Merphy: Lee tried so hard but in the end it wasn’t enough Every Naruto AMV kid: she finally gets it

Murphy discovers the power of talk no jutsu

“i’m new to manga” Naaaaaahhh not anymore Merphy

I shouldn't laugh but her calling Tsunade "Tsunde" gets me every time. Love the video though.

32:26 Naruto’s aggression stems from the fact that Sasuke refuses to wear his headband, which symbolizes fighting on equal terms as Leaf shinobi

The disrespect on Shikamaru, not even being adressed or named in both parts of this read-through/review. My boy deserves better!!! Oh well... We know when that'll happen....

Only a little ways into the video but regarding Sasuke learning Lee's moves so quickly. The sharingan lets you copy moves so yes he is cheating

"Tsunde..." My mind goes to Tsundere... 😂😂

To this day, Chouji's fight against Jirobou is one of my favorite scenes in manga. Growing up chubby in the 80s and 90s was a special kind of hell. Whenever we got media talking about it, it was always some kind of tongue in cheek, preachy moral of the week, "come on you can change yourself and be better" kinda talks. It never spoke to the ways the affected kids were feeling, just about their "problem". In comes Chouji. Dude is underestimated by his fellow shinobi, Ino, his own teammate despises him on appearances alone. Even though the body expansion thing is the family legacy, even his dad gives him a hard time about it. In my personal life, I had health issues as a baby that forced me to take a lot of corticoids, which ballooned me up for years to come. Being fat alone made so that kids forced me to always play the bad guys when we played pretend, if that much. I was always getting into fights because of it. It was always how it was. I had to toughen it up and take it. I made my first friend when I was 7, in first grade. It was a very skinny boy with a large head that was incredibly smart for a 7 year old. He was the first person to just be ok with me being how I was. Not laughing or making fun of me, or trying to "fix" me. We go back to Naruto and Chouji's backstory is pretty much the same. He meets a chill smart dude that doesn't care who he is, and appreciates him for his strenghts. Shikamaru tells everyone in no wrong terms: "Choji is physically the strongest one out of all of us here, techniques aside, and he can deliver finishing blows to anyone that tries to attack us" Choji is the first one to decide to stay behind and take an enemy on his own for the sake of his team because he felt the need to defend the honor of Shikamaru, and to honor his plan. He effectively gives his all to fight another enemy that was probably physically the strongest of his team even if weak in terms of techniques. His physical change comes from himself wanting to be helpful to his first and best friend and not because the world told him he should. It was the first time I cried my eyes out watching anime. I was in 8th grade when I first saw this episode and it was such a "he's literally me" moment that it almost gave me whiplash. I've since cosplayed as his Shippuden self when I was still a teenager, and to be honest I haven't stopped being similar to him in a lot of ways. Sadly I'm no longer friends with my first friend like Chouji is (our teenager years really drove us apart); but Chouji will forever be the best representation of a plus sized character I think I've seen, because he's not there (at least in the manga) to be the butt of jokes or end of an argument or moral.

17:25 I love that she's picked up on talk no jutsu already.

That was Gaara’s uncle not his aunt lmao!!

Seeing Merphy’s videos go live always gets my day off to a good start. She’s just unapologetically passionate about reading. I feel like so many people lose the spark she has after becoming adults, and I’m glad she didn’t 🥹

A couple things I love about the Sasuke retrieval arc is there's some subtext with Sasuke's decision and Naruto's inability to win Sasuke over like he did Gaara. Firstly, Sasuke's struggling with Kakashi's claim that your comrades are your true source of strength but Orochimaru and Itachi are both people who have gained power from their isolation and they both eclipse Kakashi in terms of power. They are both direct counter-examples to Kakashi's and Naruto's philosophy. Secondly, Naruto was able to reach Gaara because he was able to understand the compulsions that drive him to kill. But in the case of Sasuke, who learns that if he goes with Orochimaru he may lose his autonomy completely, Naruto is incapable of understanding how Sasuke could accept that. The idea of the Ninetails taking him over terrifies Naruto and he doesn't understand what it feels like to hate somebody so much that he'd be willing to let the ninetails take him in the same way orochimaru wants to take Sasuke

"this story constantly has scenes where words change a person's arc, words change the trajectory a person is going on" I see Merphy discovered the famous talk no jutsu (said with love, I love the power of friendship)

Tsunade is one of best characters written in the series in my opinion, mentally she is the most human and realistic. She lost both her younger brother when she couldn't do anything and her lover in her arms when she was trying her best to save him. So what does she do? She withdraws and drowns herself in addictions like drinking and gambling to push away her trauma.

I’m shocked she got Itachi’s name right. Pretty sure she was going to say “eye-techi” or something like that 😂

Merphy’s already peeping the “corrupt shinobi system”

Great video! Just sad that my boy Shikamaru (the smart and lazy kid) didn't get a mention. He is my favorite character in the series, and I hope that Part 2 will sell him to you.

