Detective Conan

Detective Conan Meitantei Konan^?, lit. Great Detective Conan) is a Japanese detective manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It has been serialized in the Japanese manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Sunday since 1994 and had been collected in eighty-seven Tankōbonvolumes by August 18th, 2015.

The manga has been adapted into an anime series by the animation studio Tokyo Movie Shinsha, directed by Kenji Kodama (episode 1 to 252), Yasuichiro Yamamoto (episode 110 to 332, 667 to 677, 681 to the last episode to date), Masato Sato (episode 318 to 504), Koujin Ochi (505 to 666, and 678 to 680), and is broadcast in Japan on Nippon Television, Yomiuri TVand Animax. The series debuted on January 8th, 1996 and will have broadcast 784 episodes by July 1th, 2015. The series has seen high levels of popularity in both manga and anime formats in Japan since its reception, and has also been adapted into nineteen Golden Week movies, with the first released on April 17th, 1997 and since then followed with a movie released each year, always in the month of April. Ten of the movies held a top 10 box office position in the year they were screened. In addition, five Magic Filesrelated to the movies and twelve Original Video Animations have been released.

Conan Edogawa

The story follows the adventures of Shinichi Kudo (also known as Jimmy Kudo in Case Closed), a young detective prodigy who was inadvertently shrunk into a child's body due to a poison he was force-fed by members of a criminal syndicate. Neighbor and family friend Professor Agasastrongly suggested Shinichi hide his identity to prevent them from killing him and the people he cares about, so Shinichi takes the name Conan Edogawa. He goes to live with his childhood friend Ran Mouri and her father, Kogoro, and tries to use Kogoro's detective agency as a way to find the people who shrank him—without letting Ran figure out who he really is.

Detective Conan in USA

InfoLanguage:EnglishContinents:North America, Europe, and AustraliaNo. of Episodes:130No. of Volumes:58 (On-going)Published by:Viz Media, FUNimation

Detective Conan is known as "Case Closed" in North America. The name "Case Closed" results from concerns of copyright conflict of the name Detective Conan.^[1]

Viz Media licensed the manga series under the name for English-language publication in North America and currently has fifty-seven volumes and plans to release fifty-eight and fifty-nine in mid 2016.

Because Victor Gollancz Ltd canceled publication of Detective Conan after 15 volumes in UK,^[2] Viz Media continues to handle UK's distribution with the American edition. Funimation Entertainment licensed the anime series for North American broadcast under the name Case Closed. The character names were also adapted into English ones with some names different between the two. Fifty episodes of the English dubbed series aired on Cartoon Network as part of their Adult Swim programming block on May 24th, 2004 until January 2005 and were discontinued due to low ratings In Canada, Case Closed premiered 22 episodes were broadcasted between April 7th, 2006 and September 2nd, 2006 A separate English adaptation of the series by Animax Asia premiered in the Philippines on January 18th, 2006, under the name Detective Conan.Because Animax were unable to obtain further TV broadcast rights, their version comprised 52 episodes.The series continued with reruns until August 7, 2006, when it was removed from the station. Funimation also released DVDs of their dubbed series beginning August 24th, 2004. Initially, the releases were done in single DVDs and future episodes were released in seasonal boxes; as of 2009, they have released 130 episodes dubbed in English. The seasonal boxes were later re-released in redesigned boxes entitled Viridian edition.The first six films were released on Region 1 DVD in North America between October 3rd 2006 and February 16th 2010, and sold very well.

As a part of its syndication with the Funimation Channel, Colours TV aired Case Closed at the night-time progamming block, premiering on June 19th 2006. Till 2012, no more than 130 episodes (episodes 1-123 Japanese version) have been dubbed in English. Detective Conan is later broadcasted in North America on NHK's cable network TV Japan.Though anime didn't get that popular in North America, the manga enjoys high success. The first volume appeared trice in the top ten best sellers, right after its premiere,the same volume has also appeared on the ranking list conducted by Diamond Comic Distributors in August, 2004. Later manga volumes have appeared on the New York Times Manga Best Sellers  lists at various times. Volume 41 broke the record making it to the top 5 in sales rank during the week ending on January 14th, 2012.The manga continues to be released in North America, though it trails the Japanese publishing by about 30 volumes.

