I've seen a lot of anime throughout the years. I've seen what people call the 'good stuff', I've seen the 'bad stuff'. In time, I realized and accepted that not everyone is going to like something, or dislike it. No matter what the anime (or movie, or book, or game, etc.) it boils down to personal preference. So, how do you know if you'd like something you've never seen but heard so much about? When I first started Naruto, I saw the potential in it. From the first episode, they presented a distinct setting with distinct characters. Sure, archetypes were being followed (the boy dreaming of becoming big, the old grandfatherly figure, the teacher, the rival). The first episode showed emotion and depth to its main character and what he will struggle with, along with the dynamics of his interaction with other characters and their quirks.

Cut about ten episodes later, the plot arc currently being followed felt to me like it was not going to matter much to the main story. Some episodes had drawn out battles, and I got that feeling that the anime would be the type where they would go from different area to different area, developing their skills and learning moral lessons and such, but there would be no grand plot, no B story, that tied the series together. I also worried it would fall into mediocrity. Without giving anything away, by the end of that arc (about 19 episodes in), my mind was changed.

Having seen all of the series up to the current episodes, I can say at least for myself that at its best Naruto is a deeper anime than some give credit to, and can be quite addicting. A strong focus is on its characters as they develop throughout the series and there are moments of real emotion, tragedy, intensity and even just amusement. It's not perfect, as there are slow times in the series (and the cartoon suffers from tricks to get as many episodes out of the original story as they can), and I won't say everyone will end up liking it but I can say it had unexpectedly become one of my favorite anime.

Everyday after school I went to the store and bought a bottle of soda and some snacks, and watched Naruto when i came home. Some months later I was borderline obese. 10/10 would recommend.

You're probably thinking: "well I could just skip the fillers by searching filler episode up." That's fine but that's not the only issue with the show. It's that even in nonfiller episodes it feels like they are buying a lot of time. If the show was compressed to maybe 90/100 episodes then it would be amazing. The hype moments really are hype and the ninja stuff is cool.

Last year my roommate got me hooked on watching Naruto. I had never really been a big Anime fan. Shows like DBZ and Inuyasha never really appealed to me. I had seen a few episodes of Tri-Gun and found it rather interesting but the story of Naruto is what really drew me in. The quality with which it is written is very well done. And is not centered entirely around fighting, there actually is a plot here. The story is about 3 ninjas as they progress from genin level (beginning ninjas) onward to some rather high lvl battles and their hardships along the way. Each of these characters is well described with a rich background. And each character possesses unique abilities, none of which I have found boring or pointless so far. Currently I have read all the manga and have all the Anime downloaded. It is a truly excellent series. I fear that if they do bring it to the US. that sites that provide us with the anime may not be allowed to continue providing us with the show and if it comes to US television it will be edited because they will probably intend for kids to watch it and in it's original state it is entirely inappropriate and in no way should be compared to a Saturday morning cartoon show. The different jutsus are exciting to watch and well thought out. Battles can tend to last multiple episodes but to me that does not matter, the flashbacks just add to the storyline. The quality of the actual animation which can really be seen during the fight scenes is unbelievable. They truly have some very talented artists working for them. Lastly, the music is top notch. The intro's are extremely cool and the music in the actual show is also very well done.

Naruto is...how to say? Magnificent, glorious and entertaining. Its almost flawless in the way it presents itself. The overall story is new and refreshing. The characters are inspirational and beautifully portrayed. The fight scenes ae overall breathtaking and neat. The drama in here is very emotional and moving. The jokes are well executed but sometimes overdone. Most people complain how most of the characters are unreal. But who cares. Their fun and feel real once you give the show a chance. If you ain't an anime fan then give this show a chance. Those who are anime fans will simply love it. There is nothing really to hate about it. Pure perfection. 10/10

For me there is nothing above naruto. I just can't get my mind out of this anime. Once you entre the naruto world, there's no coming back❤❤❤ I love every bit of the show (leaving some fillers). If you didn't watched naruto you're missing paradise of earth💕💕 10 rating is too less for naruto.

If u r looking for a good anime to watch then watch naruto. I have watched 7 anime in my life and Naruto is still my favorite. It's an amazing story with the best character development I have ever seen. If u haven't already watched it then watch fast!

