anime series earlier, and it premiered on the Cartoon Network's (not Adult Swim's) Toonami, then it probably would have been a big hit. And every story has that one interesting arc. Bleach's Soul Society arc is what made it such a hit too. I just don't think the Chunnin Exams is the only factor.

 

And yeah, blue eyes blonde hair has appeal everywhere. It's just that in the west, people can relate to it more. So Naruto was more relatable to a Western audience solely because of the main character. Kishimoto confirmed this in an interview a while ago.

[ThroughWithLove]

The ability to relate to the main character. However, some time after part one, when Naruto became obsessed with Sasuke, this stopped being the case.

[Bryon_Konoha_Ninja]

The ability to relate to the main character. However, some time after part one, when Naruto became obsessed with Sasuke, this stopped being the case.

 

Yeah, though he didn't lose one of his most important qualities, even if it became worse as it went on, and thatr was Naruto's empathy.

[ThroughWithLove]

 

Yeah, though he didn't lose one of his most important qualities, even if it became worse as it went on, and thatr was Naruto's empathy.

To my knowledge, he lost that in The Last.

[dejavu]

I wonder why too..
what are the animes that came out with Naruto that time?

I remember seeing Naruto in a tv commercial and thought it was too kiddie and the character designs didnt appeal to me.

Then i happen to turn on the channel in that chuunin exam episode where Sakura chopped her hair.. the exact moment. And from then on i got hooked.

Hmm this is a good question.. i do wonder why its so popular. I mean REALLY popular.

the chuunin exam might be the factor as what was mentioned above. People in general likes survival stuffs.

[rocci]

Interesting part 1
Dragon ball succesor
Dawn of (cheap & fast) Internet.

[questdrivencollie]

I loved the hell out of the beginning of the story, definitely piqued my interest and the storyline with the badass ninjas and learning more about the world the story takes place in kept my interest. Then when the writing began to lag in quality, I still wanted to know what happened to the characters I had come to love.

Edited by questdrivencollie, 16 May 2015 - 05:20 AM.

[Bryon_Konoha_Ninja]

To my knowledge, he lost that in The Last.

 

That's what I think too, and why he became the worst scumbag. X-P

[Aizen-Sama]

I think it was the popularity of the characters and ninja world, not specifically Team 7 but other characters like the Akatsuki and Konoha 11.  Plus all the fanfiction and fanart, you can't deny that it has an impact.  Also the nostalgia for all those kids who used to watch Naruto on Cartoon Network.  The story is okay but it's not good enough to have gained all these millions of watchers alone, it must've been all these other factors.