S. California's UTB, United Television Broadcasting's free digital television station began to re-broadcast already dubbed Case Closed episodes on August 21st, 2011. The next two-episode block was scheduled for Saturday, August 27th, followed by two more episodes on Sunday, August 28th. The episodes were broadcasted at 6:30 a.m and repeated at 10:30 a.m the same day. A one-episode block also aired at 10:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays as well.

Incidentally, the catchphrase for Masumi Sera is 'Case Closed' (whether it's intended as a reference or coincidental is unspecified).

As of 2013, only one Case Closed branded video game was released, which was Case Closed: The Mirapolis Investigation, which was a Nintendo Wii exclusive title and released only in Japan and Europe. It features the English voice cast from the Anime for the English version, and has minor changes in script. It is so far the only English DC Game.

As of April 2013, Funimation has renewed the Case Closed license "For Future Use". Additionally on April 2nd 2013, Funimation announced Starting April 16th 2013 seasons 1-5 would be made available digitally through many online vendors, starting with iTunes, Playstation Network and Xbox Live. Season 1 will be available April 16th, season 2 and 3 in May, and Season 4 and 5 in June. Movie release dates have not been announced, however a hint shown in the description hints at a possible new season. Each episode will be 99 cents a piece. Source

As of October 2014 at NY Comic Con's Crunchy Roll panel, they announced that "Case Closed" would be added to their roster. Later they began subtitling the Japanese episodes at episode 754. The page for the series uses the Case Closed banner from Funimation. Originally the episodes were posted on Saturdays, a week after they air in Japan, but now they will begin to be posted on Wednesdays. As of March 21, 2016 they have subtitled up to episode 812, they do not subtitle specials or movies.

As of January 2016, English language Netflix began to stream episodes under the title "Case Closed". The page for the series uses the Case Closed banner from Funimation. They obtained the rights to air fifty-two episodes in Japanese with subtitles, from episode 748-799. The show's maturity rating is listed as TV-14.

[edit]Critical reception

The series has been well received in Japan, with the anime adaptation ranking in the top twenty in Animage's polls between 1996 until 2000, where it dropped below the top twenty. In the Japanese TV anime ranking, Detective Conan often ranked the top six. It has even been used as a mascot to promote citizens to follow the law. The English adaption has not been as equally popular as in Japan, and has been criticized for the name changes.

The manga is a huge success and it is continued to be published. It won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category in 2000. Some of its volumes appear on the lists of best-selling manga.

The series is successful in Asia and Europe, where some countries translated most of the episodes and volumes. Due to the high popularity DC is re-broadcasting in many countries after the original premieres.

Although popular in many other countries, Case Closed was not as successful in the US, most likely due to poor advertising, name changes, and script changes. Due to this, the "Case Closed" version was cancelled at only 130 episodes. However, the manga is still released by VIZ media.

Demographic

Even though Detective Conan is a Shōnen, its audience is composed of a substantial proportion of female viewers and readers. The series also seems to attract all ages.

]Appearances in other media

Besides his anime and manga appearances, Conan is the protagonist for all the movies and the video games based on the Case Closed series. Several anime and games have parodied, Detective Conan features Conan reading Inuyasha manga first in Episode 200 (aired July 24, 2000). Later, Shinichi and Ran made their cameo appearance in Inuyasha episode 128 (aired October 13, 2003).

Conan has also been used as a character to promote people to follow the law in Japan, due to the popularity of the series.

Death Note

There have only been a handful of times that I have been truly uncomfortable in a movie theater.  The one that most sticks in my mind was going to the cheapo cinema for a buck to see Sin City. It was interesting enough, even though it was rather a moral cesspool of a movie and I never plan to watch it again.  But what disturbed me was that a dad brought his seven-year-old son with him.  The boy was obviously disturbed at the whole thing and asked to leave on a couple of occasions.  Father Dearest gave him a tongue lashing and went back to watching.  Now I have no problems with adults watching entertainment that's not for children; not everything in life has to be palatable to a preteen.  But for me, it's painful when a child's innocence is deadened by a stupid parent who's too selfish to realize that it's his responsibility to guard his kids from this sort of thing, not expose them to it.

