Ask John: What Makes Naruto Good?

Question:
Why is Naruto so popular? At anime conventions there are tons and tons of Naruto cosplayers. Also there seems to be a lot of merchandise. What exactly makes the series so popular?

Answer:
While I’m sure that some fans will object to the comparison strictly on a reactionary level, I think it’s accurate to call Naruto this generation’s Dragonball. Naruto and Dragonball have a lot in common. Both are boy’s adventure series about super powered fighters. Both are based on best selling manga published in Shonen Jump Magazine. Both have large casts of characters. And both emphasize the value of loyalty, friendship, sacrifice, and motivation. However, one difference between Naruto and Dragonball is exactly what characteristics make these shows so appealing and involving for viewers. I think that Dragonball was appealing because of its characters. I think that Naruto’s strengths are its characters and its setting.

There’s much more to the cast of Naruto than first meets the eye. The characters in Naruto are consistently engaging and more complex than they may seem. Naruto Uzumaki is outgoing, cheerful and hot-tempered, but he acts that way to hide his insecurity and loneliness. Uchiha Sasuke seems confident and aloof, but he likewise harbors deep feelings of guilt and uncertainty. Haruno Sakura is short tempered and selfish on the surface, but in fact actually very considerate, loyal, and self-sacrificing at heart. In fact, nearly all of the major characters in Naruto are sympathetic or emotionally vulnerable to some degree. The villains are conflicted or devious, which makes them fascinating. All of the Naruto characters are interesting because they’re convincing. They’re multi-faceted, which allows viewers to invest a lot of consideration into them. The complexity of the characters also makes them unpredictable, which in turn maintains a sense of tension in the show. Even comic episodes and “filler” episodes of Naruto are still enjoyable because it’s not the action that viewers watch for. Viewers care about the characters in Naruto. They characters alone are interesting enough to keep viewers interested.

I think that many viewers relate to the Naruto characters, or want to relate to the Naruto characters because the characters seem more natural and believable than characters in many other anime. But Naruto pulls viewers into its world through more than just its characters. The Naruto story is based on a concept of multiple rival ninja villages, each designated by their own insignia. That’s a subtle and brilliant literary technique because that setting allows and even encourages viewers to place themselves within the Naruto world. Naruto literally invites viewers to imagine themselves as ninja, as unseen citizens in the background of Naruto Uzumaki’s story. Star Wars and Star Trek offer fans the opportunity to choose and join sides. American sci-fi and comic conventions are often filled with fans in Imperial and Jedi costumes, and Starfleet and Klingon outfits. Naruto provides the exact same ability for immersion, which explains why so many anime conventions are filled with people in Naruto cosplay.

Naruto is a fun, exciting story filled with characters that viewers want to know, and want to be. With most anime, viewers watch passively. Naruto is involving and immersive, which is why it’s so much more popular than most anime, and why it inspires such a devoted fan following.