I love manga and Naruto is the reason I continued reading manga and from this I expanded the series that I own (I know own six manga series, technically seven as Naruto is in two parts).
I still remember reading Naruto for the first time, I asked my grandma to get it for me and she technically funded my collection as I used to save my pocket money and buy Naruto with it. It was also the first time I was introduced to manga's dark side as "ecchi" was in the first chapter, you get embarrassed reading it when you grandma is sat next to you. (if you don't know what ecchi is then it's probably best you don't look it up)
I found out about this series when I bought a magazine, this magazine had a DVD with two episodes of Naruto from the anime.
When your young you don't understand or follow things that easily so when I found the manga I picked it up, not knowing it was linked to that DVD I had (I had the DVD around year five, I started reading Naruto in year 8).
When I read the manga I was a complete novice to this sort of thing as I grew up with the western cultures such as comic books, the marvel franchise etc so this type of thing was alien to me. Manga is traditionally printed right to left, this was the first obstacle to get over. Not only this but the panels are printed like this to starting in the top right corner going left and down.
There are many series of manga out there in the world and the number is constantly growing with new manga-kas (manga artists and writers) going into there nearest publisher and handing in their ideas.
Naruto follows the life of a young boy on a mission to become the Hokage (leader, the strongest ninja in the village), this boy is a mischievous young boy who has been rejected by his village. I suggest you read the first or second chapter or read the Zabuza arc (running from chapter 9 to chapter 34). These chapters show you the emotions that Naruto goes through; the loneliness and rejection and it shows you how negligent and cruel people can be towards things they don't understand, thus is human nature. Maybe that's why I love the series so much, because the philosophies I carry today were realised through Naruto.
The first half of the manga is 27 volumes long (each book containing 10 chapters which have around 19 -25 pages), the second half goes from volume 28 and is ongoing (current count is near 60 volumes)
Flicking through these volumes now (I'm holding a damaged one in my hand) I can still remember the first time reading it and if I try, where I was reding it: v1 on the bus, v7 on my way to three counties, v8 and 9 on holiday with grandparents, v10 at grandparents, v14 on the 420 bus to home, v21 on my bus route to college etc.
When I read over these again you can see how the art style has changed over time and you wonder "how did I not notice such a drastic change??!!!!!" the faces are scatty and sketchy in volume one but in volume 27 the faces are plump, rounded and (strangely) real looking.
I'm only five books into part to and I hope that the story progresses in the right direction and that Masashi Kishimoto prospers in this and any other planned series.
Sayounara, keep on rockin
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