In so many words, that's how I feel about Death Note, a 37-episode series from 2006-2007 based on the hit manga that ran in Shonen Jump. The show itself is solidly entertaining, a thriller of high caliber. Episodes fly by, and when my family was out of town recently, I bumrushed the whole thing in two days -- a record for me. The show is defined by high-quality animation (by television standards). So what's the problem? Simply this: it is a show that desperately needs moral underpinning, yet does not have any. That makes it an uncomfortable watch for adults who really start thinking about the program's ramifications. When you think that it was targeted to kids -- young teens who watched it in droves -- you begin to realize just how problematic the series really is.

Death Note tells the story of Light, a strikingly handsome and brilliant young man who one day stumbles across a notebook belonging to an otherworldly creature known as a Shinigami -- a "god of death." Long story short, when you write a person's name in the book according to its specifications, that person dies. Rarely has a "Death Note" fallen into the hands of a human, and no one in the past has used it to any great significance. But Light is different. Light has a unique -- no, make that psychotic -- sense of justice. He believes that he can truly make a better world if he uses the Death Note to kill off the world's criminals. Before long, a string of mafiosos, murderers, and ne'er-do-wells winds up dead in inexplicable fashion. The world knows Light only by the pseudonym Kira, based on a mispronunciation of the English word "killer." But before long, Kira is the one name on everyone's lips.

Having a rampant serial killer on the loose who murders by supernatural means is of great consternation to world governments and police forces, if not average citizens who are aware that Kira is only disposing of criminals, not the law-abiding. Enter L, a genius young detective who has already worked on some of the world's most notorious cases. Unlike Light, L has no fashion sense, cradling himself into a near ball so he can think clearly, and though rail thin, he has a penchant for sweets. Except for their intellects, L and Light couldn't be more unalike. So when Light weasels his way onto the Kira investigation team and becomes L's only true friend, the game is truly afoot.

Death Note's point of view is, of course, that the protagonist is actually Light's Moriarity to L's Holmes. Having a villain as an entertainment centerpiece is nothing new; just look back at Shakespeare's Richard III to see an ignoble main character who addresses the audience as he schemes. More modern examples would be The Sopranos, Pulp Fiction, or even the strikingly similar Showtime series Dexter. Indeed, it is not Light's prominence as a megalomaniac lethario that compromises Death Note as a series. In fact, its viewpoint is so rare in the anime world that it's refreshing.

What makes Death Note deeply problematic instead is its total lack of a moral compass. The manga's creators have said that the intent of the series was never to explore the ramifications of Light's actions; it was to present a dramatic thriller with a cat-and-mouse game. I can accept that Tsugumi Ooba and Takeshi Obata weren't going to create a philosophical manga for Shonen Jump. But Light is presented as a hero. Even members of L's team often admit that they aren't sure if catching Kira is the right thing to do because he's doing so much good at cleaning up the world. L himself isn't interested in the justice aspect; he just wants to get his man.

Death Note becomes not only morally unstable but unrealistic as it progresses. As Kira's work continues, wars stop. Crime plummets. Across the world, people are living in peace. Sounds great, doesn't it? But as we learn within the series, the Death Note only works when its owner knows the name and the face of the person to be killed. Could Light/Kira stop crime in first world countries where the names and pictures of those on trial are published every day? Perhaps. But wide swaths of the planet are not first world. Countless countries around the world, many with some of the highest corruption rates and amounts of lawlessness, are essentially "off the grid." Nobody publicizes when a village is stomped down in some rural part of Africa. Nobody knows the names of the thousands of soldiers in some wannabe dictator's army going around indiscriminately murdering. For the Death Note to work, you've got to have media. No media, no luck. Talk about a logical hole in the plot!

