Fighting Dreamers
Today, I’m staying in the anime vein. I’ve been watching Naruto and I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about a wonderful anime that I truly enjoy. Naruto is one of those shows that’s just plain fun to watch. It’s funny without being too silly. There’s plenty of action and the characters aren’t boring. They are varied and well-rounded. It’s currently being aired on Cartoon Network’s Toonami on Saturday nights. You can also find episodes online. Cartoon Network actually has some streaming video available at their site Jetstream. So here is the story of Naruto in a nutshell…and to those of you who’ve never seen or heard of it before, there may be some spoilers ahead.
Naruto began as a weekly manga in Shonen Jump, a Japanese magazine devoted to manga that has been the birthplace of many fantastic mangas. It was hugely popular and made into an anime in 2002. I’ve only a read a few of the manga chapters but I love the anime! It chronicles the life of Naruto Uzumaki. The story begins with 12 year old Naruto attempting but failing to graduate from Ninja Academy for the third time. Naruto is quite a cut-up. He’s always in trouble for acting out and being a prankster. Naruto has always been alone. An orphan, shunned by the village, he acts out for attention. Even his own teacher, Iruka, is unreasonably hard on him. Frustrated, Naruto is tricked by another teacher, Mizuki. He convinces Naruto that if he steals a sacred scroll of sealing from the Hidden Leaf village leader, Hokage, he will he able to learn the skills necessary to pass the exam. Mizuki is only using Naruto to obtain the scroll for himself. Iruka discovers what has happened and in trying to recover the sacred scroll, he is forced to sacrifice himself in order to save Naruto. Something no one has every done for him. In anger, Mizuki reveals to Naruto the reason why he is so hated. He tells Naruto the secret of Nine-Tail Fox Demon (Kybui).
Twelve years prior the Hidden Leaf Village was besieged by a giant fox demon. It was so large and powerful, it could level entire mountains with just a sweep of it’s tail. Unable to defeat the monster, the fourth Hokage, a masterful ninja, sacrificed his own life to seal the demon inside a newborn child…Naruto. He died a hero and wanted Naruto to be honored for his part as well. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened. The people of the village were afraid of Naruto. Some considered him a demon himself. But they were all sworn to secrecy by the third Hokage, who returned to his post to lead the village after his successor’s death. So Naruto grew up lonely and uncared for. His only hope was that the other children didn’t know that the powerful Nine-tailed Fox resided within him.
Despite all of this, Naruto perseveres. He has an indomitable spirit. And that strength is a theme that runs through entire series, rallying the audience to this underdog’s struggles. His friends become his family. And they learn to appreciate him for his courage, loyalty and humor. It’s a compelling story. Yet, it’s also fun and exciting. I really like Naruto. And I think you might too. It’s a great show! Or as Naruto would say, “Believe it!”
Technorati Tags: Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, Hidden Leaf Village, Hokage, Nine Tail Fox Demon, Kybui, Cartoon Network, Toonami, Jetstream, ninja, anime, manga, Shonen Jump, Mizuki, Iruka
