Shonen Anime and It's Audience

Shonen Anime and It's Audience

Introduction

Anime shown to large audiences, either on television channels or online, tends to be created to appeal to a specific target audience. This mainstream anime needs to have a target audience to whom it can market its products to. These products include all sorts of merchandise such as toy mechas that little boys find appealing, or video games involving ninjas that older boys find appealing. A mainstream anime must target a particular audience who will buy related merchandise so that the producers can make enough money to continue producing the show. Anime can be classified in terms of who their target audience is. One of these classifications is shonen anime, which typically targets pre-teen to teenage age boys (1.Shōnen (Demographic), 2014). Many different genres of anime are considered shonen anime because of the shared demographic group that these series target. Some of these genres are harem, mecha and martial arts (2.AniRecs Anime Blog, 2011). So, Shonen anime is an umbrella term that different genres of anime fit under.

So, how do you determine what anime series are shonen? What makes an anime (or anime genre) Shonen is the containment of a few characteristics expressed in lesser or greater degree in the anime. Shonen anime truly appeals to its target audience in two distinct, yet equally potent ways. It appeals to boys on a surface level by containing high amounts of action scenes, cute girls to hold their attention, and prevalent, often slapstick, humor. On a somewhat deeper or more emotional level, these shonen anime series appeal to boys by starring typically young male protagonists that boys can relate to, personally. These protagonists face issues that are similar to the issues of the audience. The protagonists often overcome these issues and serve as a role model for boys watching the series. Also, many shonen anime use similar tropes, which appeal to their audience in one way or another.  

The Role of Cute Girls in Shonen Anime

Often times, shonen anime contain female characters who are not as developed as the protagonist and who have bodies with unrealistic proportions. This inevitably leaves the critic (I in this case) thinking that these characters may simply be in these anime to visually please male viewers who are just going through adolescence and have wild hormonal activity. This serves as fan service (3.Fanservice, 2014) to viewers who find these images visually appealing. Consequently, their attention is kept because they like what they see. To prove this point, it is necessary to take a look at and analyze some highly popular shonen anime.

Naruto, A widely popular shonen series, is a shonen series that doesn’t seem to contain female characters that are simply in the show to visually please the male audience. However, if you dig beneath the surface and watch certain episodes, you can see that women are somewhat objectified (humorously) and used as “fan service”. Naruto uses a ninja technique called “Sexy Technique” (4.Sexy Technique, 2014) in which he transforms into an attractive woman with no clothes on (clouds cover certain areas in the American version), who is blowing a kiss to the person he is facing in battle. He uses this technique several times in the series. Of course, its only purpose is to serve as a visually pleasing object to the viewers. It’s humorous, because it gives his opponents nosebleeds.

This quality of shonen anime is more prevalent in anime such as, Gurren Lagan, which is arguably a shonen anime (5.Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, 2009). A central female character in the series, Yoko Ritona, is appareled in a bikini top with flames on it and some shorts. She always wears this outfit even in cold environments. Also, there are many scenes in the anime in which there are close-ups on certain areas of her body (her breasts or behind). She is a full character, yet her physical appearance and attire seems to serve only the purpose of being visually appealing to the audience (not practical at all).

High Action Scenes

The most common characteristic of shonen anime is the prevalence of high action scenes and dynamically physically powerful characters that face off in battles or competitions. Often times, the plots are driven and progress after battle scenes. The purpose of this is to visually please adolescent boys who for the most part have aggressive tendencies (not all do, of course) or who simply enjoy watching fast paced action. It is an attention-keeper so to speak. These visually appealing characters can easily be made into action figures that boys can buy and collect.

Dragon Ball Z by Toriyama Akira is a highly popular shonen series that focuses heavily, if not wholly on high action battle scenes with dynamic characters. Dragon Ball Z appeals to young boys by starring characters who look like they could be professional wrestlers (huge muscles), and who are almost constantly engaged in battles with each other (6.Wannamaker, 2012). Also, the plot progresses whenever Goku, the protagonist, is able to save the world by defeating an enemy in battle (7.Dragon Ball Z, 2014). This emphasizes that shonen series appeal to young boys on a surface level by to focusing in fighting and characters who look built solely to do so.

