Customer Reviews

Naruto, Vol. 1 - Enter Naruto

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

Well, you've probably read by now many of the hate-filled reviews by many die-hard Naruto fans who have loved the show long before it came to Cartoon Network's Toonami a while ago. I'm one of those die-hard fans. But, I'm here to try and give an unbiased review.

First of all let me say that yes, I am with those many that hate what has been done with the Naruto series here in America. I hate Naruto's every-other-sentence, "believe it", I hate Shino's voice actor, I hate the editing, yada-yada-yada I hate a lot about it you get the point and you've heard all of that before. But let me say, that for those who do not have access to the subbed version(particularly now that it is licensed and therefore some people would be deterred because that's illegal) they might find this quite an enjoyable show.

Naruto, at it's core, is good. That point is arguable only by osmeone who has underanalyzed Naruto. Naruto takes the long showcased subject of Japanese shinobi(or ninja) and turned it into something quite original. There are over thirty characters in the show, each with their own UNIQUE skills, personalities, and flaws. Take Rock Lee for example, definitely one of my favorite characters because he is incapable of using magic or illusions in battle, and therefore has relied completely on hand-to-hand combat. But since he has been extremely determined to prove him self on equal standing with the other ninja, he has become quite powerful.

Sasuke is the show's heart-throb, always one-upping Naruto and, though he's on his team, manages to be his friend and rival all at the same time. Up until far later in the episodes(where they start filling in a time skip in the manga with "fillers") the show is consistent and the plot keeps rolling along with new elements and twists, character developments, and pretty important to me, their strength. It isn't a DBZ-like approach where every time they beat an enemy a new stronger one comes, then they get stronger. It is a more realistic approach, witht he main characters and their allies under the shadow of their teachers and their most powerful allies whom they can't even hope to go against at their current levels, training to try and become close to a match.

This series has creativity, originality, great action, great story, great character development, and that all makes it a very good show. However, the flaws in the English dubbing are quite apparent. I've heard many many dubbings in my day, and I really must say that this one is quite bad(I can't say it's the worse when I still remember One Piece). The voices of the original anime help to define the character, they do a good job of suiting each character's personality, but I don't think that's the case here on the English version. It's quite apparent that these voices do not suit the characters, and that the show suffers from the changes made to it.

When all is said and done, I must say that it still manages to be a pretty good show, especially for those who are not so used to the English subtitles. The original Naruto series gets a 5/5, and the English, a 3/5. I suggest, like others here, you check out the original. It's almost a different show. Trust me, you'll thank me.

Dattebayo.

It's sad that such a excellent anime got butchered so badly by the American distributor Viz. On the advanced copy I was able to see thanks to Shonen Jump, I was instantly able to tell that this was definitely an inferior version of what Naruto the anime could have been. The voice acting stunk (it's great to here those neutral tones in moments of panic), the kid-friendly editing was unneeded (especially since most of the kids who are watching this on TV have already read the manga), and there wasn't a Japanese track. If this is true for the upcoming release of this anime, then it spells instant doom for Naruto the anime, because it just isn't worth watching in the English track.

That being said, I will say that Naruto is possibly my favorite manga. It outranks even the mature manga I tend to read (Berserk, Hellsing, Death Note), which says something about the story of this manga. So all of you fan-boys and girls out there who are going to vote this review as unhelpful because I said something negative about you favorite, Naruto, think again. I'm fighting for Naruto, which was given an ill-luck chance on this side of the world with this anime release. I think Viz was more out to make money than anything, something an anime studio should not do because it alienates true fans of anime. By making it the way they did, they were able to sell it to Cartoon Network, and they could subsequently release the Uncut version after people have already bought the first couple volumes of the cut one.

If I was you, a Naruto fan interested in the anime, I'd wait for the uncut version to be released. If luck is with us, the Japanese track will be on that version, the true version, and we won't have to listen to the terrible American voice acting, plus we'll get the full Naruto the way it was meant to be seen. Don't buy this; it just isn't worth the time and money.

I was hoping that Naruto would NOT be dubbed for a while by any company for about two more years. This will sound biased or downright stupid to some, but seriously, Viz should've at least considered hiring new and young actors to play the voices of Naruto, Sakura, & Sasuke. Or at least have Stephanie Nadolny (the voice of Kid Goku from the original Dragon Ball) play the part of Naruto. After seeing the first episode dubbed, I was just flat out disappointed beyond belief. The voices just sounded so disgusting! That's all I'm gonna say!

And seeing as this DVD is the edited version of the show, I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone, of course except for the kids who are just getting into the hype of Naruto. As for us TRUE fans, we gotta wait for the Uncut version to come out (yes, there will be one).