This anime taught me many lessons rather than my life did.

Okay, let me start out by saying this show should be Rated TV-MA for the following Reasons: 1. Disturbing Violent Content, Harsh Language, Horror Effects, Gore, sexual content, Sexual Inuendo, Brief Nudity, Demonic Themes, Unsettling Images, Grossout Violent content and Torture Now don't get me wrong, when i first started watching this show, i was pretty damn sure it was gonna be another one piece or dragon ball Z knockoff but to my surprise this show has depth, drama, comedy, Horror and Suspense all rolled into one...granted some of the episodes are like your worst nightmare, however this isn't like dragon ball Z where most of the villains talk so much crap that it ticks you off, no its quite the opposite, save 1 and thats The lead Villain which they wont let me say who really makes me mad, he's such a sick freak that it makes the Squad 12 captain from Bleach look tame, yeah he's that bad and Kabuto, god that kid really made me mad, it makes me wish they killed both of them off in the 4th season and did away with it but, they had to drag it over too Naruto Shippuden....which is by far more graphic than this one....

Naruto is my number 2 favorite anime, with One Piece being my number 1 and Dragon ball Z being my 9th favorite...anyways, thats all for now

Naruto seems to be one of the more popular anime nowadays. And why shouldn't it be? It has an interesting story and a good plot line. The action is exciting, the comedy is great, the characters are likable (except Sakura perhaps), the plot develops quite well and everything is very well performed.

But then again, there's also something a lot of anime succumb to. The wonderful world of fillers. Hell, it wouldn't be a big problem either if the fillers weren't the same damn story repeated over and over and over again. It's basically something like this: Naruto and company meet some guy/girl/creature who's different from the others and rejected by the society and Naruto goes 'You're like me'. Beat bad guys up, earn the new guy's trust, become friends, go home and never talk of the incident ever again. From about the 120th episodes to the end of the series there's nothing but this aforementioned nonsense. None of these episodes are nearly as memorable as the one actually related to the plot. Even other anime which are infested with fillers have them 1-2 episode long and they come in between the actual plot related episodes and they do NOT dominate the whole series, unlike Naruto.

If they had just made the series about 100 episodes with less(or none at all) fillers, this would've been much better. Lots of potential for a great anime down the drain. If you're looking for an anime with little to no fillers, I highly suggest One Piece.

Again, this is an above average anime which had the potential to be amazing but was ruined by the overuse of bland fillers.

When I first started watching this I had no idea what it was. At first it seemed a little silly and childish but I soon realized the detail that went into the stories, backstories, the world, the ninja way, chakra, their abilities is all fantasically explained in great detail.

Once you get past the silly moments (which actually grow on you) the show has some of the best writing I have ever seen. Despite being a cartoon, this show has an excellent storyline and I am currently on Shippuden ep 135 and Shippuden gets even better.

The people who do the artwork, the animation have incredible imaginations and bring to life so many things you will never see in any other show.

From gengitsu's and all sort of cool jitsu's they bring this show to life in a way that just blows my mind.

The way they do the animations is incredible.

A top notch show. Top notch writers. I did find that Naruto does have quite a few filler episodes compared to Shippuden. But, it's still quite an enjoyable series.

I finally purchased Naruto on DVD many years ago. I would purchase Shippuden but there are so many seasons it's a little too expensive for me at this stage of my life.

I highly recommend Naruto and Shippuden. It's one of the best stories I have watched in an anime.

I have cheered for him, actually had tears coming down when a certain character passed away in later seasons.

The main story in Naruto is top notch. Shippuden has way less fillers - I would say around episode 135 almost no fillers that I can remember. Every episode had something to contribute to character development.

I haven't finished watching Shippuden... I really hope the writing stays top notch. I have a feeling it will.

I can't wait to go back and watch Naruto once I am done Shippuden. It's been many years since I watched Naruto and now that I have the DVD's from Amazon I am eager to re-watch this wonderful show once I get it into my Plex.

