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It’s a Naruto manga reaction thread! #Grantuto

Yes folks, it’s time for another reaction thread. With Gintama and One Piece in the rearview, it’s time to tackle another major shonen series I’ve been avoiding: Naruto! #Grantuto

If you’re new to my ahenanigans, I’ll be doing one to two chapters per day until I catch up. Each chapter I will try and break down what I did or didn’t enjoy, any visuals that speak to me, and try and take a swing at analyzing the series and characters. #Grantuto

For context: I will be reading the manga using the SJ app. I have never read the series before, but I am not a total novice to the anime. I watched maybe 20 episodes or so back in ~2006 maybe. All I can remember from that is that Kakashi and Rock Lee were cool. #Grantuto

Time to kick things off, ninjastically speaking. #Grantuto

Chapter 1 - I remember most of the story beats of this even 14ish years later. I think that speaks to just how strong of a start Kishimoto makes. It’s got heart, mythology, kinetic action, excellent visuals, and a laser sharp focus on Naruto/Iruka as relatable outcasts. #Grantuto

The big delightful surprise was how terrific the background/environmental work is. The village has such a strong sense of place through landmarks and visual density detail, without much exposition or talk of culture. It’s kinda got a bubble era ova vibe in that sense #Grantuto

The tonal shift in background is simple - black, white, light gray - but the way it underscores that gut punch of an emotional beat. Oof. #Grantuto

That little panel overlaid across the gutter? I go ape for this sort of panelling. #Grantuto

Lettering is on point the entire chapter but the SHOOOOOs at those wild angles, following the kunai is aaaaa so good. Love that the knices are all at different POVs too. #Grantuto

God what a panel! This is just... brutally good, absolutely brutal. The juxtaposition of size and inverted expectations (shuriken BIG but minimal blood drops) communicates such a specific, unique energy. The posing is perfect too, Renaissance painters eat your heart out #Grantuto

Kishimoto. Buddy. Pal. We are only one (1) chapter in. I am asking you to take your crosshairs off me, please. #Grantuto

Slick with this one. The way Iruka + the tree behind him are “on model” but Mizuki and the trees around him are all distorted is a great way of conveying the surprise of his speed. I also like the sped lines being limited to just the ground + trees + body, not overlaid #Grantuto

A younger me in 2006: This is the hypest thing I’ve ever seen.

Me, much older and wiser in 2021: This is the hypest thing I’ve ever seen.
#Grantuto

I’m a big fan of Kewl Uniforms and the generic ninja dude outfits are great. They’ve got a kind of tacticool element with the body armor look + pouches pouches everywhere, while leaving the head area open for personalizing each character. #Grantuto

Chapter 2 - Talk about a chapter that can give you whiplash. We get the establishment of a rival and in a good, character-focused way because it’s rooted Naruto’s natural disregard for authority. I liked him striking the mie pose for his (ninja cia) yearbook too. #Grantuto

All the ninja centerfold/harem stuff sure does... happen though doesn’t it lol. Just kinda, lol bewbs u guys. It doesn’t offend me or anything but it feels completely random. The comedy bits on the whole feel really generic (like the big head punchy jokes). #Grantuto

A regrettably timeless message. #Grantuto

More excellent background work, the detail on the four hokage faces and mountainside gives Konoha such a distinctive landmark. I dig the use if the four faces here to “hand off” the converation with the perspective shifting when the mountain looks “back” on the hokage #Grantuto

Chapter 3 - School was difficult enough for me without people being able to sneak around invisibly and turn into complete body doubles. For these kids... I don’t know if there’s enough therapy in the world to process all the stuff these gremlins can do to each other #Grantuto

Kishimoto’s background work is outta sight man, wow. And the really over the top inking is so evocative, I think someone mentioned that Otomo was a huge influencenon him and it shows. #Grantuto

Kishimoto, on character writing: I think the enemies to lovers trope should be introduced and immediately enacted with the speed of a bullet train. #Grantuto

Okay Kishimoto’s comedic timing can be good lol #Grantuto

[Make up a guy account voice] Guy who dresses like the goth guy he’s obssessed with to try and kiss girls but poops his ninja pants #Grantuto

Really dug the surreal, dreamlike distortion in this shot. The alignment for the floor, angles on the windows, and the awning/roof outside are all over the place. Kinda helps set the tone for Naruto’s impending form change which happens off-camera. #Grantuto

I know all he’s doing here is walking around with expired milk but Kakashi is really the coolest dude on the block. Iconic really. #Grantuto