I watched the first Naruto episode almost to prove to myself that I wouldn't like it. It looked like a silly kids anime that was way to popular to take seriously, but much to my surprise, I found the first episode somewhat touching. Following episodes impressed me even more, and by the time my wife and I got through the first real mission (involving the bridge and Haku and what have you), we were both hooked. From there the series gets only better, with an outstanding cast of characters and pretty strong animation. Orochimaru is easily one of the five best villains I've ever seen in an anime. It's a really long series (160+ episodes), but it is so fun and emotionally involving that you barely notice. Over the course of a few months, I've seen about 140 episodes, and I would be perfectly happy seeing 140 more. Highly recommended.

Oh, and make sure you watch them in order or you're probably not going to like it.

The first anime I ever witnessed, in the original Japanese form, was Naruto. I was new to the thought of listening to a cartoon in Japanese, and having to read subtitles, but i LOVED it. The action scenes were great, and there were tons of hilarious scenes, too. And, the Japanese was really easy to get used to, and i actually started to take interest in the language. After having bought all of the Japanese sets with subtitles, and awaiting a dub, I was estatic when toonami announced that they would be showing the naruto dub. Well, if the only time you have seen Naruto is on Toonami, dubbed, then i feel sorry for you.

The real way to enjoy naruto is in its original, Japanese form, which can easily be bought off of many sites. Many people say that the naruto fans are being too picky, but really, it's nessesary to be mad about this.

the voice acting is horrible. In cartoons, voices are supposed to convey someone's personality. In Naruto, i could count off how many people have a "blah" voice, or in better terms, "a voice with NO emotion or feeling". And others, like Sakura and Naruto, have the WORST, most annoying voices i've ever heard. Just hearing them makes me want to run.

The 'violence', which includes Naruto stabbing his hand to leach out poison, is cut out, and is replaced by something horrible-when Naruto goes to stab his hand, everything pauses, the screen turns red, and everyone's faces are shown in awe. Truly, Viz media dubbed this only for children under 12.

also, what happened to the great openings and endings??! Naruto, in my opinion, had some of the absolute best openings and endings, including hit music from 'Asian Kung-fu Generation', 'Little by Little', and many, many others. It's such a shame to have these replaced by the horrible american made music, which is this: A guy playing the electric guitar, using the same chords over and over, and repeating the words "rise!...Leap!...rise!..."

It's really fustrating to hear something as great as this ruined. And, as a loyal Naruto fan, i hope you know that it does pain me to say this: THIS IS NOT WORTH BUYING.

Either wait for the unedited version if you don't mind all of the utterly annoying voice actors and actresses, or buy the original Japanese version, which is what I strongly reccomend. It's a wonderful series that shouldn't be missed on account of an idiotic dub.

Okay, maybe some of you people think that this DVD is horrible, but it's really not that bad. I mean, they could have done worse! They could have changed the characters' names to like, instead of "Naruto" it could have been "Jack" or something. I think the voice actors do a good job! They edited it to be a kid-friendly show because Cartoon Network is a kids' TV station. Sure, the more mature shows come on at night (like on Saturday night with Dragon Ball Z, Naruto...), and the kiddy shows come on earlier (like Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo, Billy and Mandy...). If you want to see even more mature TV shows on that channel, watch Adult Swim, that comes on even later at night! If you aren't happy with the Cartoon Network/Toonami edited version of Naruto, buy the uncut version on DVD! I know everyone has their opinions, but those reviews were a little harsh to me.

I started watching Naruto when the fansubbers first started doing it, and ever since I've been anticipating its American release. Naruto is one of my favorite series. But I will not be buying these DVDs until Viz does it properly.

I, for one, did not like the English dub. Some of the voices just grate on my ears, and others have no emotion whatsoever. The Japanese voice actors are in a whole other league than those featured on this dub, and Viz would likely sell more DVDs if they offered a bilingual track.

Worse than that, they are only offering an edited copy. If any of you folks at Viz happen upon this page, here's a news flash: children are not the only ones who watch anime! If you want to market an anime for children, fine. But pick one that was orignally aimed at children. Don't pick a violent, bloody series with mildly-sexual scenes and water it down. Even if you feel the need to do that, at least offer a copy that isn't edited so you don't exclude half of your audience.

I love Naruto, but Viz has really ruined it. Konjiki no Gash Bell, another show I enjoy, has been treated the same. Its simply a shame that Viz got a hold of them instead of another company.

First of all, the soundtracks and the background music of this series are simply fabulous. The dubbing and the voices are not that atrocious: you can easily deal with it once you get used to it after a few episodes. Plus, Naruto's catch phrase "Believe it!" sounds so funny that I just fell in love wiht it. I cannot believe people say that it is annoying. To me, there is no better way to translate that "Dattebayo!" Japanese catch-phrase of Naruto in a more reasonable or "believable" way :) It is important to remember that for 167 episodes Naruto is a 13-year-old kid so we should expect a kid voice, both in Japanese and in English eheh. Kids can be whiny and arrogant ( we all know that ) and the voices must try to mirror Naruto's age AND personality. I simply don't see the reason why there are so many complaints about this.

