AnimeSuki Forum - View Single Post - Naruto - Overall Manga Series Impressions & Total Series Rating

BPD Renegade · 2014-11-08, 21:09

I loved Part One. It was insular, yet managed to build us an entire new world, all the while emphasizing the themes of friendship, reasons for living, loneliness, and perseverance, among others. I loved all the characters. Each one was unique and introduced and explored in a way that many of today's manga (including Naruto, Part Two) don't have the patience to acheve with their characters. Despite the mixed feelings I have with Part Two, I can look back at Part One alone and honestly say that I loved this manga.

Part Two had its ups and downs. The problem may have been that at this point, Naruto began trying to achieve too many things too fast. While not mistreating its characters to the point that Bleach does, too many characters were introduced at once without proper background. Perhaps it was because they weren't supposed to be the characters we relate to, as those were introduced in Part One, but the overall execution seemed haphazard. Perhaps it would have been better if the pacing had remained as it was in Part One.

There are some plot holes -- we don't know what became of Orochimaru and his cohort, for example -- and I'm disappointed with the lack of emphasis on the characters that we spent so much time exploring in Part One, often for the expense of new characters that we did not have the same attachment to. The overemphasis of certain plotlines and underemphasis of some of the characters and development is my main disappointment with Part Two, but that's just my personal preference. Overall, I don't have many other complaints. At the end of chapter 698, I would have said the ending was satisfying and enjoyable. After reading the last two chapters, the actual end was average. Still, I'm glad that there was a definitive end to the story.

Rating:
I cannot rate this manga as a whole, simply because the nature of the two parts vary so much, so I will break it down into the two parts.
(Note: I usually rate on a series of curves depending on (a)which Tier I consider a series to be in and (b)its genre. Otherwise, most series, even ones I enjoy very much, would get a 6 (average) or below. Part One is not curved, while Part Two is rated on a Tier 1.5 Shonen-Action scale.)

Part One: 10/10 (True Scale)
Part One was a masterpiece. It is in my Tier One manga list, and I love it when compared to any other manga, even outside its genre. Maybe it's nostalgia, but giving a completely honest rating, this is a near perfect for me. Off the top of my head, there are less than a handful of manga that I would give a 10/10 on my True Scale to, and this is one of them.

Part Two: 8/10 (Curved Scale)
Part Two was good, but fell short. It is above average when compared to many other manga of its genre; however, there are plenty manga, such as One Piece, that outshine it.

2014-11-08, 21:09	Link #19
BPD Renegade Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: at port, docked	I loved Part One. It was insular, yet managed to build us an entire new world, all the while emphasizing the themes of friendship, reasons for living, loneliness, and perseverance, among others. I loved all the characters. Each one was unique and introduced and explored in a way that many of today's manga (including Naruto, Part Two) don't have the patience to acheve with their characters. Despite the mixed feelings I have with Part Two, I can look back at Part One alone and honestly say that I loved this manga. Part Two had its ups and downs. The problem may have been that at this point, Naruto began trying to achieve too many things too fast. While not mistreating its characters to the point that Bleach does, too many characters were introduced at once without proper background. Perhaps it was because they weren't supposed to be the characters we relate to, as those were introduced in Part One, but the overall execution seemed haphazard. Perhaps it would have been better if the pacing had remained as it was in Part One. There are some plot holes -- we don't know what became of Orochimaru and his cohort, for example -- and I'm disappointed with the lack of emphasis on the characters that we spent so much time exploring in Part One, often for the expense of new characters that we did not have the same attachment to. The overemphasis of certain plotlines and underemphasis of some of the characters and development is my main disappointment with Part Two, but that's just my personal preference. Overall, I don't have many other complaints. At the end of chapter 698, I would have said the ending was satisfying and enjoyable. After reading the last two chapters, the actual end was average. Still, I'm glad that there was a definitive end to the story. Rating: I cannot rate this manga as a whole, simply because the nature of the two parts vary so much, so I will break it down into the two parts. (Note: I usually rate on a series of curves depending on (a)which Tier I consider a series to be in and (b)its genre. Otherwise, most series, even ones I enjoy very much, would get a 6 (average) or below. Part One is not curved, while Part Two is rated on a Tier 1.5 Shonen-Action scale.) Part One: 10/10 (True Scale) Part One was a masterpiece. It is in my Tier One manga list, and I love it when compared to any other manga, even outside its genre. Maybe it's nostalgia, but giving a completely honest rating, this is a near perfect for me. Off the top of my head, there are less than a handful of manga that I would give a 10/10 on my True Scale to, and this is one of them. Part Two: 8/10 (Curved Scale) Part Two was good, but fell short. It is above average when compared to many other manga of its genre; however, there are plenty manga, such as One Piece, that outshine it.