Even worse is that Kira is never wrong. No one wrongly accused or convicted ever dies. Even when he kills off "good guys," it's always to keep from being caught. Only in one fleeting moment of the show do we see the fact that even the worst outlaw has family and friends who care about him. What about the stories of the families of those officers he kills to make good his escapes? Never told. All of this makes it look like Light is not only justified in doing what is morally reprehensible, but deserves his status as a near-god.

All of that is bad, but very little of it is relatable to a teenager. No one's going to be able to kill criminals with a Death Note. Now if the audience were made up of adults, Death Note might be seen as presenting us with a moral conundrum to debate. (In fact, I've had a really good discussion over at THEM Anime on this series, and it shows that adults can have much more stimulating conversations about this show than many others that are just fluff.) However, there's another side of Light's personality that I haven't yet mentioned, one that's very relatable to teens, and that's his willingness to lie, cheat, and deceive in order to achieve his objectives.

Perhaps the best example of this is episode 7, which nearly made me stop watching. By this episode, Light has killed an FBI agent named Ray Pember. His fiance, a former agent, wants to meet with the investigating team to discuss her husband's death. The majority of the episode involves Light walking around with her while the audience hears his inner monologue as he schemes how he can find out her real name so he can kill her. By the end of the episode, he succeeds. Lying to get your way works. Now murder by notebook might be impossible for a teen, but the show presents immoral means to get what you want as very attractive, very successful, and consequence free. If Light is a moral exemplar, which the series does not refute in any way, then why not act accordingly? For an adult with a fully formed sense of right and wrong, the episode was nervewracking and disturbing. But for a teen who hasn't given it much thought? It could seem very appealing.

Before my review sounds completely judgmental, I have to say that Death Note is intriguing and engaging. Despite my lack of warmth for the show as a whole, L quickly became a favorite. His personality quirks and unique style -- and the fact that he is the real hero of the show -- make him a memorable character. There is a surprising amount of humor that lightens the otherwise grim tone (and not in a perfunctory or inappropriate way). The world of the Shinigami itself is creative, and while the show fails to capitalize on it, the "what if" concept of the Death Note is a philosopher's dream. I thought the morality presented was flawed through and through, and it has other problems such as a reliance on overused shonen tropes like internal narrative and an amazingly baffling plot twist two-thirds of the way through that nearly wrecks the final third -- but the curves and turns along the way kept me engaged throughout.

The long and short of it is this: Death Note is wildly inappropriate for the Shonen Jump audience for which it is intended. Middle school and early high school teens are going to have a difficult time sorting out the good from the bad. (Heck, some adults do!) The creators may have wanted to make a simple thriller, but they built a world that cries out for ethical explanations. Giving none is inexcusable. My rating balances the facts: it's an effective thriller, but one that could be morally detrimental to the crowd it seeks to seduce.

Attack on Titan' ('Shingeki no Kyojin'): Film Review

The first installment of Shinji Higuchi’s two-part live-action movie is based on a popular manga and anime series.

The first installment of Shinji Higuchi’s two-part live-action movie based on the popular manga and anime series is a brisk, visually refreshing dark fantasy saga littered with clichés. Attack on Titans is impressive in its ability to inject what is essentially a gory kaiju (monster) movie with elements from Japan’s riveting horror tradition. This hardly comes as a surprise -- Higuchi (Japan Sinks), who's slated to co-direct Godzilla Reboot (2016), was one of Japan's top special effects director. This strength, however, is undermined by hackneyed characterizations. Some fans have criticized the scriptwriters for "watering down" the original characters, a move apparently endorsed by series creator Hajime Isayama. Granted a 98-minute film has to take things much faster than a serialized publication. But resorting to stereotypes is still a cop-out.

Attack on Titan topped the chart on its opening weekend in Japan, with US $5.1 million. If the following are reliable indicators of public taste, the film, slated for a September 30 premiere, should not do poorly in the US. The manga series is wildly successful here -- almost all of its 16 volumes made it to the top of the manga best-sellers’ lists. Japanese horror movies (The Ring, Ju-on) and video games (Silent Hill, Resident Evil) have also done exceedingly well in the US. While Attack on Titan is not a conventional horror film, it does contain aspects of the genre.