Naruto by Kishimoto Masashi is another anime in which high actions scenes play a large role in the series and help progress the plot. The protagonist, Naruto, strives to be the best ninja in his village. To achieve that goal, he must become stronger. So, they plot centers heavily around the battles that Naruto finds himself in, which cause him to push himself and become stronger. After almost every battle, he gains a new skill or learns a new battle tactic. Therefore, the series focuses heavily on battling and improvement caused by doing so.

Comedic Elements

Something that strongly attracts boys to shonen anime is their elements of humor. Again, important to note is that much of this humor can be enjoyed by the target shonen audience, and by people who aren't part of the target audience (girls and adults). This humor is a means that anime series use to keep the attention of boys who tend to have short attention spans because of all of the media they are surrounded by. This humor is usually slap-stick humor, but can also be situational humor. Slap stick humor is “is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity which exceeds the boundaries of common sense” (8.Slapstick, 2014). Situational humor is humor that is based on the paradoxical nature of a narratives setting and the characters who shouldn’t fit into it.

One Piece is an excellent example of a shonen anime that focuses heavily on humor. This series has humor that is constantly present, and so it is situational humor. One Piece Is a series that focuses on the adventures of a group of characters who are pirates in a world of piracy resembling Eighteenth century Europe and Japan (9.Brenner, 2007). The constant (and absurd) humor is found when looking at the main characters, because they look nothing like Eighteenth century pirates at all. Luffy looks like a Fisher; Sanji Looks like a gourmet cook, and Chopper is simply a talking deer, etc.

The original Dragon Ball series by Toriyama Akira is full of slap stick humor, which keeps the attention of young boys watching the anime. This humor is exemplified by Goku's ability to pick up and karate chop through gigantic logs that are bigger than himself. He also defeats a giant Teradactyl by striking it with a magical extending pole, which knocks off the pterodactyl’s horn (10.Dragon Ball Episode 1, 2014)

Emotional Connection

Shonen anime series appeal to young boys by addressing issues that these boys won’t typically discuss with others. These issues are usually very personal to boys, so they may feel uncomfortable with discussing them with other people. Thus, many anime series provide an outlet for boys to either simply express their feelings, which can be relieving, or to try to make sense of or resolve any conflicting feelings. Some of these issues are related to anxiety they may feel about their personalities, opinions on their own self-image, and how to deal with new desires that they are facing.  (11.Steinburg, 2010). Important to note is that the confrontation of these issues in shonen anime series isn’t usually overt, but it’s done subtly or alongside other developments in a series.

 In the shonen anime series, Naruto, the protagonist (Naruto) has an inferiority complex that he has had ever since he was a child because he was treated as the village outcast. He overcomes his feelings of inferiority by establishing his own unique fighting style and stance, which gave him a sense of individuality and independence (12.Berndt, 2014) . In essence, he overcomes his inferiority complex by not deriving his value from others. Similarly, the target shonen audience is going through the issue of trying to fit in with their peers, while potentially having difficulty doing so. Thus, the anime, Naruto, encourages them to overcome this issue by teaching them to embrace their own individuality, which gives them more self-satisfaction than when they compare themselves to others constantly.

The arguably shonen series, Ranma ½, (13.How To Get Into Manga, 2014) presents a protagonist (Ranma) who transforms into a girl unwillingly whenever he falls into water. Whenever this happens he always searches for the fastest way to transform back into a boy. This anime may appeal to boys on a deeper level by addressing their fear of being labeled as feminine in cultures where boys who are feminine are seem as being “wimpy” or simply different from the what is normal (11.Steinburg, 2010)

In particular, Otomo Katsuhiro’s Akira, a film described my many as belonging to the shonen genre, addresses some issues that adolescent boys face. This film appealed to boys not just because it was full of action. It was so popular in America because it addressed the issue that boys face with their self-esteem, which is a part of their self-image. The protagonist, Tetsuo, is the youngest member of his motorcycle gang. He is treated as the “runt” of the group and eventually views himself as being nothing more than a runt (14.Tetsuo Shima, 2014). These feelings of inferiority cause him to feel helpless and give him a low self-esteem. Certainly, boys with older siblings can relate to the feelings of inferiority that Tetsuo feels. Additionally, boys may feel like they don’t quite fit with a social group that they are in at school or outside of school. So, boys watching this film can relate to it in a very real and meaningful way.

