Naruto is one of the most popular and well-known shonen series out there. The fact that its continuation, Boruto, is still riding this wave of popularity despite a bad first impression is a testament to how beloved this anime is. The characters, world, and story are truly sublime, even with the needlessly prolonged Fourth Shinobi World War arc leaving a slightly sore spot for many devout Naruto fans.
The discussions surrounding Naruto were prevalent throughout its run, with its dedicated subreddit featuring some truly excellent takes and uncanny predictions regarding the show. However, not all of the takes and opinions regarding Naruto are received with a nod of approval. This list will look at some of the more unpopular opinions on Reddit.
Updated on November 27th, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra: Naruto is one of the most popular anime of all time, with a massive fanbase that has dissected each and every aspect of the series. Given its massive popularity, it's only a given that most fans have differing opinions when it comes to the quality of the series. However, some points that people bring up are unpopular across the board, and Reddit has served as a hub of such opinions that have been widely discredited by the fanbase.
15 Praising Sasuke For Being Rude To Kakashi And Sakura
After Team 7 reunites when the Tsukuyomi is finally unleashed, Sakura tries asking Sasuke what's happening outside of the Susanoo he conjured to protect everyone. However, Sasuke is quick to rebuke her by saying that she would be of no help anyway due to how powerless she is.
While Kakashi tries to make Sasuke see the error of his ways, the Uchiha is quick to rebuke him as well. It's a moment that shows just how far Sasuke had spiraled into hatred, and praising this moment makes no sense since his character is meant to look like an inconsiderate jerk!
14 Saying Hinata Is Popular Only Because Of Her Looks
Hinata's love for Naruto is extremely pure, and most people were happy that she ended up with her crush after all this time. However, some people aren't fans of this union, which is fine.
However, discounting everyone's love for Hinata by saying that this character is only popular due to her looks is an erroneous statement. Her character has been consistent and enjoyable throughout the series, and discounting it by stating otherwise is doing a huge disservice.
13 Shipping Hinata And Kiba
It was clear from the get-go that Hinata had a huge crush on Naruto. So, most people would expect that Hinata and Naruto would get married by the end of the series.
However, this Redditor believed that Hinata and Kiba would be a better match. While these two definitely had their moments, it's clear for everyone to see that there was no chemistry between these friends.
12 Calling Kakashi A Bad Sensei
Kakashi is one of the best characters in the entire series. His mentorship of Team 7 was pretty interesting, and the manner in which his backstory was extended in Shippuden made his character all the more interesting.
That being said, some people aren't really sold on his character and consider him to be a bad sensei. While he might've been a bit too hard on his students, there's no denying that he's been a crucial reason why the students under him have managed to be such incredible ninja!
11 Undermining The Moment Where Naruto Begged The Raikage To Spare Sasuke
Even after defeating Pain, Naruto realized that there was still a long way to go before he could achieve his goal and bring Sasuke back. After finding out that the Raikage had ordered Sasuke's execution, he broke down in front of him and begged him to leave Sasuke alone.
It was a powerful moment that showed just how much pressure Naruto was under, even after becoming Konoha's hero. However, some people found this moment cringeworthy, which is a shame since they missed the point — Naruto breaking down and crying was his inability to break the cycle of hatred that had governed the shinobi world for the longest time, and served as an important step in his quest to become the Hokage.
10 Shipping Boruto & Sumire
Posts that ship two characters together are nothing new in anime. However, this post about a potential relationship ends up disregarding some truly important scenes in Boruto.
Boruto and Sumire might seem like a great choice for a couple at first. Keep in mind, though, that Sarada has already shown some latent feelings for Boruto after the final fight against Momoshiki. To ship Boruto and Sumire instead would make these scenes between Boruto and Sarada pointless.
9 Equating Naruto To Harry Potter
Comparing fictional properties to each other can be a bit fruitless unless the comparisons are intentional from the creator. It only goes without saying that the same rule would apply to Naruto. That said, it can still be fun.
