Naruto

Naruto is the story of a young boy who becomes a ninja. Naruto is the village outcast so he has a lot going against him but he doesn't let that stop him. His biggest dream is to become the greatest ninja of the village so he works hard to develop his skills. But the villagers distrust him for the fact that he carries the power of a demon that was sealed within him when he was just a baby. The villagers fear the release of the power and Naruto must work at controlling this power.

I really enjoyed watching this anime, though I will recommend getting a better version with better translation because the English subtitles on the episodes I've borrowed from my sister are horrible and I have to re-translate everything they say so it makes some kind of sense. But you still get the idea of what's going on and the animation is great. The action sequences are fun and exciting. They are a bit drawn out and can use some editing but it works for the most part. I really enjoy the comedy bits and even though Naruto is an outcast he doesn't let it get to him too much and is able to enjoy life and give us, the viewers, something to laugh at, while the characters he interacts with are exasperated by his antics. Naruto is a faithful friend and when he is paired with his crush Sakura he's excited - until he finds out his rival Sasuke is on the same three member team. Sasuke considers both of them as a burden but puts up with them as much as he can. Soon the three of them become a team, working together and trusting each other in their abilities and you really have fun watching them interact together. As a three member team, but still too young to conduct missions on their own, they are guided by the mysterious Sensei ninja, Kakashi, who not only is an accomplished ninja but is constantly late and causes great irritation to his team.

The team encounter several trials throughout the series, but I think my favorite is the Middle Ninja Exam. It's a three trial exam that starts with a written exam. All lower ninjas participating are not able to answer any of the questions on the exam so they must get the answers by cheating but without being caught. It's hilarious watching Naruto stress out during the entire exam and it's also a lot of fun seeing the other lower ninjas and how they use their abilities to get the answers. At the end of the exam, Naruto passes without writing a single thing down on his exam paper but his name.

There are many moments like this that Naruto surprises his teammates and other ninjas. He had always been considered the class clown, a loser, but his determination has started to gain the respect and admiration of those around him. Though they can expect Naruto to play a practical joke on them, they know he will be a loyal friend and if their lives are in danger, Naruto will be there no matter what. I give this a 4 only because some action scenes are drawn out too long - at least over 4 episodes sometimes.