The film features sleek back-and-forth between action and drama. Timing and tempo are spot-on, with fast cuts and no scene overstaying its welcome. Corny exposition scenes are jam-packed with things to show and tell — tell mostly; (too) much of the explaining is done via dialogue – and a few melodramatic "If your mom and your spouse both fell into the water, who would you save?" moments.  

Eren (Haruma Miura), Armin (Kanata Hongo) and Mikasa (Kiko Mizuhara, Norwegian Wood) live in a city with enormous walls built to defend against man-eating giants who almost wiped out the human race a century ago. The teenagers ponder what the world beyond is like. Eren, who lost his job again, is cynical about the Titans’ existence. He gives Mikasa his scarf when she gets cold. Armin is the timid friend.

All well and good for an opening, if the characters and their relationships are fleshed out in ensuing scenes. But they’re not. Despite brushes with death and joining the Scouting Legion to avenge loved ones, Eren and Armin remain the rebellious teen and the expositional best friend. This makes them hard to connect with, a situation not helped by the acting and the soundtrack. Mikasa is more interesting. Mizuhara’s performance is aptly enigmatic and the character undergoes a transformation that happens off-screen.

The lack of character development also means that people sometimes behave in logic-defying ways. Women, for example, come across as irrational, strongly maternal beings who, on the brink of disaster, (1) sit mermaid-style and weep, (2) put a man’s hand on their breast, (3) look for babies or (4) play "The End of the World" on the piano.

Compared to the human characters, the Titans are proof that the Japanese are experts when it comes to the uncanny (The Ring). Special modeling director Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police) created them using actors in make-up with help from CG. They’re creepy and grotesque, but also shockingly familiar. At times, the naked humanoids with flat noses, single eyelids and clumsy gait, look almost like stoic peasants, next to young, chicly-coifed protagonists with their chiseled features and Steampunk gadgetry. This makes the cannibalism all the more disturbing, of course. It also diverts some attention away from the crude compositing in the battle scenes.

In terms of the sets, the highlights are the scenes shot on Hashima Island, featuring ruined apartment blocks. However, they might have less of a doomsday vibe for viewers familiar with the island, a UN Heritage Site. Another scene with a toppled chandelier looks like it was plucked out of a music video from 2005 – so corny it’s fun. Otherwise the studio sets are run-of-the-mill.

Dilapidated structures, uprooted communities, and damaged farmlands are all too familiar in post-tsunami Japan. They make threats to territorial integrity appear larger than life. Armin was taught that technological advancement leads to resource depletion and environmental destruction. The Titans seem to hark back to a time when life was both harder and simpler. Could they, like Frankenstein and Godzilla, another TOHO creation, be the children of scientific advances run rampant?

Hunter X Hunter

Synopsis

Gon Freecs, a young boy living with his aunt on Whale Island, thought his father to be dead. That is until a chance meeting with the Hunter Kaito. It is through Kaito that Gon learns of the rich legacy of Hunters, people whom explore the unknown aspects of the world in all its facets. Gon also learns that his father, Jin Freecs, is not only alive but is in fact the greatest Hunter in the world. It is with this knowledge that Gon ventures out into the world with the goal of becoming a Hunter and finding the whereabouts of his father, all the while making several friends and having many adventures of his own.

Review

The lack of fandom surrounding Hunter X Hunter is somewhat enigmatic to me. It is a title that, by all rights, should have a huge buzz behind it. Not only is Hunter X Hunter the work of Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator of Yu Yu Hakusho, but it is also far superior to other currently running big-hype titles, the most prominent of which is Naruto. It manages to be enormously entertaining through its unique concoction of animation, characterization, and plot, without resorting to the cliches that have all too often ruined a seemingly novel show of a similar vein. And yet Hunter X Hunter remains little known. With any luck this review will have a hand in lifting the veil of obscurity that currently surrounds this magnificent title.

