Introduction
In the summer months of 2014, my best friend recommended the Naruto anime to me. That time of the year was the most unusual part of my life. I had just finished high school… But the transition to adulthood kept me idle. I was depressed. My only source of comfort was my solitude behind my closed bedroom door and the unstable internet access I had on my cellphone. So, when my friend recommended Naruto to me to pass the time, I watched it. No—I binged it. I spent way too much time with my eyes glued to my tiny phone screen. And when I finally caught up to the latest episode of the anime, I learned that the manga was going to end that same year. Soon, I started reading Masashi Kishimoto’s manga. Although Naruto wasn’t the first anime I watched, it was the first manga I ever read, and I loved it.
I give the series a lot of credit for taking me out of that slump that I had. For the first time in weeks, I had a reason to get out of bed. Sure, it may be a dumb reason for some, but for me, it meant a lot that I had something to look forward to every day. I eventually got better, and with time, Naruto ended, and I moved on.
Naruto released its final chapter on November 10, 2014, and since then I had seen the highs and lows of many other shōnen series that follow a similar formula to Naruto. With anime becoming more mainstream these past few years, I also noticed the criticism that the series was receiving. These criticisms ranged from poor character development to very bad writing. I didn’t want to agree with the things I was hearing. After all, Naruto was the series that moved me.
This year, I decided that I would reread some manga series that I have not read in a long time, and Naruto, of course, is one of them. So, I’ll chronologize my reentry into the Shinobi World on this blog by arc instead of by volume. I will also share my opinions on several things: the story, the characters, and so on.
Prologue—The Land of Waves Arc
This is the first arc in the Naruto series, and it’s composed of four volumes and the first 33 chapters.
I should also point out that the fourth volume doesn’t end until chapter 36. However, chapters 34 through 36 are supposedly part of the Chūnin Exams arc.
Brief Recap
This arc begins with the first chapter of the series. The titular character, Naruto, aspires to become a strong ninja, and eventually, the Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure—his home village. The beginning of the manga is straightforward: Naruto is unable to graduate with the rest of his class. A teacher named Mizuki feigns pity for Naruto and instructs him to steal a secret scroll full of powerful and forbidden ninjutsu, or ninja techniques, to gain Iruka’s (Naruto’s teacher) passing grade. Naruto obliges, which sparks a manhunt to find him.
by Masashi Kishimoto
Although Naruto was labeled a failure, he learned a forbidden jutsu in a short time. His teacher, Iruka, tries to save him from Mizuki, who betrayed the village and stole the scroll from Naruto. In this chapter, we learn that, unbeknownst to Naruto, Naruto carries the Nine Tailed Fox inside of him. This demon had once caused destruction in Konoha, killing many people, including Iruka’s parents (more on this later). The people of the village do not like Naruto for this reason. Naruto eventually saves Iruka with the forbidden technique he learned from the scroll (shadow clone jutsu). He earns Iruka’s approval and is awarded with a passing grade.
This arc continues with Konohamaru Sarutobi’s introduction. Konohamaru is the grandson of the current Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Although this part of the story is short, it takes a step into Naruto’s philosophy: hard work pays off. Konohamaru wishes to gain the Hokage title because he craves for people to acknowledge him for being his own person, not because he is related to the Hokage. Naruto treats him like a rival, which makes Konohamaru respect and look up to him.
by Masashi Kishimoto
The story continues with Team 7’s formation. A Jōnin, or elite ninja, named Kakashi is assigned to Naruto’s team that also consists of Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto’s other rival, and Sakura Haruno, Naruto’s crush. After a series of bad pranks and badmouthing, Team 7 is tasked with Kakashi’s infamous bell test. This bell test is meant to teach the young trio the merit of teamwork. Should they fail Kakashi’s test, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke would be unable to continue their training as ninjas. In short, the team passes after demonstrating their ability to help each other when they are in need.
