thoughts about Naruto, volume 1
May. 10th, 2010 01:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edenfallingSo I am embarked upon my great and epic quest to read and/or reread all the volumes of Naruto currently translated into English and published in America. (Then I will get around to scanlations of more recent chapters, most likely.)
I do not intend to review each volume individually -- I will probably post randomly as the mood strikes me -- but I thought I would remark on a few points from vol. 1, which I have just finished.
First, you can tell that Kishimoto is still figuring out his characters and world, because some things that happen make no logistical sense and/or are off-key compared to ideas established later on. Like, if jinchuuriki are a known concept, why does everyone keep talking about Naruto as if he is the Kyuubi? The fox's container, sure. Possibly corrupted by the fox, sure. But he's not the fox itself, and that should be known, at least by the ninja.
Hmm. Also, it's really weird that Sakura doesn't know that Sasuke is an orphan. You'd think gossip about his family tragedy would have been all over the village, and also, being a tragic orphan would just make him more attractive, so his fangirls really ought to know. But for character revelation purposes, she must be ignorant. (Just like for character revelation purposes, Naruto must be able to rig up that harness he uses to paint the Hokage monument, and be up there for at least half an hour without any ninja stopping him... when ninja can, you know, walk straight up walls if they feel like it. *sigh*)
Kishimoto is very upfront about what Naruto wants, and what his obstacles will be. He wants to be acknowledged by people -- he wants both respect and a sense of belonging to a community. Initially he wants to become Hokage because he thinks that's a way to accomplish his main goal, but his meeting with Konohamaru, I think, exists to show that Naruto does realize that being Hokage is an important role in its own right; that will be stressed more as the manga continues. Naruto likes Sakura and wants her to like him; he doesn't respect her at this point, though. He dislikes Sasuke because Sasuke seems to have everything Naruto wants -- popularity, strength, skill -- and yet Sasuke doesn't seem to care. Also, Sasuke doesn't respect Naruto, and Naruto hates being disrespected. (Tellingly, though, he only seems to want affection from Sakura, not respect.)
Kishimoto is also very upfront about what Sasuke wants, though he obfuscates the details at first. Sasuke is driven by revenge and a need to be strong on his own. He appears calm and cool not because he actually is, but because he thinks he needs to. And he is very talented, but he is also very young and inexperienced, and prone to overestimating himself and neglecting to consider the people around him. He mostly ignores Sakura, and would very much like to ignore Naruto, but he does acknowledge that Naruto has some similarities to him -- it's telling how much emphasis and panel size the page where he chews Sakura out for making assumptions about orphans gets. But he would never, never say that to Naruto, because that would be, I dunno, showing weakness. It's okay to tell Sakura, though, because she won't understand and won't realize that he's revealing a vulnerability.
Sakura... well, Sakura always gets defined in terms of the boys. Which I hate, because she has such potential for awesome, but if her tendency to define herself in relation to other people were actually explored as something specific to her rather than just "oh, that's what girls are like," I would not mind so much. I mean, people who need to be needed can be interesting, but not all girls are like that. It is not a default position; it's a character trait, and should be explored and explained as much as the boys' traumas and monomanias. *makes face at Kishimoto* Anyway, at the end of chapter 3 she's already talking about being nicer to Naruto (she does not carry through on that immediately, of course), and in chapter 7 she talks to Sasuke about working together with him. These themes will come back over and over.
Also, Inner Sakura both cracks me up and fascinates me. I love how sometimes there is a complete disconnect between what Sakura thinks inwardly and outwardly -- as with her reactions to Naruto's prank on Kakashi -- while other times her inner and outer selves are in agreement, but she can only be open about her thoughts and feelings inside her head -- as with her feelings for Sasuke.
...
Mostly, I am amazed at how relatively non-angsty the first volume is, despite the early reveal of Naruto's backstory. I think that effect is helped by the sheer youth of Team 7 -- they are very, very true to life as twelve-year-old kids, and therefore both extremely funny (often inadvertently) and extremely annoying.