Comparisons between this excellent shonen anime series and Harry Potter might raise some parallels, but most of the connections will be surface level. Both series do end up fitting in certain tropes, but that's to be expected from most stories steeped in a high fantasy setting.
8 Decrying The Addition Of Jougan In Boruto
The Jougan is a unique eye technique in Naruto, essentially serving as a Kekkei Genkai unique to descendants of both the Uzumaki and Hyuga bloodlines. The ability has been explained time and time again, but there are still plenty of opposers to this technique.
Most people don't want to see the same powers being used in a new series once again. This is especially true in Boruto due to its direct ties with an established series. From this perspective, new concepts should be given a chance to flourish as they can help a show feel fresh.
7 What Makes Hinata Likable
It might be true that Kishimoto hasn't been the greatest when it comes to writing female characters in Naruto. However, Hinata still gets some stellar character development throughout the show. This is why so many people absolutely adore her relationship with Naruto. However, this Redditor appears to be an exception.
Every fan will have their own subjective opinions, and that is perfectly fine. While criticisms have and will continue to be directed at Hinata, the general consensus surrounding the character is generally positive.
6 Why People Hate Fillers
Fillers are the bane of any anime viewer's existence. Fans rarely appreciate these side stories as they end up derailing the main narrative in favor of showing forgettable characters who'll never appear in the show ever since. Due to their nature, filler arcs can't have any significant impact on the status quo of the main roster of characters, making them feel completely pointless.
Of course, there's bound to be a certain group in the fanbase who might enjoy the idea of spending more time with a beloved group of characters. However, there are plenty of people who do not feel the same way. Neither side should be lambasted for their opinions on fillers.
5 Madara Would Become Funny With Major Bro Energy
In one post on r/Naruto, a fan pitched the idea of Madara talking in bro-speak. They were adamant that this would be a hilarious way to improve Madara's character.
Suffice to say, most fans downvoted and shunned the idea before it could gain even a bit of steam. Reading the barrage of "Nos" in the comments of this post is unsurprising, and it would definitely be a bad idea for the main series. However, an abridged version of Naruto could create comedy gold by turning Madara into a dudebro.
4 The Ending Was Foreshadowed From The Start
There have been some clever predictions and analyses regarding Naruto's ending. This might not be one of them. Naruto stabbing his palm during the arc where they fight Zabuza was meant to show his resolve, and Kakashi's surprise at the fact that Naruto's palm was healing at such a rapid rate.
That's it — there's no need to make anything more of this scene. However, some fans believe that this moment foreshadowed the fact that Naruto would lose his hand in his fight with Sasuke. While a neat idea, this is hard to believe, especially since Naruto stabbed the wrong hand.
3 The Classic Boruto-Hating Rant
Boruto has amassed its fair share of haters throughout its run, with some of it being justified. However, in the grand scheme of things, this show has actually come into its own as a serviceable continuation of Naruto.
As the show can be polarizing, posts that completely denounce Boruto are quite common, some of which do not provide much of a reason. Just to be clear, a Naruto fan is under no obligation to like Boruto and has every right to share their criticisms, permitting they do not attack fans of the shows. The same holds true in reverse, obviously.
2 The Classic "Sakura Isn't That Bad" Rant
A list featuring bad opinions would be incomplete without the mention of Sakura, one of the most divisive characters in Naruto. Sakura is a great character; however, her presence is relegated to the background in favor of developing both Naruto and Sasuke.
Posts that defend Kishimoto's handling of Sakura's character often spark quite a heated debate. Naruto might be a fantastic show, but it can still be criticized for its weaker aspects. The series' lackluster portrayal of its female characters is one such pain point.
1 The Show's "Faults"
This post on r/Naruto certainly got people riled up as the author mentions the aspects of the anime they didn't enjoy. The five points mentioned in this post are completely subjective and have been deconstructed and rebutted in the comments.
It's fine to dislike certain aspects of Naruto. Every viewer has their own opinions, and pretty much everyone has a few gripes about the series. Consequently, if criticisms are directed at some of the core aspects that the anime builds itself around, then some pushback is to be expected.