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Warning: This review contains some spoilers!

Naruto, one of the most popular anime out there and one of the most discussed shows too, inspiring passionate discourse even to this day. Despite being far less popular in Japan compared to it's other shounen contemporary One piece, its better produced anime adaptation has propelled it to equal or even greater fame in the international community. However, unlike One Piece which mostly sticks to a tried and true plot structure, Naruto's plot is far less organized, being largely without direction in it's first part and with bits that drag out, seem contrived or don't entirely make sense towards the ... end. The discussion around the show too is rather unfocused with a lot of the discussion being power level talk, meme tier analysis of characters and largely uninformed takes on the animation. Despite the lack of broad consensus on its messy plot, I do believe that Naruto develops coherent themes through its run. Perhaps this review/analysis will have ideas that have been said before but looking at the state of discourse surrounding the show I'd like to try to change people's opinions on some aspects and offer my perspective on it having finished it fairly recently.

Perhaps the main draw of Naruto is in its worldbuilding, with it's ninja villages with buildings of modern looking architecture but wrapped up in traditional Japanese mythos and aesthetic. The ninja in Naruto don't exactly perform the same role as traditional ninja, serving more as a sort of militaristic force. These military villages engage in a sort of power struggle not too unlike nations in our own world. But in the ninja word of Naruto, the villages seek to arm children to use in their fights and even turn them into weapons of mass destruction by sealing powerful spirits in them. Indeed, the Ninja world is one stuck in vicious cycles of hatred, where acts of aggression leave survivors who seek retribution which in turn leave their own seeds of hatred.

The show explores its themes of imperialism and the circular nature of violence through its two main characters, Naruto and Sasuke. Though they've both been through difficult circumstances in the past (despite being just kids), Sasuke is consumed by hatred and his desire for revenge while Naruto remains empathetic. It's this empathy in spite of suffering that is the driving force of the show. From Zabuza to Gaara to Pain and Tobi later in the series, Naruto is able to conquer his own hatred and reach out to those consumed by hatred themselves. Through his empathy he offers an alternative to the extreme measures his enemies are forced to adopt, and by believing in Naruto, they believe in the idea that the ninja world can get past their differences and mutual hatred to reach a common understanding.

Naruto reaching out to his enemies is dubbed as "Talk-no-jutsu" and is dismissed as one of the quirky, illogical failures of Naruto. But in my opinion, empathy beating hatred through Talk-no-jutsu is the entire point of the show. There is also a belief in the fandom that Naruto was fated to become hokage, having immense power and being a reincarnation of one of the founders of the ninja world. As such, the anime goes against its own message in the first part that fate doesn't matter and that anyone can achieve what they wish for if they don't give up. However I think that the revelation of Naruto being a reincarnation is meant to convey a theme of defying fate rather than being a blessing for Naruto. As reincarnations of Indra and Asura, Naruto and Sasuke are fated to fight to the bitter end being locked in a curse of hating each other through multiple lifetimes. However Naruto is able to make Sasuke accept his way of doing things and breaks this 'curse'. Though this is a bit of a weaker point, I also think that Naruto is able to become hokage not due to his strength from being a Jinchuuriki or reincarnation, but because of his empathetic nature allowing him to bring peace to the ninja world.

There is also a question of how Sasuke is perceived by the fandom. Sasuke becomes Orochimaru's accomplice but is able to obtain use of his resources and improve his abilities without being taken advantage of. And Sasuke isn't really wrong in his decision to seek revenge on Danzo when he learns that he was responsible for nearly wiping out his entire race. In a sense Sasuke belongs to same class of characters that fictional villains like magneto belong to, in that his beliefs are right but the plot requires him to do evil things in order to undermine his rebellion against established powers in the ninja world. While I like the message the series tries to push with Naruto beating his opponents with empathy, it isn't really realistic and Naruto is only able to accomplish what he does thanks to his main character power. Through Sasuke we see a somewhat more realistic take on the story, a flawed teenager trying to change his flawed world.

Finally we get to the production aspects of the show. In my watch of Naruto I saw some of the worst as well as the best bits of animation I have ever seen in anime. In particular, I loved the work of animator Norio Matsumoto. He was responsible for some of the best fights in Naruto like the famous Rock Lee vs Gaara fight as well as many others and also the controversial Pain fight. Norio tends to simplify his character models a bit in his work and also incorporates exaggerated squash and stretch movements that are more often seen in western animation. These exaggerated frames are often taken out of context and used to mock the animation in the show. While I'm not fond of his work in the Pain fight, his work on the rest of the show is absolutely top tier so I've always found the mocking of his work really distasteful. He possesses an amazing talent for fight choreography and is able to pull off extremely difficult bits background animation. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Naruto anime wouldn't be what it is without Norio Matsumoto. Even aside from Matsumoto's work, there are plenty of other talented animators who have worked on the show and I think every animation enthusiast who is into anime should give Naruto a watch. I've even heard stories from animators all over the world who've watched Naruto as kids and been inspired to take up animation as a career partly due to the show. So for people who say 'read the manga' I heavily disagree, just skipping the filler episodes should give you an enjoyable anime experience.

Sora no Aosa wo Shiru Hito yo: Dreams, reality and what it means to be an adult

Akane Aioi and Shinno Kanamuro promise to go to tokyo together when they graduate from highschool. But when her parents die in an accident, Akane is forced to break the promise to raise her little sister. 13 years later, Shinno returns to his hometown older, worn out and unable to achieve his dreams.

A classic tale of adult disillusionment. You've probably seen it happen to someone or maybe you've experienced it yourself. An adolescent belief of being destined for greatnesses being crushed by reality. At the start, the characters ... in the film paint a grim picture of adulthood: 'Grin and bear with it', living with regrets, hiding your feelings, giving up on your goals. Ultimately though Sora no Aosa wo Shiru Hito yo (SnAwSHy? SASH?) rejects this perception of adulthood. It's not too late to achieve what you wish for, and its never too late to be honest about the way you feel. This is a message that likely echoes writer Mari Okada's own experience, as someone who was once a shut-in and now has a very successful career in Anime.

Despite having well realized themes and thoughtful story, the movie is fairly slow paced and can be pretty dry at times. The protagonist is bratty and hard to relate to and the other characters aren't super likeable either. Not really a film with mass appeal but a good film nevertheless in my opinion.

The background art is very impressive as you would expect from an anime movie production and the animation can be very good at times, especially in the music scenes. If I had one complaint about the art, a few scenes were poorly composited, making the characters stand out way too much from the photorealistic background. I'm a fan of that sort of aesthetic though so I wasn't particularly bothered.

Overall I'd recommend this film, especially to people who like self-discovery/coming-of-age narratives. Being a fan of these sorts of stories myself I look forward to Mari Okada's next work, 'A Whisker Away' that should be releasing soon.