Additionally, Tetsuo gains tremendous powers that he cannot control properly, causing him to destroy many parts of the city he lives in. Boys watching this film may relate this to a fear of growing up and becoming adults (11.Steinburg, 2010). This is because, growing up comes with many new responsibilities and freedoms that they may feel like they won’t be able to handle. Boys watching this film may not consciously equate Tetsuo’s situation as a metaphor for growing up, but their subconscious mind may process it this way.

Tropes

When viewing Shonen anime, it’s quite easy to pick out a set of tropes that many of them use. A few of these tropes include, the foreign to familiar girl, having a rival peer, the formation of a team of unlike characters.

At the onset of the narrative in many shonen anime, the protagonist either doesn’t really know any girls of his age, or he is distant from them because he views as foreign and unlike him. This often changes because the protagonist is forced into situations where they must communicate and get to know girls their age. This trope is evident in many popular contemporary shonen anime.

At the beginning of the series Naruto, the protagonist (Naruto) attends a ninja training academy in which he attends classes or training sessions with dozens of students (15.Academy, 2014). He has a crush on a girl in his class named Sakura, but he never really communicated with her. That changed when he was placed into a three-person squad with her, in which he was forced to work with her (teamwork), and get to know her.

At the onset of the original Dragon Ball series, kid Goku had been growing up in a remote village by himself after his grandfather had passed away, having no contact with the outside world – or women. This changed when a woman named Bulma coincidentally found him while on her quest to find all of the dragon balls. When he found her, she seemed completely foreign to him because he had never met a woman before. He treated her as if she were some sort of alien species. (16.By The Viper, 2014) Yet, he set out on an adventure with her, and she became less foreign and much more familiar to him.

Why do many shonen anime feature this trope? Clearly, it appeals to boys in some way. When boys are of a younger age (in middle school), they are just starting to hit puberty and they are experience great physical change. With this comes a fascination with girls (hormones) that they don’t quite understand yet. Additionally, girls go through changes that boys don’t really understand either. This can cause them to feel an attraction to females, yet make them afraid to approach them because they are not familiar to them. Shonen anime series present girls that seem foreign to the protagonists because the viewers can relate to this sentiment. Yet, many shonen series place male protagonists into situations in which they must become familiar with girls by getting to know them. When this happens in shonen series, the protagonists typically realize that girls really aren’t that different from themselves and that they can, in fact, for functional relationships with them (Goku not viewing Bulma as foreign and Naruto not being afraid to talk to his crush, Sakura). This can encourage the viewers to be more proactive in their attempts to socialize with girls.

Another common trope is one in which the protagonist has a rival peer(s) with whom he competes. Often times, the rival is stoic or cocky and is almost always a natural talent in some way. Typically the protagonist or other supporting characters are hard workers and have to compete with someone who is a natural talent.

In the wildly popular shonen manga and anime, Slam Dunk, the protagonist (Hanamichi) joined a high school basketball team in his freshman year after working very hard to do so because he doesn’t have much natural skill. Another character, Rukawa, joins the basketball team with ease because he has a natural talent. Of course, Rukawa is stoic and acts superior to others. This makes him a sort of distant antagonist. During games, Hanamichi believes that his hard work will beat out Rukawa’s natural talent, and he will be the star of the team. Sure enough, Hanamichi beats out Rukawa, although he isn’t treated as a star just yet (17.Hanamich Sakurage, 2014)

In the beginning of the anime series, Naruto, the protagonist is part of a ninja team including his peer Sasuke. Sasuke is a member of the Uchiha clan and believes that his clan is superior to all of the other clans in the village because of his family history. And, in fact, he is naturally talented, and thus a proficient ninja. On the other hand, the protagonist, Naruto, had always been a weak ninja before joining the ninja team with Sasuke, yet he was determined to become stronger than Sasuke, and was able to do so only through hard work.

Why is this trope so commonly found in shonen anime? It must be because it appeals to boys in some way. Potentially, the boys watching these anime are a part of classes or sports in which they see their classmates excelling simply because they are naturally talented. This can be discouraging to boys who aren’t quite as talented. This may even prompt students to simply quit a sport. Yet, shonen anime inspires them. It shows them that through hard work and unabated determination they can beat out the boy that’s talented and so sure of his “superior” abilities.   

