I know threads about why someone else does or doesn't like something I do or don't like are abundant, but this is one I just really don't understand, and I'd be interested to know why. Personally, it?s not my favorite anime, but I love it anyway. It?s a fantastic coming-of-age story with interesting, strategic battles and well-developed characters that are easy to care deeply about.
It?s fine not to like it, of course; you are entitled to your tastes. But the anime community seems to largely consider Naruto the quintessential example of a terrible, overrated anime, like it?s the cool thing to hate, and I just don?t understand that.
A common complaint I?ve heard is about the filler, but the fact is this is not sufficient reason to decry the show?s quality, mainly because it is simply the lesser of two evils. Shows like Full Metal Alchemist and Death Note, while both amazing shows, amount to disappointing endings because they just did their own thing when they caught up with the manga. Naruto instead takes the approach of making a filler arc when it catches up to the manga on which it?s based, in order to let the manga get ahead enough for the anime to adapt it. Filler is necessary in order to keep the show running while allowing the show to still follow the story of its source material. That?s far better than just going off on its own and eventually ending disappointingly.
Beyond that, if you hate the filler, skip it. The rest of the show is great, even if some of the filler really isn?t; something such as filler, which is made specifically so it can be easily skipped, simply does not speak to the quality of the show as a whole.
I?ve heard plenty about the constant flashbacks and monologues, but it?s really only a little more excessive than most everything that comes out of Japan. They love that stuff. When a character realizes something important, or has a moment of self-reflection, they will monologue about it. That?s how it works; the vast majority of anime and JRPGs consist largely of this inner dialogue. So I don?t understand how this can be an argument against one particular show without being an argument against the entire artistic culture (which I think we can all agree would be a bit ethno-centric).
These are just my thoughts; anyone care to share what it is that apparently makes this show so terrible?
EDIT: The English dub is also a weak argument (though it is awful). Don't complain if what amounts to an American vocal adaptation is sub-par, just watch the original.