Chapter 4 - Okay now I remember why I thought Kakashi was the coolest dude ever, it’s because he has the same enegy as Squidward: his personality is being incredibly annoyed at the main character of the show. Also his look + design is flawless, / face mask is undefeated #Grantuto

L - and I cannot stres this enough - M A O #Grantuto

Kishimoto putting all this effort into the eraser gag, real commitment to the bit. The dusty/fading wall features add to the general chalky vibe of the scene too, it’s a smart touch to what shouldn’t be a big deal moment but he leans in. #Grantuto

More stellar Kishimoto architectural work. I want to see more of this structure! #Grantuto

Hot dang what an action sequence. I like that Kishimoto uses the tight spindles of speed lines but they don’t overlay the characters ir scenes. There’s a baseball pitcher on the mound kinda vibe too, real sense of the natural physicality. Great sfx too - SHWOOO #Grantuto

Hm! Interesting observation. Certainly not applicable to real life, and definitely not recent events in any form or fashion. #Grantuto

Chapter 5 - I know comics aren’t real life, but it’s wild how “Reading h-manga in front of underage students” is like the least fireable offense Kakashi commits in this chapter. Re: choreography there’s a lot of attention to movement and momentum that I appreciate #Grantuto

Like that Kakashi is talking about becoming invisible and the background fades out entirely behind him without any use of gutters, reflects both a shift in camera focus and underscores his point. #Grantuto

Another smart bit of framing: the camera beneath this (admittedly gorgeous) shot of the Naruto clones leaping out of the water then transitions to an overhead shot, like the reader is another clone and these follow your perspective as you arc up and out of the water #Grantuto

Chapter 6 - I know it’s all still largely within bounds for a SJ action series, but wow @ the violence this early. Textually they’re shadow clones but as an artist it must be freeing to be able to draw this stuff whenever and not have to deal much with lore consequences #Grantuto

Tw/ blood + disfiguration

I mean good Lord man cutting loose like this when Sasuke got introduced like 3 weeks ago?

I think it’s that Sakura just sorta... walks around and does nothing except faint but on the other hand she did see THIS which would make me faint too #Grantuto

When your mutuals’ horny likes show up on the tl #Grantuto

#Grantuto

Chapter 7 - Kakashi versus Sasuke is one of those scenes where you can immediately tell that there was a lot of painstaking effort put into fight choreography (I would hazard that Kishimoto and his assistants acted out this fight themselves or used figures of some kind) #Grantuto

And if you want an example of the impact a letterer can have on a work or scene this chapter it chock full of great examples. For example the rise and fall of this FWOOOOSH lettering with the little flame tendrils is *chef’s kiss* #Grantuto

Kakashi’s face after starving and failing the 13 year olds he just threw hands with #Grantuto

Chapter 8 - It’s not exactly subtle but it is a fun twist on a familiar shonen fighting theme that our three heroes are such angsty feral goobers that Kakashi has to flat out say “The real ninjutsu is the friends you make along the way” or these goofs wouldn’t get it. #Grantuto

Not only are these two great Kakashi faces, I love the little torn-paper look to the panel on the left with the weird trapezoidal shape that then snaps into a standard rectangular frame. Again, use your medium to your advantage to underscore the text. #Grantuto

Chapter 9 - I know it’s meant to be a “oh crud how boring we have all these kewl powers but we have to do dumb stuff” bit but I actually think that society needs cadre of super-powered ninjas tasked with saving kittens and serving the elderly (at no charge though) #Grantuto

Tw/ violence blood dismemberment

Jeebus creebus Kishimoto is not messing around. I’m at this point 70% certain Kishimoto just needed an excuse to draw his characters being gruesomely mutilated again and again but be able to get away with it #Grantuto

Chapter 10 - It’s telling when a creator understands the language+needs of action scenes. You want that gritty feel, then it’s movement, positioning, and little to no dialogue. You can just tell the Sasuke vs mist brothers fight was meticulously boarded and thought out. #Grantuto

Just killer framing and positioning. Really stellar choreography work to enable this setup, lots of practical considerations like how Sasuke’s center of gravity would be so low but with trembles running along his limbs, and Naruto centered between it all - fantastic. #Grantuto

Ah the blood drops passing through the text as Naruto makes a blood oath, that’s the good stuff. #Grantuto

“Oh hahha you’re mad you wanna kiss me so bad rn bro.” #Grantuto

I cannot believe Kishimoto did not intend this