Team 7 is tasked with simple missions, like trapping runaway pets for the villagers. They are eventually tasked to escort Tazuna, an old bridge builder from The Land of Waves. This mission is at first deemed to be simple, but Team 7 eventually learns that Tazuna is being targeted by a mafia. This sparks the introduction of Team 7’s first dangerous mission and the series’ next antagonists: Zabuza Momochi—a rogue from a rival village, Kirigakure—and his young companion Haku. Team 7 is met with near-fatal situations and realizations of their strengths and weaknesses.
This arc concludes with Zabuza’s and Haku’s violent deaths, and the young ninjas contemplating the significance of their existence as ninjas.
My Review
There is a reason why I prefer reading the manga over watching the anime. I think that Kishimoto is very particular about what he wants his readers to see. There are subtleties hidden in the panels that are easy to miss in the anime. For instance, we see more of Naruto’s happiness at the mention of familial bonds; we see more of Sasuke’s concern for other people; and we see more of Sakura’s willingness to help her team.
the characters
The first arc of the series will always be my favorite. And although I think that Kishimoto executed the introduction well, there are some flaws that I found hard to overlook. For instance, the inconsistencies in Sakura’s character. I was well aware of this when I first watched and read the series. However, I never realized how often this issue came up even in the first arc. I’m not talking about Sakura’s flip-flopping thoughts about Naruto—personally, I believe that it’s only natural for someone to have mixed feelings about another person they didn’t like before. What I am talking about are Sakura’s strengths as a ninja. We see her eagerness to be the protector that Kakashi assigns her to be (for Tazuna), but her achievements are quite minimal. We see Naruto and Sasuke develop a lot quicker than she does despite excelling at chakra control.
Sakura is selfless; she sympathizes with struggling villagers, she gives candy to a desperate child, and she shows willingness to sacrifice her own body for others’ sake. But these small details are overshadowed by the boys’ growth. Given the duration of the arc and the length of the series, it’s disappointing that I need to search for hints of Sakura’s strength and development.
On a different note, Sasuke and Naruto’s characters are somewhat consistent. Sasuke, for instance, is set on avenging his clan. He is a complex character. This arc shows Sasuke’s selflessness. We see him constantly putting himself in harm’s way to protect Sakura and Naruto. He is also quick to act in dangerous situations. It’s apparent that he cares about his teammates despite his nonchalant attitude. Naruto is similar to Sasuke when it comes to their protectiveness of their teammates. However, Naruto is impulsive, which earns him lectures from Kakashi and Sakura. Naruto is brash and inspiring. Their friendship is based on their rivalry.
I also think that Kakashi’s character was consistently written. Kishimoto introduces him as a well-rounded person who is full of mystery and experience. I know that later down the line, we will uncover more about Kakashi’s past and why his morals override basic shinobi principles.
Iruka is kept idle for most of this arc. Kishimoto did well with showing Iruka’s concern and protectiveness for Naruto. I also think that the parallels between Iruka and Naruto were done well. Both characters craved attention from their peers. Both characters were also forced to grow up without parents. I should also mention The Nine Tails killing Iruka’s parents—the revelation of Naruto and the seal containing the Nine Tails is still riveting to me. It’s moving that Iruka is willing to put his grudge about his parents’ deaths aside for Naruto’s sake. He understands that Naruto isn’t the beast sealed within him. I also like that Kishimoto allows his male characters to show their emotions. Their emotions aren’t bottled in and are outwardly expressed to other characters. Iruka’s love of Naruto is wholesome. He still remains one of my favorite characters.
Konohamaru’s ambitions are interesting, and they remind me of Naruto’s. He does not want attention from other people because he is the Hokage’s grandson—however, he wants to take the Hokage title from his grandfather so that people praise him for his achievements instead. I think that Konohamaru helps highlight Naruto’s goal of becoming Hokage a bit more. I also liked that Kishimoto included a rivalry between Naruto and Konohamaru. Despite their age difference, the two still respect each other enough to consider each other a rival.
