I just started watching Naruto. I know I’m a little too late for this. Right now, there are already 220 Naruto episodes produced and another 166 of Naruto Shippuden. The total viewing time for all these would take months for me and I’m not even sure if I could ever catch up with the hardcore fans. That’s okay though, everybody’s got to start somewhere.
There are a few things I noticed while watching the show. First is the way the Japanese portray spirituality. From Hayao Miyazaki’s movies to the Dragon Ball series to Naruto, I noticed the subtle insinuation that with disciplined training, people can cross over to the spirit world and take advantage of its powers. Actually, nothing could be farther from the truth. Biblically speaking, we can’t really crossover like that and the way to spiritual strength is not ninja discipline.
Second is the idea that demons are rogue spirits that attack villages and terrorize its people. They’re usually portrayed as vicious animals like wolves and other terrifying monsters, like the one in Naruto and Princess Mononoke. While this is true to some extent, this doesn’t give us a whole picture of what demons are actually like.
Third is the Japanese’s penchant for writing kid’s stories with deep spiritual undertones. I’ve watched quite a number of Japanese anime myself and the one thing I don’t understand why is it always about kids? Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Dragon Ball series, Naruto, Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service and a host of other movies and TV series have it all.
I am not nitpicking. For what it’s worth, these shows are really good entertainment. It’s a cool break from the slew of jaded American TV and movies that seem to pop up everywhere. I am not complaining either. I’m just saying that Naruto (or Son Goku or any other iconic names in anime-world) blatantly sells us Eastern religion and we must know where to draw the line, especially if we belong to the elite group of hard core anime fans.