To begin with, the story of Hunter X Hunter is vibrant and imaginative, though not at all difficult. Right from the start the aim of this series is made clear, the eventual reunion of Gon with his father. However, the path that is taken to achieve this end is full of twists and turns that continuously succeed in keeping this tale fresh. The viewer is ceaselessly wisked between offbeat situations as varied as the dangerous wilderness to a battle-stage tower with over two hundred floors of increasingly difficult fighting tournaments. It is through these atypical situations that we come to understand the motivations of our lead and become endeared to his cause. A superb level of attention in plotting is also dedicated to the other prominent cast members, including Gon's companions Killua, Leorio, and Kurapica. Though the centerpiece here is Gon, none of the supporting roles go underdeveloped. In fact the only problem with plotting is that the story takes a few episodes to really get churning. If you can make it to about episode six or seven though, you will be fully strapped in for one hell of a fun ride.

A rather unexpected facet of this title is how lightly the plot focuses on fighting, especially given that Togashi’s most famous work, Yu Yu Hakusho, was often little more than a continuous battle-fest. To be certain, fighting does take place and at some points in the series it becomes quite prominent, but it never manages to wrestle the spotlight away from the fleshier portions of the narrative. Despite this, the action leaves very little to be desired. The fight-action sets here are more complex than the typical ki-blasting, as fast-as-light-movement farce that has become the industry standard for fighting anime. Instead we are treated to a truly creative power-leveling system and a diversity of combat styles that make each fight more than simply diversionary but instead truly engaging. It is as if the battle scenes have actually added to the tension and excitement of the plotline rather than flattened it, a rare occurrence indeed.

Leaving just a bit more to be desired of Hunter X Hunter, however, are the peripherals. Musically, while not bad, HXH just does not manage to live up to its more palatial qualities. Still, the music is good enough and has continuously improved throughout the series. I have personally enjoyed the opening and closing music more and more with each successive theme change that occurs. Additionally the animation is mostly quite nice. It certainly isn’t spectacular by any stretch of the imagination, but it is visually appealing. There is also a definite change for the better in terms of animation the further one progresses through the show. The set pieces have strong appeal as well, and are reasonably effective at immersing us in this strange and phenomenal world.

The most remarkable aspect of Hunter X Hunter, however, lies within its remarkable characters. Most of the cast here is not at all generic or formulaic, a welcome retreat from the chiefly derivative characters so prominent in similar shows. Gon, the show’s lead, is a charismatic young boy whose optimism and innocence is always invigorating without being imposing. An odd tidbit, Gon is virtually never the strongest character on the screen, by a long shot. A partial reason for this is that his goal isn’t necessarily to be the strongest being in existence but primarily to better himself. This is another big plus in the personality department that sets Gon apart from your conventional “Shonen Jump Hero Archtype”. Gon’s optimism is offset well by the darker, more brooding persona of Killua, a young boy that Gon befriends early in the show. Together they make for perhaps the most interesting pair of best friends in all of anime. Their companions, Leorio and Kurapica, also make for complex and interesting characters. Leorio is a man who, haunted by his past, is motivated to the performance of benevolent acts to the benefit of humanity. Kurapica, conversely, is motivated by revenge, though revenge is an ideal that is out of character for him. Consequently, Kurapica always seems to be a man at odds with himself. Equally compelling are the more contemptible figures of this tale such as Hisoka, Kuroro, and the rest of the Genei Ryodan. The interplay of these vastly different personalities is the bread and butter of Hunter X Hunter.

It should be no secret that Hunter X Hunter has bewitched me. Beyond some very minor failings, it is nearly beyond fault. It carries with it a sort of energy and charm that is very intoxicating. To put it most concisely, Hunter X Hunter should be considered Yoshihiro Togashi’s new masterwork. Any less firm a designation would be an injustice against this superb animated opus.

