Part 1 of Naruto is a masterpiece in shounen manga

[b1onny]

I recently started to re-read Naruto manga from the beginning for the first time nearly 20 years. I cannot put it down. I just finished chapter 180 when Sasuke leaves Konohagakure for Orochimaru. This character, Naruto's development, their rivalry, their friendship, the theme of passing down legacy from each teacher to student, the web of characters and their relationships, Chuunin exam, Gaara, mastering Rasengen, the world building, Orochimaru's constant presence. It's all so good.

I'm a One Piece stan and I forgot how damn good Naruto part 1 is.

It's so hard to put down too. Kishimoto's storytelling is sublime. His use of fake outs, misleading to build tension is fantastic. Almost every chapter here is banger.

 

[lee33]

Part 1 and 2 Naruto (minus war arc) are masterpiece in Shonen.

 

[TheAncientCenturion]

Part 1 might be the best shonen out there

 

[SkySanji]

Part 1 is among the best and then Part 2 is among the worst

Kishimoto really embodies a fall from grace lmao, I mean just look at the disaster that was Samurai 8

 

[Just a member]

I agree, HxH was really great at that time.

 

[Franosuke]

@lee33
Our dreams are coming true

 

[lee33]

@lee33
Our dreams are coming true

Haha not much longer before Worstgen becomes a Naruto forum.

 

[MonsterKaido]

Part 1 and 2 Naruto (minus war arc) are masterpiece in Shonen.

This.

 

[Sentinel]

Part 1 and part 2 Naruto is one of the best shounen manga bar War arc which was just pure trash. Basically the Wano equivalent of Naruto.

But it's just bad that Naruto's own battles were lacklusting in Part 2, opposed to Sasuke's battles. Sasuke vs Deidara is still infinitely times better than Naruto vs Kakuzu. But Naruto vs Pain was also very great but that's basically just one main battle, in which Naruto was directly involved, in Part 2 which was great.

 

[MarineHQ]

Everything till Danzo's death was peak Shounen and No.1 imo

 

[Chiji_]

Part 1 is something I’ve always held in very high reverence

 

[Seven7]

Naruto P1 kept getting better and better as it went along.

You had Land of Waves, Chunin exams then Sasuke retrieval arc.

Back to back peak arcs
Then one of the best ever retrieval arcs in shounen

 

[Warchief Sanji D Goat]

Agreed. Part 1 was peak Naruto.

Part 2 pre-4th Ninja War is also great.

 

[Kiiro]

Kishimoto created a better world than Oda, but Oda created a better story of his world building.

Naruto had more potential imo than One Piece, but Kishimoto wasnt able to use it.

HxH is like Naruto world with One Piece story. Great, but to m8ch hiatus

 

[Nidai_Kitetsu]

No doubt, Part 1 is arguably the best shonen ever

 

[soheilhazrat]

And best is yet to come. Naruto from Shikamaru vs hidan up to sasuke vs dnazo is kishimoto writing banger after banger after banger

 

[IsaziSempi]

Tbh when I think of naruto I think of the openings but narutos development from orphan to homage Is probably among the best character development in fiction. Despite the many slights and bad decisions in the franchise and the thousands of hours of unwatchable bullshit the core story of part 1 and bits and pieces of part 2 are phenomenal.

 

[Yomi]

As much as I love these ice cold, milquetoast naruto takes.

Every part of Naruto is a masterpiece. Especially the fourth great ninja war.

 

[RYNO]

Part 1 was consistent quality the only problems I have there are some annoying characters, then shippuden breaks the plot and themes, it kinda makes some stuff from part 1 worse like how the 3rd treats naruto the lack of care for a future great shinobi to protect the village and the son of Minato and letting the villages hate naruto.

 

[Roo]

It is the best of shonen