I have to give you your credit for this video Merphy, I never looked at Naruto as a story about the older war-torn generation trying their best to live with their own trauma and losses while also trying their best to steer the next generation down a better path, the amount of instances you pointed out where they’re clearly trying to guide the kids away from a path that leads to conflict is honestly surprising cuz I never even noticed that and gives the story a whole new level of depth

Merphy already grasping the concept of Talk no Jutsu

Merphy is a fan of "talk no jutsu" 🤣🤣🤣

Just wait till you get into part 2 🤟

Dualities and parallels especially in regards to Naruto and a lot of his antagonists is a very large theme in Naruto the series. It is meant to show how truly connected everyone is to each other through shared similar experiences. Also, as you read watch for hate and how it is addressed and confronted within the story. That is another large theme.

Merphy last video: I didn’t care about the stupid bell scene. You’re not allowed to help your partner, but you helped your partner - you pass! Merphy this video: I need to re-read the bell scene! Kishimoto is an absolute master at dropping flashbacks that recontextualize EVERYTHING. So glad you’re enjoying it!!!

Merphy: I mean he can be killed. Orochimaru: I don't always die, but when I do. I don't. Also, I feel like Shikamaru didn't get the attention he deserves. lmao This rescue Sasuke mission is my favorite part (outside of shippuden) cause this is where all those involved in the mission started to think more mature. Also a great build up for Shikamaru for his next role in Naruto's life.

Knowing exactly what happens in the series I'm so intrigued by Merphy's interpretations and experiences reading through.

12:00 pain? this world shall know pain!

"Your pain is nothing conpared to mine!" Crazy to see someone finding the deeper meaning in a show I enjoyed viscerally as a teenager.

Naruto will always have a special place in my heart,seeing someone else get into the series it’s exciting.

Woooo! More Naruto :) ❤

wow i needed something to watch with my morning cooffe and here she is! i did not watch the full video yet but i know this is a banger already :)

Basic guide to Japanese pronunciation: a - ah (rhymes with spa) u - oo (rhymes with glue) i - ee (rhymes with see) e - eh (rhymes with yeah), unless it’s the last syllable where it tends to be pronounced like ee / ei. o - oh (rhymes with go) ee / ei - ay (rhymes with say) The rest are just contractions that should be easy enough to work out. For instance, kyū is a contraction of ki and yū.

And thus a new jutsu was born "talk no jutsu" 😂😂

"Words change some ones arc" talk-no-jutsu

The theme I really enjoy about Naruto is how the pain of war echos through generations, you will see this a lot in the series, the whole world and economy is based on the need for war, I think you will enjoy how this series explores this theme

Going through the journey with Naruto to learn the rasengan is why Naruto has my favourite magic system

One interesting thing is in that final clash naruto could have won but he wanted to prove a point. So he scratched the headband

i love kakashi's lighting 100 bird strike fr

This video reminds me of my childhood when I was reading the manga. An outstanding video. I await your reactions to what's to come and the backstories of my favourite characters (now I know you love them too). Hope you enjoy the manga,.

If you haven't, please watch the Third Hokage's funeral in the anime. The sadder emotional moments are so strong, and the music that accompanies it is always immaculate.

Nailed it!! Except the tsunde part 😂😂 It's Tsu-Na-De

Knowing how Gaara evolves throughout the series makes these initial encounters of his so so much more impactful

A key theme in this manga (especially in Part 2) is having empathy for others and realizing that you could be in someone else’s shoes, if past circumstances were different. You will love Part 2

19:48 It's pronounced "Tsoo-nah-day" but I'm going to have to start calling her Sunday from now on cuz that's hilarious LMAO 😂

When the boys fought the sound ninjas, that was the day they all became men.