Subtract a star if having absolutely flawless music and animation is really, really, really important to you. — Derrick L Tucker

Naruto

Review
Given the voracity of the backlash against the "not-so-bad" rating that Naruto received upon initial viewing by a fellow reviewer, I am certain that many readers eagerly anticipate a reviewer that, upon broader viewing (or even being of dissimilar gender from the original critic), will vindicate their pristine opinion of this title. Unfortunately you, the reader, are stuck with me. While I don't think poorly of this title by any stretch of the imagination, the buzz pervading Naruto is plainly more hype than substance.
So where does the hype begin you ask? Right off the bat. From the very beginning of episode one this title more or less pronounces itself to be of the cookie-cutter Shonen Jump variety, and only a somewhat above average one at that. The character for which the show is named, Naruto, is quickly introduced, and even before the end of the first episode the viewer is completely aware of the ultimate direction of the plot: Naruto will someday become the strongest ninja of his village and receive the highly coveted title of Hokage. But knowing the end of the plotline isn't as much of a killjoy as one would expect. It is the ride that counts after all. However, in the case of Naruto the ride is tantamount to that of an old, wooden roller coaster: sometimes thrilling and often nostalgic, yet still quite a bit rickety and easily outdone in terms of excitement and quality.
The characters, like the plot, are mostly OK while being admittedly cliched. Uzumaki Naruto, our primary character, is much like the leads of many of the most popular fight-styled anime. Like Goku (of Dragon Ball fame), Naruto is headstrong, motivated (mostly to become stronger), and cares deeply about his comrades. Like Yuusuke (of Yu Yu Hakusho fame), Naruto is rambunctious, brash, and a bit of a slacker. Despite his being particularly formulaic, Naruto at least combines the finer qualities of his predecessors. Such can not be said of his archrival Sasuke, a figure for whom blandness knows no depth. In fact, many of the characters fall somewhere in-between Sasuke's blandness and Naruto's charisma and coolness. You will come to care for the cast of Naruto for sure, just not at any deep or meaningful level.
The animation, much like the characterization and plotting, is spotty. At times great while at other times shoddy, the quality of the animation here lacks any real consistency. During the arcs in which the animation is still on the minds of the animators, the viewer is treated to a fluid frame-rate and artistic renderings that leave little to be desired on the part of fans of the manga. Nevertheless, when the animation is bad it is painful. At these times the once faithful renderings degrade to craptastic levels. It is as if you can feel the framerates slipping before your very eyes. Like most aspects thus far examined, the animation of Naruto is a mixed bag indeed.
It is perhaps a bit unfair though to judge a fight/action anime based upon factors such as characterization and plotting. True to its genre, it is in fight/action scenes that Naruto receives is highest accolades, though that isn't saying a whole hell of a lot. Despite very wide employment, the fight scenes manage to remain remarkably fresh. With such a large extended cast, invigorating and unique fighting styles/techniques manage to continuously infuse action sets with life. Additionally, the background music manages to add some tension to these scenes quite effectively. There are some negative aspects to the action sets however. One is the overemployment of certain special techniques, particularly Naruto's Shadow Clone technique, a move in which he creates multiple clones of himself. When a character uses the same move over and over and over and . . . well, things get bland and repetitive. Another detriment is that the sheer number of fights impedes the potency of plotting. Still, the combat stages are pretty intense and there are plenty of scenes for action fans to get pumped about.
How one feels about Naruto probably depends, in good part, on their anime viewing mileage. As a person that has been watching anime for a decade and a half, there isn't too much here that I haven't seen done better elsewhere. However, it has managed to get better as it progresses. Although uneven in most aspects, this show is a good introductory title that will likely bring many newcomers into the fold of anime fandom.

In closing, Naruto, while being better than worse without a doubt, doesn't quite succeed in being as mind-blowing as the hype-machine would have you believe.
This anime volleys between a two-star and a four-star feature depending upon your anime viewing mileage and how easily you can stomach an anime so action laden. If you are relatively new to anime and a fan of DragonBall Z and YuYu Hakusho, it is a four-star feature. Otherwise, this is a three-star series at best. — Derrick L Tucker
Recommended Audience: Preteens and up, due to some occasionally graphic violence (toned down from the manga), nongraphic nudity played for laughs, and occasional potty humor.

Synopsis