CHARACTERS: The best part of the show is the diverse interesting set of characters. I would argue that I love them more than the main character in many ways. Everyone has interesting traits and each characters grows and changes during the series. The Japanese voices are the best in terms of how they are acted. However later in the series it gets to the point where there are too many to keep track of so I made a link to 2 character maps for you for later in the series.
STORY: This is a story about more than ninjas. It is about community, fighting for your dreams, overcoming prejudice, learning from the regrets of the past, learning to overcome hatred and fighting for a better future for all. It gets convoluted and difficult to keep track of every character at times. Every character is developed as the series goes on and has a back story that makes you understand even the worst characters. The tone of the show ranges from fun & childish to dark. It all does comes together nicely and is well rounded by the different tones.
On the downside, there are too many flashbacks that represent more of an emotional state rather than ones that give context to the story so I can forgive those. The Filler is also beyond bad; however I enjoyed the filler during the great ninja war. Because of excess of characters it is too easy to become lost and that becomes even worst during the filler episodes.
GRAPHICS/SOUNDS: It is not important to me (I am a story/character person) so it is best to go to other reviewers. I mean I love the theme and how it fits. I love the animation and the sound track… even after 400+ episodes I never started to hate it.
VOICE ACTING: Watch the sub version ONLY. Never watch the English version because the translation and voice acting is terrible. “Believe it” and believe me.
THE BEST PART: I feel like this is a piece of art that makes my soul grow/glow warm. I really care about these characters and the story makes me think about life. This is a series all about growing up and the change it brings.
WARNING: You have to watch the original Naruto Series First. I HIGHLY suggest you only watch the sub version. The English actors are the worst of the worst. It is so poorly translated that it will make you HATE this anime. Also Skip every, and I MEAN EVERY, filler series. As much of a fan I am I HATE the filler and they are not important to the main story.
SKIP THE FILLER EPISODES WHICH ARE: 57-70, 90-111, 144-151, 170 & 171, 223-242, 258-260, 279-281, 284-295, 303-320, 347-361, 376-377, 389-390, 391-393, 394 – 413, 416 – 417, 419, 422-423, 427-I WILL UPDATE.
I am the type of person that likes to see everything so when I tell you to skip it, you know you can trust me when I say it is stupid, bad, and full of contradictions/plot holes. I HATE the filler. My rating of the show with the filler is like a 6.5. Do not watch it… just do NOT do that to yourself. I personally found enjoyment in watching the fillers in the great ninja war but the problem is you get lost because you forget characters and get lost. I will fill in the fillers I liked later.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: This is one of the best amines I have ever seen. Seriously skip the filler and watch the SUB version only.
CHARACTER MAPS:
After all AKATSUKI Revealed: http://safrika.deviantart.com/art/Naruto-Complete-Character-Tree-119003764
Start of the war: http://penjualkomik.blogspot.com/2010/10/salasilah-komik-naruto-naruto-family.html
