Naruto, Vol. 1 - Enter Naruto
Audiences can't seem to get enough of ninja-in-training Naruto Uzumaki: the broadcast series based on Masashi Kishimoto's 31-volume manga debuted in 2002--and ran for more than 175 episodes, plus two features and three OVAs. Twelve years before the story begins, a nine-tailed fox demon attacked the ninja settlement of Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The Hokage (the most powerful ninja) imprisoned the fox-spirit in a new-born baby: Naruto. He grew up as an orphan and outcast, dreaming of becoming an Hokage. After finally graduating from the Academy, Naruto begins his training in earnest, but he has little to offer besides boundless energy. A cocky prankster who resists all forms of discipline, Naruto nurtures a crush on Sakura Haruno, although what he sees in this snotty girl isn't readily apparent. On the first day of training, he acquires a rival, the icy, talented Sosuke Uchiha. The initial episodes feel padded, with lots of flashbacks, but the filmmakers offer enough slapstick action to keep the fans coming back for more. (Unrated, suitable for ages 10 and older: violence, tobacco use, minor risqué and toilet humor)--Charles Solomon