A third trope that’s common in shonen anime is the formation of teams of characters that are very unlike each other. If a viewer didn’t know how the team came to be, they would likely guess that it would be impossible for such a group to exist in harmony.

In the anime One Piece, Luffy’s pirate crew consists of a violent swordsman, a gourmet chef, a common thief, a cowardly inventor, a doctor reindeer, an archeologist, and an animated skeleton among other characters. However different these characters are in hobby and in personality, they all get along and work together on the pirate ship. This is because they all share goals that they can achieve only if they work together.

In the contemporary shonen anime Katekyo Hitman Reborn, the protagonist (Tsuna), a young boy who’s destined to unwillingly become a mafia boss, recruits a group a people at his school to be his subordinates or guardians. They are a rag-tag group of students that have vastly different interests and hobbies. One is on the baseball team, another is a boxer, one is simply obsessed with dynamite and the list goes on. The protagonist, Tsuna, becomes friends with each of these members individually and eventually they come together and become friends (after much time).

Perhaps, the formation of friendships and teams among unlike characters in these shonen anime show boys in the audience that they shouldn’t be afraid to try and become friends with people who aren’t exactly similar to themselves. It encourages boys to try to befriend people that belong to cliques, and shows them that they may have success in doing so, even though they aren’t a part of that clique. This also shows boys, as in One Piece, that teamwork is required among peers in order to get certain things done, such as group projects or winning a sporting competition.

Conclusion

Shonen anime use many elements to appeal directly to their audience of boys ranging from late elementary school age to high school age. They keep the attention of the boys using techniques that foster surface appeal, such as the use of humor, cute girls, and high action scenes. Yet, they keep their audiences committed to watching series by appealing to them on a deeper, more emotional level. Creators of shonen anime also include a few common tropes in their series that appeal to boys each in their own ways.

These anime seem to have the potential to positively impact the lives of young boys watching in many different countries. The use of humor can allow them to laugh and wind down after a long and stressful day. Watching high action scenes gives them an outlet (among others) for any aggressiveness stored up in them. Watching girls is simply pleasing to them (although this objectification is actually a huge social issue). More importantly, shonen anime provide viewers with an outlet for any emotional issues they may be facing and can even help them overcome issues that they are facing by providing them with positive and encouraging messages. In the U.S. and potentially in other countries, heavier themes presented in anime address issues that boys face, which aren’t addressed by others around them (in T.V. shows or in conversation) because boys are viewed as too unknowledgeable about such issues to discuss them (12.Berndt, 2014). Therefore, watching shonen anime may be one of the only ways that younger boys can face emotional issues.

Citations (APA)

1. Shōnen (Demographic). (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ShonenDemographic?from=Main.Shonen ).

                                             

2.   Complete list of Anime Genres (with descriptions) - AniRecs Anime Blog. (2011, August 29). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://anirecs.com/facade/anime-genre-list-with-descriptions/2

                                                               3. Fan service. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_service

4. Sexy Technique. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Sexy_Technique

5. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann; Definitive Shonen. (2009, July 19). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from https://geekorner.wordpress.com/2009/07/19/til-tengen-toppa-gurren-lagann-definitive-shonen/

6.Wannamaker, A. (2012, September 12). Boys in Children's Literature and Popular Culture. Retrieved December 12, 2014.

7. Dragon Ball Z. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z

8. Slapstick. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapstick

9. Brenner, R. (2007, June 30). Understanding Manga and Anime. Retrieved December 12, 2014, from https://books.google.com/books?id=uY8700WJy_gC&pg=PA109&dq=luffy eighteenth century one piece&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IlOLVLSvEdCTyQTS54KoDw&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=luffy eighteenth century one piece&f=false

10. Dragon Ball Episode 1. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://animeshow.tv/Dragon-Ball-episode-1/

11. Steinburg, S. (2010, January 1). Boy Culture. Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://books.google.com/books?id=XRGEIqzv5rsC&pg=PA341&dq=how do boys relate to anime&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IFZ8VM3fCcfjgwS7uoLwCQ&ved=0CCQQ6wEwAA#v=onepage&q=how do boys relate to anime&f=false ).