Tazuna’s role was, surprisingly, a lot bigger than I remembered it being—not because of his importance as a bridge builder, but because of what he seems to represent. Although he was kept in the background for most of the action, he seemingly represented the readers. He was an observer of the violence that Team 7 endured during their fights against Haku and Zabuza. A notable scene that involves Tazuna was when Sakura cried over Sasuke’s body. At the time, Tazuna and the rest of the cast believed Sasuke was dead. Tazuna would express his sympathy and then remind us that ninjas do not have easy lives because of the violence they face.
Inari doesn’t show interest in anything because he’s still mourning his stepfather’s death. He is also, at first, pessimistic—he doesn’t believe in Team 7’s capability to protect his grandfather, Tazuna, and he does not believe in his own ability to help. Kishimoto gives him the spotlight when he and his mother are kidnapped by Gatō’s men. Only after finding his courage and his trust in Naruto does he start opening up to people again. I think it’s interesting that Inari was written as a depressed child. He had a lot of guilt and anger that only quelled after talking to Kakashi about Naruto’s experience as an orphan, and after being assured that it was okay for him to let his emotions flow freely.
The main antagonists, Mizuki, and Haku and Zabuza are incomparable. I’m glad that Mizuki’s involvement in this arc was brief. The first chapter gave us a glimpse into Kishimoto’s world, and Mizuki served as a steppingstone for Naruto. As for Haku and Zabuza, I’m glad that Kishimoto gave more attention to them. They are great characters.
The minor antagonist, Gatō had a very minor role to play in the arc despite having authority he had over Zabuza. I did not care much for his character.
life lessons, morals, and everything in between
This arc tackles important life lessons, such as the merits of hard work and trust-building. What surprised me the first time I watched the series and read the manga was Kishimoto’s additional discussion about the tragedy of dying in combat and the significance of ninjas’ sacrifices. We are given glimpses of Haku and Zabuza’s relationship before we are given their heart wrenching exit from the story. Haku is determined to become a full-fledged ninja, one who cannot feel emotions and exists for someone else. His life and death are for Zabuza’s sake—which is a lesson that Zabuza eventually regrets instilling in Haku. Both characters die terrible deaths, and their deaths serve as a gruesome lesson for the young trio about life, death, and serving their village as ninjas.
Sakura questions Kakashi about the significance of being a ninja, and Kakashi answers with blunt truths about their profession.
Sasuke’s question about Kakashi’s own belief of the matter is also intriguing—it gives us a glimpse into Sasuke’s wavering beliefs about being self-preserving to fulfill his own ambitions. We already saw that he was capable of sacrificing himself for his comrades, and he had already seen that Kakashi was willing to sacrifice himself for them. Haku and Zabuza’s definition of being a true ninja is challenged by Team 7’s humanity. So, Kakashi answers that he doesn’t agree with Haku and Zabuza His lessons about sacrifice and teamwork during the Bell Test were put into practice later in the arc. It’s great that Kishimoto doesn’t stray far from the team’s principles. Although they are tools for their village, they’re still humans.
As someone who had already read this manga, the final pages of the arc serve as grim foreshadowing of Sasuke’s resolve and the secrets of the Uchiha clan.
final comments and rating
I give this arc 4 out of 5 stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
There are many things I enjoyed about the Prologue—Land of Waves arc. Although I have hard feelings about Kishimoto’s misuse of his main female character, I appreciate that he allows the male characters to express their emotions to each other. Of course, the trio are still children, so crying can be expected—but Kishimoto doesn’t let readers forget that they are trained for violent affairs. I don’t know if their being children fighting intense battles like the ones in this arc is super badass or disheartening. What I do know is that the story is entertaining and that I can’t wait to start reading the Chūnin Exams arc.
In all, Naruto is still a great series. The art and story are fantastic, and the characters are memorable. I’m really happy about reading this again after almost nine years. It’s one series that I recommend to people who have never watched it or are interested in manga and anime.
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