Should I Keep Watching Naruto?
Maybe you are in the middle of Naruto or Naruto Shippūden, and you are thinking about dropping the show because of the crazy fillers. As a person who finished the show I can confidently say, you can skip the filler episodes.
Yes Naruto gets better. You can skip the filler episodes. The payoff at the end is worth it.
Zabuza & Haku
The reason I write this post is because I too once thought Naruto was not worth finishing. Although Zabuza and Haku were formidable opponents, and Naruto’s epic speech in the Land Of Waves Arc (prologue in the manga) are great, it is really hard to watch. It is a 19 episode arc, that could have been told in less than 11 or 12.
After this arc, the series gets increasingly better. One of the hardest things about watching Naruto can be what fans call, “talk no jutsu.” Talk no jutsu is when Naruto makes an attempt to “talk” to his opponent instead of fighting them. There’s usually yelling involved, somebody is always trying to be acknowledged by someone, and long stares aren’t too uncommon.
Some of the fights very early on in the series can be hard to get through because they last a lot longer than they should (Orochimaru vs. Third Hokage). Despite these flaws in the writing, once that thing happens to Sasuke, I promise the show picks up.
The Third Hokage
Naruto is a show that presents its main character as an underdog, and all you want him to do is beat up all of his foes. You can’t help but root for the guy. The characters established from the very beginning (Team 7) remain very important figures until the end of Shippūden. Plot points discussed early on get expanded upon later in the show.
Some people in the anime community tend to talk very critically of Naruto and Naruto Shippūden. They mention things relating to filler episodes, and the functionality of certain characters in the story. My advice is to watch the series blindly. Understand why the characters act the way they do, and try to put yourself in their various situations.
You are probably reading this because you want to keep watching the show, but you just don’t think it’s worth it. Keep at it, and I promise you that it takes off. Enjoy the show while it is still only about ninjas. Once the second series “starts,” Naruto becomes a show about power and even, political ideologies.
The Akatsuki
Fans enjoy the first series because of its nostalgia. What you must know is many Naruto fans have grown up with the show, and it also serves as the first anime many people have seen. The original series might be hard to get through as a seasoned anime fan, considering animation styles of today are much more advanced than they were in the early 2000’s.
If you are a person who has not seen any anime series before this one, I recommend sticking with Naruto until the very end. We could go on and on about the fillers, and we can question the motives of certain characters, but at the end of the day, Naruto is still a great series to watch.
The villains introduced in the second half have scary motives, and they are terrifying for a reason. Each character has their reasoning, and if you want to be able to fully appreciate the show, you should pay close attention to all the canon episodes.
Despite the show’s flaws, many people agree that the ending climax is done perfectly. The creators of the show set out to make an emotional and impactful climax, and that’s exactly what took place. It is only my hope that you can stick with the series until the end so you can witness the culmination of what so many people love.
Once you see this…you’ve made it
FINAL POINT
Naruto and Naruto Shippūden are not perfect shows by any means. Sometimes the talk no jutsu goes for a tad too long, and a few of the characters are detractors from the plot. Not all the arcs are great, and sometimes they can be quite boring. However, there is a reason why people love Naruto. People can identify with the story this show tells; and the series is just downright fun to watch (especially with friends).
So please, keep watching Naruto. I promise that you’ll find something you like about it, and I GUARANTEE you, you will drop a few tears along the way. It’s a mainstay in shounen anime, and it’s a legendary one at that. Believe it.