12. Berndt, J. (2014, March 1). Manga's Cultural Crossroads. Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://books.google.com/books?id=TeQJAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT227&dq=naruto anime appeal&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2JN8VKHMCOn2iQKTrIHgAg&ved=0CCEQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=naruto anime appeal&f=false

13. How to Get Into Manga. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://m.wikihow.com/Get-Into-Manga

14. Tetsuo Shima. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://akira.wikia.com/wiki/Tetsuo_Shima

15. Academy. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Academy

By The Viper. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://www.pojo.com/Dragonball/EpisodeSummaries/usdb/USdb1Secret.shtml

16. Hanamichi Sakuragi. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://slamdunk.wikia.com/wiki/Hanamichi_Sakuragi

Otaku no Blossay: My Interest in Anime over the Years.

Otaku no Blossay: My Interest in Anime over the Years.

Introduction

Ever since I was a child, I have had a complicated and ever-changing relationship with anime. My personal relationship with anime has gone through many phases over the years. Select elements of anime have appealed to me at different ages. My involvement in anime culture has also changed over time. Thus, my blossay will chronologically describe my relationship with anime over time and how it has appealed to me.

Elementary school years

I was first introduced to anime culture when I was in elementary school. This is the time when I started watching anime on television on Saturday mornings. At this time, I was particularly interested in Pokémon. I would watch Pokémon on television stations and via video cassettes that my mom would buy for me and my siblings. I clearly recall receiving my Pokémon Game Boy Color and Pokémon Red Version from my parents for my eighth birthday.

1. My original Game Boy Color

I also started collecting the cards at this time. I religiously played my Pokémon game. I would wake up early and play my game every morning before school.

I can’t clearly remember everything from my elementary school years, but I do remember what drew me so strongly to Pokémon. I loved the show because it was so entertaining. As a boy, I simply loved to smash things. I loved to see action. So, naturally I loved watching Pokémon battle in the television show (which they did often). The show was filled with humor, and that kept me entertained. I was obsessed with the game because it (partially) fulfilled my desire to exceed at something, or be a winner. I would overly train my Pokémon just so that I could win battles without having the chance of losing. Adventure and exploration were also key elements of the show and games that appealed to me at this particular age.  In essence, the games and show fulfilled in me my childhood desires. It’s important to note that, I didn’t love Pokémon because it was an anime, but that I loved it and it happened to be an anime.

Middle School Years

When I got into middle school, my interest in anime developed further for a few reasons. My friends and I started getting really serious about playing the Pokémon games together in a competitive way. In middle school, I started watching anime such Digimon and Naruto. I became so invested in Pokémon that I collected the cards, played the games, watched the show and even owned a real Pokédex. At this age, I was interested in anime such as Digimon, Pokémon, and Naruto because they helped fulfill desires in me than only a developing, middle school age person would have.

As a middle-schooler, I desired companionship and friendship. For this reason, Digimon appealed to me. The protagonists of this series had Digimon, which were like talking pets that were always with them. These Digimon were always with their humans, and they went through everything together. In essence, I empathized with the humans in the show and that helped fulfill my desire to have a companion.

2. Tai and his Digimon, Agumon.

I became so heavily involved with the Pokémon franchise because it was a means to an end. That end was socialization. I was socially awkward, so socialization wasn’t easy for me. But, I found others who were invested in the Pokémon franchise, and we founded friendships on that common ground. Aspects of the Pokémon games (trading and battling with Pokémon) and trading card game (trading cards) facilitated interpersonal interactions. Pokémon also helped fulfill my middle-schooler desire to be accepted by and belong to a group of people. I became a part of a social group that was interested in Pokémon (among other things) in the same way that I was.

When I was in middle school, I watched Naruto, and valued that show more than any other television show that I watched at the time. This is because Naruto appealed to me so strongly for a few reasons. What appealed to me the most was the connection I felt with the protagonist of the series (Naruto). He was about the same I age as I was when I stared watching the show. He wasn't accepted by his peers and practically had no friends. Because of this he struggled with feeling lonely. When I was in middle school, I didn't have many friends (before I befriended Pokémon fans) and struggled with loneliness as well. 

