Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-1018594-20140908173055/@comment-2013124-20140910122859

Hiyayaka-kun wrote: Yalocalsupahero wrote:

There's just not enough time in the main story for all million characters who've had screen time. I'd love it if the universe got filled in. The story wouldn't be as good if it was just Naruto Gokuing people in one on ones.

And this is why the story fails. Mangaka lost the MacGuffin, introduced too many subplots, too many characters that just aren't relevant enough to have that kind of story. Look at B for instance. Here is a character whose only purposes are, 1. short term plot device for Sasuke 2. Training device for Naruto, 3. Minor part in war.

We really didn't need to know about B's childhood, that he made friends with Motoi (I had to look his name up because he has that little impact on the story), that he met a guy with a giant f-ing racoon (didn't even bother to look him up) to try and make enka rap. But we got shittons of B because Kishimoto was going through his 'black' and 'rap' phases which fine, whatever. But, now he suddenly had to make minor supporting characters to this supporting character he was making more and more into a main character. So now you have characters like Darui, Omoi, Karui, Shee, Atsui, Samui (the teleporty chick), and all these other Kumo ninja that don't really need names or backstories as they don't serve enough purpose to warrant one. And I even like some of those characters, Omoi is like ganguro Shikamaru.

The point is you end up with a lot of 'underrated' characters because so many of those named characters should be listed in the credits as 'Kumo Nin #2' etc.

And its not just Kumogakure, practically every ninja that has ever lived in Konoha has been named and given some sort of relation. Underdevelopped and underrated aren't the same thing. Omoi doesn't and Samui and other sword girl from Kumo don't need anymore development. But the same is true of Shikimaru and Might Guy. But fleshing out other characters gives the author a chance to develop powers and skillsets that the main characters couldn't or shouldn't have. When I was a kid and Ash was still in Kanto it always smeemed so lazy that the villians were 90% gonna be Team Rocket and 70% of their lines were their intro and exit speaches. I'm glad that's not Naruto. That cheapens a story.

B's story just like Gaara's served a purpose. To show alternate paths for Naruto. Yeah Gaara is a genius, but he's also a demented maniac. Yeah B is a hero in Kumo but also a prisoner that's sort of lost his mind and gone goofy. Not to mention with Naruto's habit of befriending people there was no way to have B in the story training him and not give him a life. Then there's the fact that B was 50% of why the war started. So yeah that kind of requires a backstory.

I and this could just be me, don't want to read a story where one guy is doing everything with a few named friends that don't contribute other than screaming for him to be careful and narrating. Fighting an endless stream of bad guys that always agree to a format that allows the one guy to solo them one at a time.