must... have... Naruto! *dies*

[Fantasy Dreamer]

I saw an episode of Naruto on toonami the other night and (despite the fact that it might have bad dubbing somewhere/all through out it) I fell in love! I would like to persue the anime on CN, but it comes on too early at night (my parents don't like anime, so I watch it when they go to bed) and my parents are still up.

So, since the anime is a non-possability, I decided that I'd read the manga! Problem is, I can't order it online (I'm too chicken to ask my parents to let me), so I buy them at Books-A-Million and/or Barns and Noble. The other problem is, there isn't either in my squat home town, so the nearest one is too far away.

Thus, here I sit at my computer screen, sobbing my little eyes out (not literally) because I have a new anime/manga love but cannot view/read either! Alas, I am a deprived anime/manga fanatic! Pity me!

So, you don't want to hear about my woes and worries anymore. I want to hear about how great Naruto (manga) is, the comparisons to the anime, and how much you guys love it! Also, what you do/don't like about it i.e. bad things/good things. That way, I can want it even more and sob (not literally) more and more until I get my hands on the manga. Also, how many volumes are already out in America? This thread will probably die in a few days, but I'd appreciate you're input while its still on page one under the manga section of the anime & entertainment section of the forums. Thanks!

[Tenshi no Ai]

Well I haven't gotten too too far on either the anime or manga, but one thing I have to say is thus far, this is probably THE closest manga into anime I've ever seen. The scenes are all in there from like, what's in the manga to animated it's just wow! Probably looks better if you go from the manga to the anime though^^

How many volumes out now? I think vol. 8 just came out... total there's about 20 or 30 or so :/

[uc pseudonym]

Volume 8 sounds about right for America. Japan has 29 volumes, and enough chapers to reach 32. Also, it looks as though the series will be going for a long time yet, as only in the past few volumes has the plot reached what I believe will be its final stage.

I would consider myself a fan of Naruto. After the anime's current arc the plot begins to become interesting, and it continues to develop in an acceptable fashion. There are quite a number of interesting characters. For the most part the action is intelligent and moves quickly, though Masashi Kishimoto is rather fond of wasting massive amounts of time talking (this is most evident during the Zabuza arc). There comes a point where we really don't want to see any more flashbacks...

[Wise Dragon]

Oh I dont know I kinda liked the flash backs; but anyway. Why dont you try subscribing to a magazine like Shonen Jump. Like you Im also Anime deprived due to a broken TV, so I hafta read Manga and Shonen Jump seems to keep sane enogh.

[Sai]

As far as i have read, Naruto has been really great. I have never seen the anime though. And I also got sick of the flashbacks.

[Myoti]

I'm up to the end of the Kimimaro fight, and it's been great so far. And yes, too many flashbacks and wasted talking appear throughout (I've seen one copy where the translator got bored and started quoting Shakespeare in the bubbles).

Still, the plot and action are interesting enough to keep me going.

[Fantasy Dreamer]

Thanks everyone (who's replied). You've been helpful, but now I only want it even more. I can't make it until we go to the book store again! Ah! *dies again*

Ghost Fan-D: I know, I'm over-dramatic. But I really want this! GAH!

[SPOILER] Also, are there any problems with Naruto's 'special techinique' (as I've heard it called). Ya'll should know what I'm talking about, right? [/SPOILER]

[Myoti]

[SPOILER]
Sexy no Jutsu? Hai. He doesn't use it that often past the first few episodes, though. The next time is with the "Pervert Sennin" Jya...buri...?
[/SPOILER]

[Fantasy Dreamer]

[SPOILER] yeah, that one! I heard he turns into a naked woman. How much nudity is shown when this occures?[/SPOILER]

[Kawaiikneko]

I read the anime first, and I have to say I don't particularlly like the anime in comparison. IMHO it wasn't the best transition from paper to moving animation. That's my opinion, but the manga is GREAT. that's my two cents.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Certain details are covered up by smoke (Thank you Kishimoto!) Really, it's not much of a problem. It happens three times in the first book and not again for several volumes.

And Neko- chan, I didn't know you could read anime.

[Fantasy Dreamer]

Aw, give her a break! we knew what she meant!

Anyway, thanks for that. If its too much of a problem, I guess I could alwasy find some way to cover the rest of the nudity without damaging/ruining the manga book itself. Ugh, white out maybe? Black markers bleed through, wouldn't they?

[Shao Feng-Li]

Aw I know...

I have found that a black colored pencil is best. I used it for my brother's Dragon Ball vol. 1.

[uc pseudonym]

Naruto's instructor is Jaraiya or some derivative thereof, depending upon whose Romanization you accept.

I read the anime first, and I have to say I don't particularlly like the anime in comparison. IMHO it wasn't the best transition from paper to moving animation.

