Naruto (manga)

It has been 15 years since it was first published and 700 chapters later, it is finally over, bringing a long anticipated, but conclusive ending to Naruto (manga).

Naruto (manga) has been a large part of my childhood, and along with Bleach, D. Gray-man, and One Piece, has formed memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life. My first exposure to the Naruto-universe didn’t begin with the manga, but was in fact its anime adaptation. I had immensely enjoyed the show up to its slow and long-standing fillers and it was at that point when I began to look up its source material and devour the manga. Naruto (manga) has been absolute pleasure to read, and is without doubt one of the best battle-shounen mangas I have read to date. As such, I have upmost respect for the author, Masashi Kishimoto, for his amazing effort and perseverance in creating, telling and maintaining such a magnificent tale for such a long time.

Naruto (manga) has been a whirlwind of a journey, emphasising many important themes of the human condition that revolve around the protagonist, Uzumaki Naruto. It is his coming-of-age growth, bonds, friendships, hardships, and perseverance that has made Naruto what he represents today – an epitome of a true hero. And it is these themes portrayed from the events or arcs of Naruto’s journey, from the Chounin exams, Orochimaru’s invasion, Akatsuki, Pain, and the final Ninja war, that resonates within our hearts as we read, laugh, and weep. Do not forget that the journey would not be complete without such an amazing supporting cast of friends and enemies (and with some Naruto-magic they also become comrades), and it has been a pleasure to read and watch the growth of all these characters alongside Naruto. Out of all of these people however, it is ultimately the bond between Naruto and Sasuke that resonates throughout the chapters of Naruto (manga). This bond began ours and Naruto’s journey and 700 chapters later, it is this bond that brings us to the end. 

And so, it is a sad but satisfying moment as I lay a part of my much cherished childhood to rest. Naruto has without doubt become a staple to the manga universe and will live on as one of the greatest shounen manga of all time. Sayonara Naruto! Let us meet each other again for the last time in ‘The Last: Naruto the Movie’.