Understanding The Role of Uzumaki Naruto and Its Influence

My Inspiration

Two months ago, in English class, I was asked to write about a fictional character that has inspired me. I immediately thought of Naruto, my favorite character of all times.

Uzumaki Naruto is the main character of the popular Manga and anime Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. As a 12 year old orphan and with no relatives, Naruto is being avoided by the adults of the village because of an incident that happened 12 years ago. During Naruto’s birth, A Nine-tails Demon Fox, attacked his village, and Naruto’s father, who at that time was the leader of the village, decided to seal the demon away inside naruto, sacrificing his life and naruto’s mother in the process. Sealing a Demon Fox inside your newborn baby is not very good parenting, but The Fourth Hokage’s intention was for Naruto to be remembered, as the vessel that contains the Demon Fox that nearly annihilate the Village.

Unfortunately, for Naruto, even without the knowledge of the Demon Fox inside him, the people of the village blamed him for their losses. The adults of the village treated him as an outsider, as the Demon Fox itself. As a result, he grew up alone with no social interaction. He often cried, but kept telling himself nothing would be achieved by crying. Eventually, he became a prankster to cover up for his deep insecurity in a desperate need for recognition.

In entering the Ninja Academy Naruto set out a goal. The goal was to become Hokage, leader of the Village, hoping that it will bring him recognition and respect. During his training Naruto developed a fierce determination. As the story goes Naruto eventually found out about the Demon Fox inside him, with that knowledge Naruto did not stop, in fact, Naruto became more determined. Naruto’s determination, to never back down has been adapted by other characters. Naruto also developed the ability to change others, through this ability Naruto gains respect and friendship.

In some way’s Naruto and I are alike. I did not grow up with my real parents, but unlike naruto with no relatives, I was blessed with other people like Gladys, my other mother, grandma and grandpa, who tolerate me when they do not have to, Aunt Marie Georges, who took me in, Nadine and Jeff, my soon-to-be aunt and uncle who took an interest in my life. I also considered them as my best friends. Anyway, as a kid I got everything I wanted, but that did not stop me from thinking what would it be like to grow up with my real parents, and sometimes I got a little sad. I also was different, not in the sense of hosting a demon but, in the sense that I was raised in a respectful, educational and religious family, so I was always the kid to tell the truth, the kid to go straight home from school. I was the “good Kid.” I did not have any friends; I did not get invited to birthday parties or to any other kind of parties. Like Naruto I was alone.

Naruto sheer determination and confident has inspired and motivated me many times. For example, when I came to the United-States, I lived in New York during the summer, which is when I started watching Naruto then, in June, I moved to Maryland. The first week of school was a complete disaster. I did not want to go back the next week. It was the longest week of my life. Each day seems to be longer than the other, but with Naruto has my inspiration to never back down I made it through the week and came back the next week. My first problem was the school’s size. I was overwhelmed by it. Back in Haiti you practically could see every classroom of a school at the front gate. My next problem was the language. My English was somewhat average. I could understand it, but I could not speak it very well, and I was a little bit insecure about my English, so it was very difficult for me to communicate. I got lost so many times on the first day I felt like a lost puppy, at on point I just went to a room and sit down, which was the wrong class. When I first got my schedule, I was accompanied by a tour guide, but she had a heavy Spanish accent. I could not understand a word she was saying all I could do was shake my head to everything she said. I got frustrated and desperate to leave; the bell rang so many times when it was time to go home, I did not know what to do, so when I followed everyone outside that is when I know to go home.

Another example, during the summer of 2008 I started searching for a job. The job hunting was depressing, all my interviews begun and end with the same question, “Have you ever worked before?” For three months, I went to five interviews. Before my last interview at a McDonald, I made a promise to myself that I will get that job no matter what. After the interview, the manager said that I was inexperienced, as I walked through the door one of Naruto’s famous quote passed in my head, “I never go back on my word, it’s my ninja way,” I stopped and remembered the promise that I made to myself, and then I turned to the managed, with determination and politeness, I asked him for two days after that he can decide that I was not qualified for the job. With a smile on his face, the manager replied, “OK, dropped by tomorrow.”

It is not in every situation do I need an inspiration to deal with a problem, or this cruel, unfair life. In life, there are moments that shape you, moments that define who you are, so I have to deal with those moments myself. However, it is also good to know that you are not the only one who is getting beat up by life, there are others out there who is worse than you and they do not give up. Even thought that person is a fictional character. Like Rocky said in Rocky Balboa “it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward.” So, every time life hit me hard and try to pin me down, I get up and keep moving forward.

Works Cited

1. Kishimoto, M. (2003). Naruto, Volume 1: Uzumaki Naruto. VIZ Media LLC.
2. Kishimoto, M. (2006). Naruto, Volume 28: Homecoming. VIZ Media LLC.
3. Kishimoto, M. (2012). Naruto: The Official Character Data Book. VIZ Media LLC.
4. Kishimoto, M. (2007). Naruto: The Official Fanbook. VIZ Media LLC.
5. Kishimoto, M. (2016). Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring. VIZ Media LLC.
6. Animeshon. (2002). Naruto (TV Series 2002–2007). IMDb. Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409591/
7. Animeshon. (2007). Naruto: Shippuden (TV Series 2007–2017). IMDb. Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988824/
8. Ito, K. (2014). Once upon a Time in Naruto: The World's Most Popular Ninja Manga. The Journal of Popular Culture, 47(6), 1196-1215. doi:10.1111/jpcu.12227
9. Galbraith, P. W. (2009). Naruto and the Struggle within: Deconstructing the shonen battle manga. Japan Review, 21, 147-172.
10. Oppliger, J. D. (2015). Power-Up: Examining the Superheroic in Naruto. The Journal of Popular Culture, 48(5), 1090-1112. doi:10.1111/jpcu.12257