Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-12509038-20141124214040/@comment-25382671-20141127212852

I'll give my two cents now too...

   Characters Kakashi, Itachi and Naruto are my favorites. Mostly because I can sympathize with all of them, up to a point. But also because I see them as the most developed characters, so maybe the depth I see in them is more easily noticed than on the others... but more than either of the above, my favorite character is the Legend of Minato. I say this because his character didn't get nearly enough of the attention he warranted, and I'm sure that at least 90% of his fans are disappointed.

Plot At first, I didn't feel too engaged. I mean, it's a stupid ninja doing stupid pranks, like painting the Hokage Monument and stuff... but as I watched, first I found it to be very funny (I discovered Naruto through the Anime) and also very weird.

As time passed, I got more engaged and began reading the Manga as well, since I couldn't wait to learn more about this stupid, orange, ninja.

Mythology and World Building

Awesome. Kishi got me to learn and make my research on something I had no clue about, which is the Oriental Mythology... and it's fascinating how he managed to fit everything in place with the plot.

Action The first phrase I learned in Japanese - Katon: Gōkakyū No Jutsu. From then on, I was engaged on every battle, great or small... culminating with Naruto Vs. Nagato's Six Paths of Pain.

   Themes/Life Lessons Many and more. Suffice it to say that the main message (love over hatred) has helped me and many more around the world... it's become something almost as iconical as Bob Marley, really. That's the greatest legacy Kishi couldn't ever dreamed of leaving behind.

   Artwork  Perfect. I love everything from Anime, to Manga, to Movies.

   Who is your favorite character, and why? My favorite character is Minato's Legend, as I stated above... but once he got revived, I didn't like him very much. Now, I'd say that either Kakashi or Itachi... probably the latter, for being so badass (whilst being compassionate and loving), despite everything he suffered.    What is your favorite story arc (from Part I, II, or both), and why? Part I: Chuunin Exam. First glimpse of true rivalry between the top, albeit young, Genins. Part II: Invasion of Pain. Perfect from start to finish... also got me very worried about Kakashi, until he got revived and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

   What is your favorite technique/chakra nature, and why? My favorite technique is the Rasengan, closely followed by Nara's Kagemane No Jutsu. Because both are very fluid and adaptable. I love adaptability, and not only as a Pokemon Ability. xD

   What is your favorite battle (from Part I, II, or both), and why? Part I: Naruto Vs. Neji Part II: Naruto Vs. Nagato's Six Paths of Pain, as I said before.

   What is your favorite moment(s) of the entire Naruto series? Temari saving Shikamaru against Tayuya. That was hilarious. Or maybe Jiraiya's death. Unpredictable and fascinating... also perfectly depicted on the Anime.

'''   What is your overall thoughts on the series as a whole, from beginning to end (I like to call this 'Personal Ramblings')? '''

Gemnist wrote: personal ramblings. To be honest, I have never been as engaged or as amazed with a manga/anime as I have with Naruto (though AOT and DB come close). Naruto will continue to remain very close to my heart, as it will with all of you for certain, and I can only imagine the bright future that awaits.

I cannot stress enough the fact that you summed my thoughts almost perfectly, @Gemnist. So yeah, these are my final considerations... and anything that deviates from Gemnists point of view, I've stated above.