3. Naruto feeling lonely.

 Naruto was also jealous of people that excelled more than he did in many areas, just as I was. Naruto also pursued a girl that he liked, to no avail. I like a few girls, but couldn't pursue a relationship with them because I was so shy and introverted. Yet, this show appealed to me for one reason. Naruto inspired me by meeting adversity with resilience. He became outgoing, and began making friends. He overcame his jealousy by working hard and beating his competition (those he was jealous of). A girl admired his courage and became interested in him. Naruto gave me hope that I too could overcome my struggles somehow.

High School and College Years

My high school years were far different from my elementary school and middle school years. I became far more immersed into anime culture. This is the time when I made the transition from being a Naruto/Pokémon/general television show fan to an anime fan. My friends showed me many popular anime such as Bleach, One Piece, Death Note and Dragon Ball Z. I would watch these on my television whenever I could. I also became interested in AMV’s, which are compilations of clips from anime shown with a song. I continued purchasing Pokémon related video games, and started buying Naruto related video games when I was in high school. I joined an anime club at my high school. I even cosplayed as Goku to an anime convention in my freshman year of college.

4. Cosplaying as Goku at Zenkaicon.

I admired many anime in high school, because of how different many of them were from other animated television shows that were popular among people my age. Most other animated shows would simply present protagonists who were always good or right and antagonists who were always bad or wrong.  I was more interested in watching anime that were thought provoking. The anime I was interested in didn't present their protagonists as always being right and the antagonists as always being wrong. The protagonists would have their values challenged by antagonists with different values. In many anime, this would lead to general discussions about values. Of course, this provoked me to thought by making me evaluate my own values.

 I appreciated Naruto on a different level while in high school because it involved conflicts of values. Naruto desired to bring about world peace by uniting everyone, while Madara (an antagonist) desired to bring about world peace through global sedation. This leads to a debate between the characters about the inherent nature of man. They have different views on the nature of man because they have different values.  Of course, this debate involving values highly appealed to me when I was in high school.

In general, I enjoyed the action scenes in many anime, and was fascinated by how plot driven many anime were. When in high school, I loved the artistic style of many anime artists, which starkly contrasted with the artistic style of non-anime artists. Of course, I discussed anime with all of my friends. I had to keep up with anime to do so.

Conclusion

My relationship with anime has gone through many stages as my personal needs and wants have changed over the years. I would not consider myself an otaku or a weeaboo, because I am not as devoted to anime as I am to other interests. Yet, I cannot deny it. I love anime, and it has meant a lot to me over the years.

Works Cited

 1. A photo that I took.

 2. http://dreager1.com/tag/tai/

 3.http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/naruto_swing_8181.jpg

 4. A photo I took.

Tom's Blossay on Naruto Shippuden

Introduction

Naruto Shippuden is an anime series that is based on part two of the manga series Naruto, created by Kishimoto, Masashi. The narrative in Naruto Shippuden is basically a continuation of the narrative that started in the original anime, Naruto (based on part one of the manga series). Naruto Shippuden was first broadcast in Japan in February of 2007 and in the U.S. in 2009. It was created to be a continuation of the original anime series of Naruto. New episodes of the series are still being created and aired in Japan and in the United States. There have been 374 episodes released so far.

 The anime Naruto Shippuden is truly an adaptation of the original manga, and was directed by a man who isn’t Kishimoto Masashi, the manga’s creator. All that this implies is that aspects of the anime may be different than they were in the original manga series, to appeal to a certain audience. The animation studios that produce Naruto Shippuden are Studio Pierott and TV Tokyo. This is worth noting because some of the founding members of Studio Pierott were former employees of Mushi Productions, the animation studio the produced Astro Boy.

The target audience is junior high boys. This is not unusual considering that the series falls under the genre of shonen (for its action and appeal to junior high boys). This series reaches its target audience effectively by showing high amounts of action scenes and by making the protagonist a character that junior high boys can relate to and look up to as a role model. This is the kind of TV series that kids watch weekly in Japan and in the United States.

