Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Apart from power-packed ninja battles,Narutohas its fair share of romance. As an action and battle-oriented story, it seems highly unlikely. Though Masashi Kishimoto gave fans much-needed hope with their couple ships.
This, however, was completely out of the box. Considering his forte as a shonen writer, romance was a bit jittery. And there’s more to it.
In an interview, Kishimoto revealed his process of writing romance. His approach to relationships left several inconsistencies. This further points to the hit-and-miss nature of the pair shipping.
Masashi Kishimoto’s unique approach to romance
Writing female characters isn’tMasashi Kishimoto’ssuit. The same applies to writing romance as well. Most fans are aware of the mangaka’s backlash regarding female characters. This is especially true with Sakura’s character.
This, however, also extends to the relationships in the series. Most of which, clearly do not make sense. These include the fandom ships as well. And there’s more to it.
The mangaka’s approach to romance was rather unplanned. This is especially the case with most couples in the series. Sakura however is exempt from this, especially with her initial fixation with Sasuke.Kishimoto’s fixationon her feelings for Sasuke was pivotal in ruining her character.
As for Hinata and Naruto’s dynamic, the mangaka outlined it later on. Despite his move to keep it strictly shonen, he failed. This is evident with fans’ shipping of the characters. Kishimoto, though, had a completely different approach.
“I couldn’t compete with a man like him”: Kishimoto is Naruto in Real Life After He Changed Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece Dream Forever
In aninterview, the mangaka opened up about his unplanned approach. In regards to the romance in his series, he quoted:
In the same way that the beginning of romance is not very conscious, you might say it was not very conscious for me. I’m embarrassed to write it, so in truth, there were parts that I didn’t want to write (laughs). In “The Last -Naruto the Movie-” Naruto’s romance was written, so I was happy that the parts that I myself could not write could be seen in the movie.
This unplanned move gave us heartrending moments throughout the movie. It is evident in Naruto and Hinata’s moments. This, however, doesn’t negate the lack of realistic relationships in the series. There is an exception to this flaw nonetheless.
Realistic relationships are a rarity inNaruto
Narutohas some beautiful romantic moments that are sure to tug at viewers’ heartstrings. However, there is a caveat to that as well. Despite the romance, it lacks in realistic portrayal of relationships.
It is evident in Sasuke and Sakura’s dynamic throughout the series. The relationship between both characters is emotionally turbulent. Contrary to popular belief, it is an unhealthy portrayal of love. And there’s more to it.
Hinata’s relationship with the hero is a rather one-way street. One would say it isn’t a shojo series considering the romantic aspect. But the mere portrayal of toxicity andself-sacrificialpartner makes this completely unrealistic.
Barring the problematic couples, Kishimoto did give us some realistic romance. An exception to these cliches is Shikamaru and Temari’s dynamic. Both characters are the definition of a slow-burn romance. What makes it realistic is the build-up to their love story.
“Are they lovers? Worse they’re f**king stupid”: Dandadan Episode 5 Did THAT Naruto-Sasuke Scene Better Than Masashi Kishimoto Ever Could
Apart from Shikamaru-Temari, Kishimoto beautifully represented old-school romance. This is evident in Minato and Kushina’s relationship. The red hair symbolism ties well with the Japanese legend.
Narutois available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Viz Media.
Himanshi Jeswani
Anime Writer
Articles Published :993
Himanshi Jeswani is an anime writer at Fandomwire, with her work spanning over 900 articles. Her articles cover shojo, shonen, seinen, and all things beyond. Her interests, however, aren’t limited to simply anime. She has a penchant for exploring different genres of manga, be it horror, yanki, music, and food. She brings out her specialization and expertise in the performing arts through her articles. As a writer, she strives to bridge the gap between the viewers and the medium itself. To her, anime is a revolutionary medium that is capable of creating communities and stories after all.