I agree. They're ninja, I want to see them moving quickly. The season and a half of filler during the 3-year jump isn't exactly appealing either. To preemptively answer questions regarding that, a very minor spoiler.
[spoiler]Later in Naruto, there is a 3-year gap in which nothing that important happens. Thus, all the characters age and get stronger (not to mention getting new uniforms). In the anime, they have a ton of filler story arcs in this time. They are still going, and the studio says they'll be going well into 2006.[/spoiler]

[Fantasy Dreamer]

Aw I know...

I have found that a black colored pencil is best. I used it for my brother's Dragon Ball vol. 1.

Ah, I didn't think of that... thats a good idea.

I agree. They're ninja, I want to see them moving quickly. The season and a half of filler during the 3-year jump isn't exactly appealing either. To preemptively answer questions regarding that, a very minor spoiler.

What do you mean, do they not move quickly in the anime or something? Thats confusing to me.

[uc pseudonym]

In my opinion their (frequent) use of slow motion is ill-advised. A piece of coreography that should happen in a few seconds often takes half a minute because everyone is moving slowly and people are thinking a lot during it. This is unfortunate: a good fight scene is worth watching a second time, but when drawn out in this manner it exploits any quality it had immediately.

Aside, a pet peeve of mine: why do they use slow motion at all manner of times, yet not to make thinking reasonable? For example, if a character has three different thoughts while charging, that makes sense. But in an anime the character has to run for about a minute to get in all of them, which is ridiculous. Why don't they use slow motion to make this more plausible? [Note: I do understand that it is because animation loops are cheap, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.]

[Heart of Sword]

It has a lot of demons and I won't watch it after seeing the first episode. And I don't have a problem with Inuyasha and Wolf's Rain and a few other controversial anime. So that's just my one or two or three cents.

But I don't think it's right to sneak like that. Really. It's not cool at all.

[Wise Dragon]

A piece of coreography that should happen in a few seconds often takes half a minute because everyone is moving slowly and people are thinking a lot during it.

The DBZ series had that problem. Half the seasons were spent on one fight that in reallity only took a few minutes for it to actually happen.

[uc pseudonym]

That is a similar but separate issue, in my mind. When things actually happened, they generally happened pretty quickly. Of course, they were just several frames repeated, possibly against a shifting background, but at least they were moving quickly.

It has a lot of demons and I won't watch it after seeing the first episode.

Whether it is fair to call the tailed monsters demons aside, Naruto has only nine such creatures total. As of yet only two of them have ever appeared, and for less than 10 episodes total (unless they dragged the fight out with Gaara quite a bit). Personally I feel this does not qualify as "a lot" especially compared to Inuyasha.

But I don't think it's right to sneak like that. Really. It's not cool at all.

I presume you refer to Fantasy Dreamer's first paragraph? Your comment is rather random, otherwise.

But, though I don't know anything about the situation personally, I think you're taking a very negative interpretation of it. There is no indication that her parents disapprove of anime, and my intepretation was that while her parents are awake she lets them watch things that they like. Of course, I could easily be wrong.

[Fantasy Dreamer]

But I don't think it's right to sneak like that. Really. It's not cool at all.

gak! who, ME?

I presume you refer to Fantasy Dreamer's first paragraph? Your comment is rather random, otherwise.

But, though I don't know anything about the situation personally, I think you're taking a very negative interpretation of it. There is no indication that her parents disapprove of anime, and my intepretation was that while her parents are awake she lets them watch things that they like. Of course, I could easily be wrong.

Uc (can I call you that?) is right, 100% on that guess. I'm not sneaking to watch the anime when they disapprove of it. NEVER! I respect my parents decisions, and though I may not like them or it may be disappointing to me (i.e. they don't want me to watch a particular anime that I've started to like) I wouldn't watch it behind their backs. Though, I would be disappointed. So, no sneaking here! No, no, no! Like Uc said, When my parents are up late, they don't like to watch anime, so I don't even bother to ask them to watch it with me. But when they go to bed, I'm allowed to watch it. My dad has seen me watching FMA before, and he told me to go to bed once it was off. He thinks we (my brother and I) are weird for liking anime cause he thinks anime is weird/stupid *prepares to dodge any rotten food tossed at her for saying 'weird' and 'stupid' in the same sentence as 'anime'*. But he's never (my mother either) said I couldn't watch it. If he had, I wouldn't watch it.

Anyway, thanks for all the input guys. And Heart of Sword, how can you have a problem with Naruto for a few 'demons' and not with Inuyasha? Given, Inuyasha is just badly translated to demons, as the japanese word for demon is 'oni' and the word used in the un-dubbed version of Inuyasha is 'youkai' (loosely translated, it pretty much means mythical/magical monster). But I still don't get it. Oh well.