Naruto

Moments before Naruto Uzumaki's birth, a huge demon known as the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village, and wreaked havoc. In order to put an end to the demon's rampage, the leader of the village, the Fourth Hokage, sacrificed his life and sealed the monstrous beast inside the newborn Naruto.

In the present, Naruto is a hyperactive and knuckle-headed ninja growing up within Konohagakure. Shunned because of the demon inside him, Naruto struggles to find his place in the village. His one burning desire to become the Hokage and be acknowledged by the villagers who despise him. However, while his goal leads him to unbreakable bonds with lifelong friends, it also lands him in the crosshairs of many deadly foes.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Uzumaki, Naruto Main

Takeuchi, Junko Japanese

Hatake, Kakashi Main

Inoue, Kazuhiko Japanese

Uchiha, Sasuke Main

Sugiyama, Noriaki Japanese

Haruno, Sakura Main

Nakamura, Chie Japanese

Uchiha, Itachi ing

Ishikawa, Hideo Japanese

Nara, Shikamaru ing

Canna, Nobutoshi Japanese

Jiraiya ing

Ootsuka, Houchuu Japanese

Gaara ing

Ishida, Akira Japanese

Hyuuga, Hinata ing

Mizuki, Nana Japanese

Namikaze, Minato ing

Morikawa, Toshiyuki Japanese

Kobayashi, Noriko Producer

Simone, Jamie Producer, ADR Director

Hagino, Ken Producer

Date, Hayato Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Apr 15, 2025

duskwoven

Recommended

Naruto is a masterpiece. Yeah, you read it right. So I started rewatching Naruto from the very beginning because yeah... I missed it that much. I missed the orange jumpsuit, the clumsy jutsu, the awkward friendships slowly turning into unbreakable bonds. I missed that feeling of growing up with these kids, watching them fall down a hundred times and still get up again, stronger, louder, messier, but always more real.

What hits me hardest on this rewatch is how deep the lore actually is. Like, beyond the memes and filler arcs, Naruto’s story is rooted in generational trauma, war, ideology, and the struggle to break the ... cycle. It’s a show about orphans, broken clans, about people craving love but choosing hate because that’s the only way they know how to survive. It gets dark. It gets personal.

And the plot twist in the final arc? Whew. Kaguya, the literal god-tier origin of chakra, isn’t just thrown in for shock, she’s a symbol. A reminder that even peace can have roots in control, that power ed down from the beginning of time can still poison the world unless it’s used right. Her sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, birthed the shinobi world, only for their own descendants, Ashura and Indra, to repeat the same feud in reincarnated bodies. Naruto and Sasuke were never just kids, they were fate-bound, chosen, cursed. That’s why their rivalry feels so massive. That’s why when they fight, the whole world watches.

And when it all comes full circle… Naruto doesn’t win because he’s strong. He wins because he understands. He listens. He says: I’ll carry your pain with me. That’s some poetic, next-level peace talk right there.

I'm also just, completely baffled by the Sakura hate. Like… you guys do realize she’s human, right? Yes, she cries. Yes, she messes up. But y’all crying about her being weak while you’re lying in bed overthinking your own texts?? Everybody has flaws. Sakura grew from someone insecure and unsure of herself to someone willing to stand beside gods in battle. And she’s still hated? People just love hating girls who aren't perfect. Sorry not sorry.

And let’s talk about Kishimoto. Man’s a genius. The way he weaves history, karma, family trauma, philosophical takes on peace and war… it’s nuts. The deeper message that revenge only breeds more revenge? It changed me. It really did. Forgiveness isn’t easy, but it’s the only way out of the cycle. And even then, peace is temporary. Balance is everything. Good and evil will always exist, yin and yang. The best you can do is not let hatred be the thing that drives you.

I feel so lucky I got to grow up with Naruto. It shaped how I see the world, how I view strength and kindness. And honestly, I’m glad it didn’t lean too hard on pain and despair like some newer anime that scream masterpiece but just feel empty. Naruto makes you feel everything.

TL;DR: Naruto isn’t just a ninja anime, it’s a generational epic. It's a story about cycles of hatred, inherited trauma, and the choice to forgive. It blends shonen action with real emotional growth, all wrapped in lore that goes so deep, from the Sage of Six Paths and his sons to the reincarnation twist. Kishimoto really snapped with this one. That’s why it has such a huge fanbase, because it speaks to every part of you: your loneliness, your anger, your dreams, your need to be seen. Also stop hating Sakura for being human thx.

Thanks for reading.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Jan 4, 2025

MrSlamboni

Mixed Feelings

In a lot of ways, Naruto is better than its sequel, Shipuuden. The power levels are tame so there is less of "throw explosive lasers at each other until one side wins." Naruto is also characterized in a more interesting way than his Shipuuden version. He's a cheeky prankster which makes for an entertaining and endearing main character. I know that he had to grow up, but that's just a shame.

Despite being a fan of the series, partly through nostalgia and partly through appreciation, I think some parts don't stand the test of time. The animation in most of the show hasn't aged well. It's ... inconsistent and even feels choppy at some points. There's also the aspect of people staring at each other for too long, padding the runtime. The yapping is cheesy a lot of the time. The villains aren't characterized in an interesting way (in this part at least). Also, the bulk of the story doesn't happen here, making this a really long introduction.

Obvious advice: Don't watch the filler. If there's anything that can cut down the staring and filler, go for it. It's very cheesy and old, but it's also unique and memorable.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jan 15, 2022

AmadeusCho2021

Not Recommended

Funny

Uh what a bad anime.

STORY
Classic zero to hero story. But it's a very lazy story and full of bullshit.
The power balance of the characters is ridiculous. Very weak characters can suddenly get power-ups and be victorious. The relationship between Sasuke and Naruto makes me to my stomach. It seems so fake that people who hate each other so much have weird love.

ART
The visuals are very bad as they have to shoot so many episodes. There is almost no fighting animation. Have silly word duels.

SOUND
... Naruto's voice is incredibly annoying. Other than that no problem.

CHARACTER
Oh man... I hate Naruto,Sasuke and Sakura really bad. All of them are incredibly frustrating. I love Kakashi. But I hate most characters of Naruto. Cringy.

ENJOYMENT
There are many flashbacks. Characters are looking each other lmao. Saying same things again and again. Most of episodes are soooo boring.

Oh man. What a garbage.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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