Naruto (Volume 1) – Uzumaki Naruto

Naruto is desperate to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, however, he has a few obstacles to overcome. He’s not that good, he’s overconfident, and no one likes him. Should be easy!

Naruto (Volume 1) – Uzumaki Naruto

What happened?

It’s almost time for Naruto’s class to take their exams and earn their place as adults in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, however, he’s having some issues. Rather than focus on the ninjutsu skills that he hasn’t mastered, he would sooner paint obscene words on the giant stone sculptures of the previous Hokage. The only skill he appears to have perfected is the transformation skill although he uses it almost exclusively to turn into a naked big boobed girl – Ninja Centerfold.

When Naruto fails the examination, one of his teachers tries to let him pass, but Iruka will not budge. He needs Naruto to earn it. Any leniency will not be met favourably around the village and Naruto already has a low social standing. After the failed exam, Mizuki tells Naruto about an ancient scroll that will help him become the Hokage. All he has to do is steal it. However, Mizuki wants the scroll for himself and is prepared to let Naruto take the blame. Everyone would believe it was Naruto given his secret!

What did you think?

This is my very first experience with Naruto. I was at university when it started so had several other things occupying my time. Then, by the time I was semi-interested, there were so many volumes, seasons, and movies that it felt like too much. So, since I was diving into a whole raft of manga, I decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about. Before this, all I knew was that Naruto was a ninja. That’s it.

My first thought after reading the first volume is that Naruto is annoying. Super annoying. I’m not sure how someone that is craving attention and respect is going to achieve it by defacing the images of the great leaders of the past. Attention sure. Respect nope! The start was slow and didn’t do anything to make me want Naruto to succeed. He’s the typical Shounen protagonist that yells and acts like an ass. Maybe, I’m not in the target age range for this series.

It did get better when Naruto was teamed up with Sasuke and Sakura and they had to defeat Kakashi to earn their lunch and prove that they could become ninjas. Obviously, a story doesn’t run for fifteen years without having something that worked. I’ll continue reading to see what that is, but Naruto is the big obstacle at the moment. I hope they make him more likeable at some point.