Naruto is a story about a orphan kid who becomes a ninja. If you look at Naruto's story objectively it's actually pretty good. It has all the stuff you would likely want in a story; rivalries, fighting, ninjas, friendship, philosophical moralizing etc... What ultimately makes this shounen different from say a DBZ or a Bleach is that all these things are all woven better into the story making a better cohesive story. There aren't any real devastating plot twists that come from nowhere in Naruto. The most important things that happen are foreshadowed a good deal throughout. Each arc ultimately ties into the next unlike a DBZ and the degradation in story isnt as quick as a Bleach. The story is woven and complete (IMO) throughout the 100+ episodes.
The characters in the show is another huge plus. Sure the titular character, Naruto, is irritating but the real strength here is the wealth of background characters in Naruto. Each of them through the series (manga related episodes) are given, for lack of better words, their time to shine. The themes related to each character also makes for interesting dialogue between them. Which brings me to dialogue which is another standout. The tone shifts quite abit through the 150ish episodes but the humor, dramatic scenes, or moralizing/psuedo-philosophical stuff all come off reasonably natural.
Next the music is reasonably good. It has a nice feel to the music and it fits the scene pretty well. The theme 'Sadness and Sorrow' is a nice piece but tends to be overplayed in the dramatic places.
By now you probably realized that I really liked Naruto, I watched it years ago but I still enjoy watching an episode here and there. I was a little discouraged when people my age were beginning to shut out Naruto for more 'edgier' animes. I dont think someone should put down Naruto because it's a kid show. Sure it's a little silly here and there but ultimately watching it makes a dam good time. I've watched a good share of animes but I have to say Naruto is still the most fun (doesn't mean its the best). Rejecting the things that were important in your youth seems almost natural but in this case it's unwarranted. Watch, enjoy. Rewatch, enjoy more.
**This is a review of the ep1- the last manga arc of Naruto disregarding the fillers and Shippuden (which I have not seen- more proof that I'm not just a fanboy... maybe) **