The Naruto Universe

To understand the overall narrative of Naruto Shippuden, you, as a viewer, have to have a basic knowledge of the Naruto universe. This is an anime centered on ninja, and how they interact with each other. The protagonist and all ninja have a power/energy inside of them called chakra. By making hand signs, they can channel this power and perform Jutsu, or attacks using elements such as fire, wind, and sand. They also fight using their fists, without the use of chakra, or their internal energy. Even though nations aren’t always at war with one another, the world is a dangerous place, and ninja have to fight constantly. Their job is to protect their nations. Virtually all ninja live together in villages with their families.

Character Introductions

There is one protagonist, and a few major characters that are central to the anime. The protagonist is a teenager named Naruto. He has a powerful demon fox inside of him that gives him power occasionally. He has yellow hair and blue eyes. He has a very outgoing personality, and is an emotionally driven character. His Nindō, or the words that he lives by as a ninja are that he doesn't run away and he doesn’t go back on his word. He is very courageous and never backs down. Because he was an outcast as a child, he seeks to be recognized by everyone in his village. He plans to make this happen by becoming the Hokage, who is the village’s leader.

Sasuke is another major character in Naruto Shippuden. He is a ninja who fights with a katana, and uses techniques involving lightning. He has medium length black hair, and dark eyes. He can best be described as a stoic character who believes that he a superior ninja because of his heritage. These characteristics make him come off as a jerk, often.  He is emotionless at times and very emotional at other times. He’s not driven by feelings of sentiment. He nonchalantly severs bonds with people just to further his cause. He’s strongly driven by negative (or darker) emotions, such as anger and hate. In the beginning of the Naruto Shippuden series, his cause was to kill his brother Itachi, and he trained relentlessly for years just to be able to kill him.

Sakura is the third major character in the series. She’s a teenager, like Naruto. She’s a medical ninja and has short, pink hair as well as green eyes. She can best be described as a careful and cautious person.  She doesn’t have a very strong personality like Naruto and Sasuke do. She’s a caring person, and does all she can to protect her friends, such as Naruto. She has never really stated what her goals or ambitions are. She felt like a useless ninja when she was younger, so she’s trying to change herself to become useful. In Shippuden, she’s basically acts as a support character, who is always trying to help others.

Narrative of Naruto Shippuden

While there are several plots unfolding at different times in the series, there is one overarching narrative that the series adheres to. Basically, over the course of the series there have been several groups of ninja and individual ninja that attempt to take over the world and create a new world order. The goals of these groups, or organizations, have generally been to bring about world peace. The way in which they plan bring about this peace is what creates a conflict in the narrative. A group called the Akatsuki essentially want steal Naruto’s powers and the powers of other ninja to create a super weapon. With this super weapon, they will threaten to destroy any nation that declares war on another nation. This peace would be borne out of fear, and Naruto and other characters believe that, that is not the best way to bring about peace.

 Another individual named Madara tries to cast a jutsu on the world which will make everyone fall into an eternal sleep. While in this sleep each individual will create their own dream worlds free of all suffering and pain. Again, Naruto and his comrades do all that they can to prevent this from happening because they believe that this would bring about a false peace. In Naruto Shippuden, battles aren’t fought with fists, but with the words of clashing ideologies and worldviews. So, the narrative can be summed up as being a series of conflicts between Naruto and several ninja fighting about what state the world is in, and how they should or can change it.

An important subplot is Naruto's quest to bring Sasuke, who is a rogue ninja, back to the village.

Episode one

The first episode of Naruto Shippuden can be found here:   http://www.viz.com/anime/streaming/naruto-shippuden-episode-1/482/sub

The theme song separating the two plots begins at 8:30 and ends at 10:15.

Plot of Episode One

Basically, this episode has two separate plots in it that are separated by the theme song of the show, which plays half way through the episode. There isn't much of an introduction to the episode. It begins in the middle of an action scene. Initially, Naruto and his team (including Sakura) are running down a hallway looking for something. They find what they are looking for in a clearing outside, and it happens to be Sasuke. Naruto had been looking for and trying to apprehend Sasuke (for years) because he had run away from the village and was now a wanted, rogue ninja. They have a short discussion after which Sasuke draws his sword and threatens to kill Naruto. This moment acts as a cliffhanger, and the theme song cuts in. Here’s a photo of Sasuke threatening Naruto:

