Masashi Kishimoto is one of the most famous mangakas and for good reason. Naruto has been a classic manga/anime for more than a decade and serves as a starting point for uncountable otakus.
Rather than simply focusing on battles and power-ups, Naruto shows the power of forgiveness. Kishimoto also added plenty of complex characters like Itachi and Obito as well as some awesome fight choreographies. Yet, there are haters out there who criticize Naruto senselessly.
Does Naruto Have the Weakest Writing Among the Big Three?
The Big Three of the Shonen manga/anime world are those who have continuously reigned over the hearts of people. The current big three are One Piece, Bleach, and Naruto. Each of the series has its own charm and are not comparable to the others. Yes, all of them belong to the Shonen genre but their plots could not be more different than the rest.
One Piece is a tale of pirates and a struggle against a corrupt system. In the series, you will get a ton of heart-wrenching incidents that will wake you up to the cruelty of humans. Bleach on the other hand shows Ichigo fighting for the Soul Society against villains who want to destroy the world. He is just another teenager on whom huge responsibilities have been thrust upon.
So how is Naruto any different from Luffy and Ichigo? All three protagonists have struggled in their lives, but Naruto has arguably the most tragic life. He was raised without his parents, witnessed the death of the one person who he considered a father figure and mentor, and many more.
Of course, Naruto also has its fair share of brain farts in the plot. Some elements are left unexplained while the deaths of a few characters are controversial. But overall, Naruto is still a masterpiece.
The Master-Strokes of Masashi Kishimoto in Naruto
Masashi Kishimoto‘s strength lies in creating complex characters. He has talked about his obsession with characters and their personalities many times and has admitted that he cannot make a character do something that is against their nature. So of course, the mangaka has created gems like Itachi Uchiha, Gaara, Rock Lee, Jiraiya, and more.
When Naruto beat Gaara, he never had to fight his opponent, but rather won by connecting with Gaara on a deeper level. Gaara was abused as a child and had to face much pain and hardship. Naruto was able to relate to Gaara’s pain because he too survived without anyone who would take care of him.
Rock Lee on the other hand only uses taijutsu because he can’t use ninjutsu. He had to work harder than anybody to be on the same level as the other shinobi. His legendary battle against Gaara proved just how hardworking he has been. Jiraiya, the perverted sensei of Naruto was the only one who cared for Naruto like a father figure. However, his death was orchestrated to give Naruto a chance to grow up and develop out of his cocoon. It was after Jiraiya’s death that Naruto took the tough decision to let go of his rage and pain, immediately differentiating himself from Sasuke.
Of course, there are multiple characters in Naruto who have the most beautifully crafted yet tragic backstories. Fans love Naruto not only because of its battle choreography but also for his unique way of solving things via Talk-no Jutsu.
You can read Naruto on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
