I liked Naruto when I first got in to it a few years ago, but the luster has faded for two reasons.
ONE: As has been repeated by many people before me, EVERYONE in the series (with little exception) is a ninja. Sure it's a series about ninjas, but it's hard to get contrast, both with characters and battles when both sides are playing the sneaky, clever, instant death warrior cards. Every time a new villain or minor character is introduced it's another ninja. (Yes, there are exceptions but so few that the point is moot.)
TWO: The action moves very, VERY slowly. Most episodes spent the first five to ten minutes re-hashing what little plot had crawled out of the last episode and there was so much filler when the writers were still deciding on what direction to take the story. You know the pacing resembles the average land speed of a snail when there is an arc called "The Filler Arc".
Something that I have always respected Naruto for is its quality of animation. The fight scenes always look spectacular and I will always cherish the days I spent ogling at the Gaara vs. Rock Lee fight.
Naruto is a good anime, but could have been made exemplary by cutting out the extemporaneous fat that repetition, filler, and excessive back story created, and replacing that fat with the lean, fit muscle of quicker pacing, direction, and less ninjas.
ONE: As has been repeated by many people before me, EVERYONE in the series (with little exception) is a ninja. Sure it's a series about ninjas, but it's hard to get contrast, both with characters and battles when both sides are playing the sneaky, clever, instant death warrior cards. Every time a new villain or minor character is introduced it's another ninja. (Yes, there are exceptions but so few that the point is moot.)
TWO: The action moves very, VERY slowly. Most episodes spent the first five to ten minutes re-hashing what little plot had crawled out of the last episode and there was so much filler when the writers were still deciding on what direction to take the story. You know the pacing resembles the average land speed of a snail when there is an arc called "The Filler Arc".
Something that I have always respected Naruto for is its quality of animation. The fight scenes always look spectacular and I will always cherish the days I spent ogling at the Gaara vs. Rock Lee fight.
Naruto is a good anime, but could have been made exemplary by cutting out the extemporaneous fat that repetition, filler, and excessive back story created, and replacing that fat with the lean, fit muscle of quicker pacing, direction, and less ninjas.
