SUMMARY
- Recently, it has become a trend to hate on Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto.
- The creator is an excellent storyteller and artist. The way he evokes emotions in his readers is unparalleled.
- There are many scenes throughout Naruto that put his skills on a great display.
From one of the most highly regarded anime-manga series to something fans love to hate, Naruto has come a long way. Any longtime fan of the series would be aware of how the discourse surrounding Naruto changed over the years. Suddenly, it has become cool to hate Naruto and make lists of reasons explaining why Masashi Kishimoto is a bad writer. Regardless of the hate, Naruto is still beloved by many.Â
There’s no denying that the story has its flaws, but Kishimoto’s writing style has always been emotionally gripping. His storytelling might lack in certain aspects, but the emotional scenes in Naruto always hit the mark. There are many scenes in the series that focus on the familial dynamics of different characters, and in that aspect, Kishimoto’s skills are unparalleled.
Masashi Kishimoto’s Focus on Father-Son Relationships
It has become quite common in shonen anime for the fathers of the main character to be missing. From My Hero Academia to One Piece, there’s not much of a dynamic we get from the central father-son duo. Arguably, Dragon could be a great dad to Luffy, but even after a thousand chapters, we have only seen glimpses of their relationship. Masashi Kishimoto never shies away from exploring the relationship between his characters and their families. There are instances of both good and bad parenting.Â
However, the good ones hit hard almost every time. From Might Duy to Minato, Naruto has no dearth of great dads. The reunion scene between Naruto and Minato is a sure tearjerker. When it felt like all hope was lost with Kurama’s eight tails unleashed, Minato came to the rescue. Naruto got to have a chat with his dad after all the years he spent alone. His dad turned out to be one of the nicest and strongest Shinobi. The same is true for the brief scene between Sakumo and Kakashi.
The list of such scenes is endless; however, there’s one scene that takes the cake for putting all other father-son duos to shame. With Shikaku and Shikamaru, Kishimoto laid the foundation of an ideal father-son relationship. There were times when Shikaku guided Shikamaru to do the right thing without forcing it on him. The anime took it a step further with this one anime-only scene.
This Naruto Scene is Peak Storytelling
Asuma’s death gravely affected Shikamaru. He was struggling with feelings of anger and sadness, and the grief was weighing him down. Noticing the inner turmoil of his son, Shikaku invited him to a game of shogi. He tried to engage in a conversation with him but that wasn’t his goal. With every move and question in that scene, the tension was gradually building up. At one point, Shikamaru couldn’t take it anymore and threw away the shogi board.
He buried his head in his knees, unable to process his emotions; it felt like he was in a chokehold. Looking him straight in the eyes, Shikaku asked him to let it all out. It was all he needed at that moment. After hearing that, Shikamaru broke down into tears, bawling like a child. Seeing him cry like that was heart-wrenching. Shikaku knew how important it was for Shikamaru to grieve and let his emotions out. This scene perfectly explains how great a father Shikaku was to Shikamaru.
Even after this moment, we had the parting scene during the war. Kishimoto created one of the best father-son relationships ever, and the anime beautifully fleshed it out with the anime-exclusive scene. If that’s not perfect teamwork, then what is?Â
Naruto is available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
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