There are very few characters in Naruto who have earned fame and recognition as much as Jiraiya, the legendary Sannin. Although he was not the main character, his impact on the story put him on the level of the major Naruto characters. He was one of the characters who shaped Naruto to become a strong and powerful savior and fulfill his dreams.
OG Naruto fans know what importance Jiraiya held in the story and in the life of Naruto. This is why they not only liked him but also respected him despite his pervy actions, which were used for comedic relief. However, the new generation of anime and manga fans might not be as happy with the character of Jiraiya as the previous generation was.
There have been reports about fans trying to cancel Jiraiya because of his comedic actions that some would consider dubious. Fans have disregarded his contribution to the series and are targeting him for things that had no narrative importance whatsoever.
The Comedic Element in Jiraiya’s Character
When Jiraiya was introduced in the Naruto story, he was portrayed as a complacent and prideful Shinobi who seemed a little overconfident about his talents. He would make jokes that were only funny to him and would represent himself with overly dramatic introductions that worked as a comedic aspect of his character.
However, he proved his worth as a Sannin during Orochimaru’s invasion. He not only helped in controlling Orochimaru’s attack but also helped in locating Tsunade for the role of fourth Hokage of Konoha. He traveled with Naruto, and while he taught him the first few steps of Rasengan, he also continued on his pervy adventures, which he deemed “research.”
While this was a morally dubious aspect of his character, the sole purpose of portraying Jiraiya like this was to gather a few laughs and use it for comedic reflection.
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It had no effect on the central narrative or Naruto’s training, and when the situation became serious, he was always the first one to step in and make sure no one got hurt.
New Generation Naruto Fans Are Cancelling Jiraiya
Jiraiya’s efforts are one of the main reasons why Naruto was able to not only stop the Fourth Shinobi World War but also save the world. He always motivated him to do the right thing and even helped him confront the tailed beast (Kurama) within him and befriend him. However, the new generation of Naruto fans seems to be overlooking all this.
Masashi Kishimoto’s only reason for portraying Jiraiya the way he did was to add the element of laughter and gag in the story.
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And he was not the first character who was used perviness for comedic relief. Even Naruto’s sexy jutsu was a way of adding a comedic aspect to his character, and the previous generation of fans understood it.
Nowadays, Naruto fans feel that Kishimoto might have gone overboard with Jiraiya’s character, and there was no need to draw him the way he did. However, if Kishimoto had made Jiraiya into a serious wise old man, it would not only affect his past narrative but also disrupt the fame he earned as one of the most popular Naruto characters ever.
You can watch Naruto on Hulu.