After the theme, the second narrative of the episode is told (shown). This part of the episode begins with a group of children, who are amateur ninja, chasing and capturing a run-away cat for a mission. After the children return to an office to collect their reward for completing the mission, they run into Sakura and Tsunade, the leader of the village (and also, Sakura’s mentor). They all have a conversation about how they miss Naruto, who has been away from the village for two and a half years. Coincidentally, Naruto returns to the village shortly after this conversation takes place. After gazing at the village with nostalgia, he reunites with Sakura and goes to talk with Tsunade (village leader). She tells him that he will have to go on some sort of mission, and then the episode abruptly ends, leaving the viewer hanging, once again. Of course, the credits play after the narrative ends.

Content of Episode One

Content-wise, the first and second parts of the episode contrasted from each other. The atmosphere in the first half of the episode was tense and somber, while the second half of the episode had an atmosphere of playfulness (chasing around a cat) and positivity, generally speaking (Naruto returning to his village and reuniting with his companion, Sakura).

The content of the first episode was highly anticipated by the audience, because Naruto and Sasuke had parted ways as friends following a fight (almost to the death) that they had before Sasuke left the village and became a rogue ninja. Back then, Sasuke had spared Naruto’s life, when he could have killed him. The dialogue in this episode shows to those viewing how much Sasuke has changed. In this episode he tells Naruto that he could kill him in a whim, just like he (apparently) spared him on a whim before. Sasuke didn’t have any emotional reaction when he saw Naruto, or Sakura. This shows the audience that Sasuke has become a cold person, who doesn’t care about anything except for his goal to kill his brother.  A clear theme in this episode is that people can change dramatically over time, or they can stay the same (Naruto doesn’t change much).

Animation and Soundtrack of Episode One

The style of animation seemed innovative at points in the episode. The episode begins with a scene of a character running down a hallway. This hallway almost takes on a third dimension in appearance because the audience is watching from the perspective of Naruto (.04-.10 minutes into episode from link). In general, the animation of the episode is very smooth. Worth noting is the theme song (8:30), which employs a variety of different animation techniques. Also, there is almost always movement on the screen.

What’s worth noting in terms of the soundtrack is the choir of deep voices, which plays in the first half of the episode when Naruto and Sakura encounter Sasuke. The choir makes the encounter seem very solemn. The soundtrack in the latter half of the episode features many stringed instruments that sound like they could be native to Japan.

Comments on the Series

This series is full of fighting scenes, which are certainly used to draw in the audience of boys. Surprisingly, showing action scenes isn’t the focus of the series. The focus of the series is to expose the audience to and advocate for a certain value system (presumably that of the original manga’s author). During or at the end of each arc or even major battle, Naruto usually has an isolated moment to talk with his opponent. Naruto’s opponents usually tell him that he’s going to lose because he’s weak. Naruto always tells them that a person who is fighting to protect their friends is truly a superior ninja because they have something to fight for besides themselves. Naruto never gives up in a fight, even when the odds of him winning are slim. Many of his opponents have lost faith in the world (because of their own suffering) and are trying to change it through methods that would create a false peace (as I stated earlier). But Naruto believes that he can create a true peace by uniting the world in companionship, at the cost of hard work. He never gives up on trying to save Sasuke, who tries to kill him, and he never gives up on his dream of becoming the village leader.

So, Naruto Shippuden aims to give the message to its audience that they should have hopes and aspirations, and that their dreams can become realities through hard work alone because there are no shortcuts in life. It aims to teach the audience that friendship is valuable and they have the potential to change the world around them in a positive way. These are all good things to hear when you’re in middle school, because everyone knows how difficult those years can be.

Naruto is significant in the anime world only because of its unprecedented popularity as a series about ninja in the United States. It’s not easy to quantify how exactly it has been influential. In the U.S., you can find Naruto merchandise in almost any mall. Video game adaptations of the series have been created for many game consoles, and they are still being made. It does reflect well on the genre of shonen. It has tons of fast paced action scenes, which is highly appealing to boys.  I would definitely recommend this to the class. However, you have to watch quite a few episodes and read the manga version of the series before really picking up on its depth in terms of philosophy and how it conveys values. You can find new episodes with English subtitles at: http://www.viz.com/naruto