I would rate this anime a solid 8 if not for the tons of flashbacks I mean enough already we remember no need to repeat the same flash back over its really frustrating

This anime is boring and very long. 93 episodes are filler WTF

OK, so I've watched 103 episodes so far of this series, and I have to say it, Naruto is original. Yes Mishimoto was a big follower of Toriyama, and in many ways Naruto is a sort of homage to him. But Naruto has a lot of things that DBZ was missing. First off, when characters die, THEY STAY DEAD!!!!! There is no special way to wish them back. Once they're gone they're gone. Second, music: the music in Naruto is 100X better then anything heard in DBZ. Dbz did have some cool themes, but Naruto is the only series where I have actually imported the soundtrack. There's almost nothing wrong with the soundtrack other then the usual soft theme. Granted it isn't a Yoko Kanno piece, but in essence not everything should be compared to the work she does because it invariably falls short. Thirdly, character development:

The characters develop feelings for each other, and you will find yourself developing feelings for the characters. There are animes that do that, but not to the extent Naruto does. I have cried multiple times while watching Naruto because of the pain that Naruto and Company have to go through. Mostly Naruto in his quest to become Hokage. In DBZ, I couldn't care less about what happened. Fourth, fights: There is nothing wrong with the length of the fights in Naruto. They're not too fast and they're not too unbearably long. The average fight lasts about 4 episodes. There is an exception to this in the 70s, but only because there are two fights going on at the exact same time. In short, download the first 20 episodes, which takes you through the first saga. Yes, 103 episodes is a lot of time, but the story will keep you engrossed. Also of note, Happy Birthday to the anime which turns 2 years old on Sunday Oct. 3rd. I give this a 9/10

This show first grabbed my attention when I saw clips of it in the game for the Xbox 360 called "Naruto: Rise of a Ninja". After I played that game I just had to watch the show and I am glad I did as it turned out to be a very fun and complete show. The characters are what I love most about it as we follow Naruto on his quest from being a goofball with seemingly little talent to someone who could defend his village if need be. You get to see him join a team with two other rookie ninja Sauske and Sakura and there teacher Kakashi as they head for a town in trouble from the local mob boss. You then go on a journey with them as they must take a test to see if they are ready to take the next step up in class of ninja. There are other characters here to meet and the show just gets more interesting as they must survive an assault by the sand village and try and find a new leader for the village. A friend departs to seemingly join the villain and then you have a few stories not from the manga and it wraps up in a nice story about a group going after Garaa, also not in the manga, but still good. The show has a few minor gripes from me, the first few shows in the series seemed to go over a lot of the same things at the beginning of the show chronicling what happened at the end of the previous show, also there are a lot of flashbacks especially in earlier episodes as well. The final few shows after the battle between Naruto and Sauske at times are a bit weak too, as they never had these stories in the manga therefore they sometimes do not really fit in the main flow of the show. One case had Naruto who is all about training and getting better is seemingly afraid to fight another young ninja Rock Lee. All in all though the show is very entertaining. The humor works and the action is great. The show also has very good music as well. The characters that are in this show that are great are to many to list though my favorite has to be the pervy sage Jirya. That is aside from Naruto. I like Garaa a lot as well, it is very hard to have a favorite when there are so many to choose from. I look forward to the next series in this saga.

I am not a die hard anime fan and i found this series most enjoyable.

The characters are well developed and ALL have a reason for doing what they do. After you watch, say, 10 episodes you will start to like them and fell bad when they get hurt, or die(unlike dbz when in a year you can come back to life...).

The storyline progresses not too fast, and not too slow providing you with just enough time to swallow what you just heard.

As the story progresses the characters all faced with difficult challenges and difficult decisions they have to make. You will not want to wait for the next one. The only bad things are that the English voice acting plainly sucks and there are too many flashbacks.

Naruto has to be the greatest anime series on the whole world, it has it all comedy, drama and jaw dropping good action fight scenes. the best fight has to be the fight between naruto and sasuke in the valley of the end, the detail put into making that fight alone must have taken weeks. Overall the best anime ever, its worth watching. i used to watch dragon ball z but compared to naruto, its nothing. its slightly disappointing how its has a lot of filler episodes staring from about episode 145 and how much of the story line is flash backs from the characters past. Also the legendary 3 have a fight and thats nothing much compared to most other fights scenes on the series, its supposed to be the ultimate battle against all of the 3 legends of the nartuo world, but the other fights and the main story line makes up for that. the characters are all SO original the most original has to be gaara of the desert, his ninjutsu is the power to use sand, to defened and offend the target, hes got to be my favourite. Orochimaru is a VERY original character alswell, when he first shows up in the story, your not sure if thats really a bad or good guy which makes it even better to watch. After watching an episode you just have to go onto the next one. I got through the whole zabuza saga in one day, I just couldn't stop watching it. you should really consider buying the Japanese version as the American version is not nearly as good.