The story is also great and original. A lonely kid that plans to become Hokage (the village top ninja) and that is cursed with a Nine-Tailed Demon Fox (Kyubi) sealed inside him that sometimes give him special powers: people say that this is not original? Can't see why they say that. Besides, it is also unbelievable that someone even compares this show to Pokemon. I can assure you that it has nothing to do it with it. Somebody doesn't understand the depth of this show and its story. It has great potential for the upcoming seasons, and the best of it has yet to come.

Also people say that the characters are not well developed. The characters are developed as the episodes carry on, as their stories are told with memories, flashbacks and things like that. You can't expect to know everything about a character in 10 episodes. I prefer more action and suspense within all that!!

It's ridiculous, though, that only 4 episodes are released on DVD. The first season of Naruto has 25 episodes, and Cartoon Network aired 17 episodes so far. They could at least release 13-14 episodes with one DVD. It is a pity to pay 14 dollars for only 4 episodes. I can buy the imported version and can get the entire first season on DVD for 30 dollars. Even if the subs are not the best, they are not that terrible and again: you can easily deal with it and understand the story and what is going on pretty clearly without superb subs (sometimes people ask too much). What counts after all is to enjoy the show and we all know that DVDs are still a little far from perfection.

In conclusion, I enjoyed almost all of the 148 episodes I watched so far, except a few filler episodes that could have been spared. This show is definitely worth watching. Give it time and you won't be disappointed. I'm an anime fan and I only watch the ones that are truly worth watching. Naruto is on top of my list this year, and the upcoming 8th season, with grownup Naruto, is going to be memorable this spring!

ONE THING I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND: watch Naruto in its original Japanese version with English subs first, then watch the English dub. You can find Naruto DVDs online and there are a lot of online stores that sell them, up to the 7th season. An example is www.animovies.com I got all my DVDs from them

WATCH THIS AWESOME SHOW!

I have to admit that I was really looking forward to the DVD release of Naruto. Being a big fan of the series since it came out fansubbed, I couldn't wait to buy it and see it in high quality. Viz had a reputation for being at least decent in their translations, so I wasn't all that heartbroken to hear it was licensed by them. So, like a good fan, I bought it when it came out.

I watched it once and gave it away. I couldn't even bring myself to sell it, it's so horrible.

It has NO subtitles, NO japanese track. Their extras are a complete joke. In fact, the DVD is so bad, I'm beginning to question if I should even buy from Viz in the future. Their treatment of other titles on DVD lately are almost as bad as their treatment of Naruto. The Hikaru no Go DVDs don't allow you to use your subtitle and language buttons on your remote control. The Ranma 1/2 OVA box set has NO extras at all.

Viz, if you read these reviews of your product, I sincerely hope you get the message. Pissing off the fans is NOT a good way to make money. We don't ask for much. Some REAL extras, non-edited versions of the stuff shown on Adult Swim, a Japanese track, and the ability to use the subtitle/language buttons on our remotes. If you can't do this, get out of the DVD business and stick to manga.

I really love this show. I really do. But I just can't give this DVD 5 stars because it's only the edited dub. The fact that I prefer either my fansubbed episodes on the computer or my imported copies where Gaara is "Aida" and sentences like "What is problem? Sakura I ask you now" abound should tell you something about this DVD. I haven't really paid too much attention up until now to the blood and such that has been censored, but it doesn't appear to be too bad. Since I can't watch the two versions side by side, I also can't comment about edits. I can, however, tell you that this dub is irritating.

Let's start off with the openings and endings, which have been replaced. While there is no stupid song like One Piece (indeed this has fared better than One Piece and Shaman King combined), I miss seeing Rocks (which would have been awesome to hear in English) and Wind (which would have been awesome to see fans try to figure out, seeing as the accent really comes through though the song is in English). As for the voice actors...I'm rather peeved. I'll start with Naruto. I will never like any voice as much as his whining Japanese version screaming "dattebayo!", but this voice is just too young and Gohan-ish, and it's not funny at all to see and hear him do stuff. Yes, I do laugh at the Japanese Naruto voice. Sakura I can live with, she's not perfect but I can deal. Sasuke...wow, he's nowhere near where he needs to be, the later episodes will be tough to believe if the voice doesn't start to brood soon. Kakashi is alright, but I would have had his voice a bit deeper. Haku is actually very good. Zabuza...wow the VA didn't change his Spike Spiegel voice at all.

So all in all I'm a bit dissapointed with the show, but it earns brownie points just because I love the story. I won't be throwing out my imports yet, but I'll buy this even though it's edited just to have a piece of the English production. Other than that, I don't like the dub too much.