Actually, everyone in this volume is annoying, except Iruka. Who is principled, caring, longsuffering, and just adorable. I am reminded all over again why he's one of my favorites. *hugs Iruka and buys him ramen*
And now to bed.
I do not intend to review each volume individually -- I will probably post randomly as the mood strikes me -- but I thought I would remark on a few points from vol. 1, which I have just finished.
First, you can tell that Kishimoto is still figuring out his characters and world, because some things that happen make no logistical sense and/or are off-key compared to ideas established later on. Like, if jinchuuriki are a known concept, why does everyone keep talking about Naruto as if he is the Kyuubi? The fox's container, sure. Possibly corrupted by the fox, sure. But he's not the fox itself, and that should be known, at least by the ninja.
Hmm. Also, it's really weird that Sakura doesn't know that Sasuke is an orphan. You'd think gossip about his family tragedy would have been all over the village, and also, being a tragic orphan would just make him more attractive, so his fangirls really ought to know. But for character revelation purposes, she must be ignorant. (Just like for character revelation purposes, Naruto must be able to rig up that harness he uses to paint the Hokage monument, and be up there for at least half an hour without any ninja stopping him... when ninja can, you know, walk straight up walls if they feel like it. *sigh*)
Kishimoto is very upfront about what Naruto wants, and what his obstacles will be. He wants to be acknowledged by people -- he wants both respect and a sense of belonging to a community. Initially he wants to become Hokage because he thinks that's a way to accomplish his main goal, but his meeting with Konohamaru, I think, exists to show that Naruto does realize that being Hokage is an important role in its own right; that will be stressed more as the manga continues. Naruto likes Sakura and wants her to like him; he doesn't respect her at this point, though. He dislikes Sasuke because Sasuke seems to have everything Naruto wants -- popularity, strength, skill -- and yet Sasuke doesn't seem to care. Also, Sasuke doesn't respect Naruto, and Naruto hates being disrespected. (Tellingly, though, he only seems to want affection from Sakura, not respect.)
Kishimoto is also very upfront about what Sasuke wants, though he obfuscates the details at first. Sasuke is driven by revenge and a need to be strong on his own. He appears calm and cool not because he actually is, but because he thinks he needs to. And he is very talented, but he is also very young and inexperienced, and prone to overestimating himself and neglecting to consider the people around him. He mostly ignores Sakura, and would very much like to ignore Naruto, but he does acknowledge that Naruto has some similarities to him -- it's telling how much emphasis and panel size the page where he chews Sakura out for making assumptions about orphans gets. But he would never, never say that to Naruto, because that would be, I dunno, showing weakness. It's okay to tell Sakura, though, because she won't understand and won't realize that he's revealing a vulnerability.
Sakura... well, Sakura always gets defined in terms of the boys. Which I hate, because she has such potential for awesome, but if her tendency to define herself in relation to other people were actually explored as something specific to her rather than just "oh, that's what girls are like," I would not mind so much. I mean, people who need to be needed can be interesting, but not all girls are like that. It is not a default position; it's a character trait, and should be explored and explained as much as the boys' traumas and monomanias. *makes face at Kishimoto* Anyway, at the end of chapter 3 she's already talking about being nicer to Naruto (she does not carry through on that immediately, of course), and in chapter 7 she talks to Sasuke about working together with him. These themes will come back over and over.
Also, Inner Sakura both cracks me up and fascinates me. I love how sometimes there is a complete disconnect between what Sakura thinks inwardly and outwardly -- as with her reactions to Naruto's prank on Kakashi -- while other times her inner and outer selves are in agreement, but she can only be open about her thoughts and feelings inside her head -- as with her feelings for Sasuke.
...
Mostly, I am amazed at how relatively non-angsty the first volume is, despite the early reveal of Naruto's backstory. I think that effect is helped by the sheer youth of Team 7 -- they are very, very true to life as twelve-year-old kids, and therefore both extremely funny (often inadvertently) and extremely annoying.
Actually, everyone in this volume is annoying, except Iruka. Who is principled, caring, longsuffering, and just adorable. I am reminded all over again why he's one of my favorites. *hugs Iruka and buys him ramen*
And now to bed.