This is the first show that put me in the anime world. I first started watching it on jetix, the first 20 episodes of it, which i found to be really interesting. But then it kept repeating them over and over, so i wanted to know what happens next. I went on youtube, and there i started watching the continued episodes (before that copyright policy rule was implemented), on crappy quality, but it was so damned good. I was once home alone, i ordered a pizza, and i watched 31 hours of naruto, with no break, i barely could go to the toilet (who says WoW is the most addictive thing on the internet?). I then discovered better quality episodes on veoh, and later on some different fansub groups like dattebayo which were subbing the show on great quality. Anyway, the point is that the show is very, very, very addictive, no wonder tho, when it has such an epic and genius script. You simply can't predict anything here, you will never be guessing what's coming next, the result will be completely unpredictable, and genius. You will die waiting for the next episode (the 1 minute break between switching the episodes). The soundtracks are, incredible, no matter how tough you think you are, you will have no chance to resist crying. Some of the scenes are so deep, they impress you so much, that you can't help but start crying (i.e. search on youtube for "sadness and sorrow" soundtrack, or "Man of the world", no matter if you like the anime or not, just search for these 2 soundtracks).

So i completed watching all the episodes from Naruto, and went to Naruto shippuuden, where the characters grow up and continue the story. Imo, the shippuuden series are the ones that gave me the impression of this show being epic.

The basic story is so long, that i cannot describe it here, way too long. Basiclly, there are 2 friends, the main character naruto, and sasuke. They choose to go on different paths, while naruto keeps thinking of his friend, but sasuke chooses a path of vengeance, to avenge his family who got killed by his older brother, itachi. He seeks power and finally obtains it, and in the end he finds up that his brother actually loved him very much and protected him all his life, that after they have a fight and sasuke wins (wich again, the way the director writes the plot, is so genius, always keeps you shocked).

In the end, make sure you watch this show, you will not be disappointed. The first episodes are a bit childish - but this anime is certainly not for kids, later you will see why - but the plot is so incredibly good that it will keep you watching and watching it, i guarantee that !

10/10 from me, i would rate more if possible.

I won't spoil much, just some general stuff.

Naruto, popular anime series, started of with a blast (at least in my eyes) with variety of well characterized characters and intriguing story in ninja world and on top of all it is very addicting. If I had to compare this anime series to another one I would pick Dragonball. Although all of this positive stuff, Naruto began to to lose it's charm as more and more episodes flew by. The most disappointing part of Naruto are the fillers that are pretty bad, unnecessary and just ruining the show. Don't get me wrong, they are emotional and all, but they are just slowing and stalling the show. I only hope that this will change in future and that things will start to look up, cause this could end up like another Dragonball, which started great but later became awful.

Objectively, from this point, I would give it a 5-6 stars, but I can't do that due to the emotional attachment to it's characters and world. So this grade is some mix of subjective and objective experience.

I'll cross my fingers for this show and you should go watch and see it for yourself.

If you, like me, are going to start watching this anime for the first time and you are also in your 20s, I definitely do not recommend it. Both the first season and the hurricane chronicles are designed for a children's audience. The high score is solely on the nostalgic feelings of former children. The slow speed of storytelling and the incredible amount of fillers made watching 720 episodes a torture. Think twice.

To see people say this is the ''Best anime ever'' is BEYOND laughable. I must admit at first I was intrigued. I as SO HOOKED. I couldn't stop watching, it was amazing. But then it got old, boring, and PREDICTABLE. I mean Naruto always wins. If you see a villain fight him or a main character you KNOW and I mean KNOW that character is going to be defeated or killed off. It was frustrating. I stopped watching around episode 110 or so? I mean I think the show still goes on or something shippuden which is ridiculous. They are going to keep destroying this show. Honestly it's an alright show with an amazing start but dragged out.