I adore the Naruto story profusely and for that, I thank you so much for appreciating the Naruto manga and even more for making such a discerning analysis of the story. I think for the most part, you get the story even more than most consumers of the Naruto series and even a lot of fans that I've seen. Many people seem to think this story is about underdogs and get fed up with plot points that seem to undermine that, but you seem to have caught on that the main themes of Naruto are of trauma, PTSD, extreme isolation and trying to deal with it. I like that you take note of the visual metaphors/representations of characters' internal struggles. It's interesting that your first brush with the Naruto story is one of the best analyses of it that I've encountered! The Naruto series has excellent pathos that far too many seem to miss, instead writing Naruto off as dumb standard shonen fare with strong guys, long fights and plot conveniences. Empathy is a big part of the story, which is why the talking after fights is how things are resolved. The mentality of "might makes right," unconditionally exerting one's will on enemies and not caring about them is how the end of World War 1 led to World War 2. Talking things out is how cycles of vengeance ends. In Naruto, Naruto often tries to open with this, but his enemies don't listen, so they fight. However, the fight isn't meant to resolve matters; it's just to get the antagonists to the point of willing to listen to what Naruto's perspective is and what he has to say. The author of this manga, Kishimoto Masashi, grew up near an American military base and it impacted his idea of war. I'm one of the few Naruto fans who really doesn't like Jiraiya for the most part, so I kind of got a kick out of you not learning his name in the previous video. A lot of people giving you pronunciation guides for Tsunade are incorrect. Tsunade is pronounced like tsu-nah-deh (with the "u" being similar to the "oo" in the English word "soon"). All vowels in Japanese are pronounced the same as their base form regardless of situation, other than maybe "u" being very faint in some cases (when you see a double vowel, it's the same sound as the single, just for a longer time ("ee" is just "e"/"eh", but said for a split-second longer)). Most English speakers seem to think that "tsu" is either pronounced the same as "su" (silent "t") or something that they cannot pronounce, but both are wrong. The "ts" sound in Japanese is pronounced the same as the "ts" in the English word "cats". You can practice it by saying "cats" and immediately connecting it to Tsunade (5th Hokage), or tsunami (the big tidal wave & the name of Inari's mom during the Haku & Zabuza Land of Waves arc), or any other "tsu" Japanese word you may encounter... Tsukuyomi (Tsu-ku-yo-mi) is the name of Itachi's technique that can make his opponents suffer for days in their minds, when it's only a second, or so in real-life. Tsukuyomi is the name of the Shinto moon god. A lot of techniques that Itachi and part 2's Sasuke use are named after Shinto deities. Amaterasu is the name of Itachi's black fire technique and the Shinto sun goddess. Other Shinto gods include Susanoo*, Kirin, Izanami and izanagi; no telling why I'm mentioning that now. 😜 A lot of Sasuke is very traditionally Japanese; his fixation on his clan/family, trying to restore their honor, the aloofness of his dad, his family's crest/symbol, which is a traditional Japanese fan and also almost his surname (Uchiha vs uchiwa). A gigantic war fan is how Susanoo created storm winds, according to Japanese legends. *(Remember what I said about double vowels in Japanese. This double "o" is just like the single "o" ("oh"), but said for a bit longer; not an "ooh" sound.)

Chidori is also an amazing name for an attack on top of the visuals. The name alone gives sound and feel to the jutsu so well.

These reviews are amazing. Naruto may not be the greatest story but it holds a special place in my heart and it’s awesome to see someone getting into it.

Lol shes learned about the power of Talki No Jutsu (communicating to change the outlook of your enemies)

Excited to see what you think of shippuden. The best is still ahead!

Digging into one of the best shonen ever! This series will always be a classic. There’s something powerful about this series that no other shonen has been able to replicate or compare to.

26:10 the training "montage" was very well expanded in the anime, in my opinion. the slower approach to training along with the adorable conversations and antics is always a highlight of the arc to me!

Loving this can't wait for more Naruto videos, your perspectives actually clear the story up for me as well

FYI the bones/gore with Kimimaru is much less graphic in the anime. The bones kinda of just slide through his skin instead of ripping it, so you dont see any blood or muscle tissue.

Merphy discovered the strongest Jutsu in all of Naruto: The Talk no jutsu Btw, it is: tsu-NA-de Jay, Itachi, my favorite Character.

Jiraiya''s name sounds great; good pronunciation! The lady Jiraiya suggests is his old teammate, Tsunade. Her name is pronounced Soo-Nah-Day!

This video was everything I wanted. I loved every second!

Your excitement for itachi gives me life! I love Guy sensei he is my absolute favorite!

So happy you’re reading this! It’s been so fun experiencing this manga again through your experience :)

31:25 naruto accepted the fight right away because he didn't think it was a fight to the death, he thought it was just a fight to see who is better. In their second fight you can see that naruto really didn't want to fight sasuke to the death.

Not merphy calling tsunade "sunday" 😭😭

Thank you for making these vids it's been awesome to hear new people reading through this series that i love this much.

Good timing. I just finished your part one yesterday.

Sasuke choosing to leave Naruto alive...it's so fascinating. so many thoughts are clearly swirling in his head, the path to power he's seeking demands that he should take this opportunity, but he can't. he justifies it to himself as seeking a "different route to power than his brother", but it could very well genuinely be that he saw the precipice of ridding himself of Naruto forever and couldn't stand the thought. is this hope of rediscovering his love and his chance at a future, after his quest for revenge has either been abandoned, or run its course? only time will tell.

I'll say, reading this as a kid as an adult are very different experiences.

Love to see your fresh perspective on such a beloved series! I love the scenes in this portion of the series too. And thanks for trying your best on those pronunciations. It’s so different when you only read it versus when you watch the anime and see how the names are pronounced. If no one has mentioned yet, Tsunade is pronounced like Soo-nah-day. Excited to see you continue the series!

The thing with Sasuke learning Lee's move is that the sharingan allows the user to copy any technique, including taijutsu.

I always took Naruto’s immediate agreement to the fight to be threefold. 1. Naruto has BEEN wanting this fight since the Chunin Exams. It’s been a while and a lot has happened - he’s grown a lot and he wants it. 2. Naruto saw the look on Sasuke’s face and understood what it was. It was more than a fight it was a test, it was serious. It was a challenge from a rival. Naruto swore to never run again. Naruto wants to meet Sasuke on this emotional level. 3. Naruto was concerned. The look on Sasuke’s face is desperate and unstable. One thing we see throughout the series so far is Naruto, perhaps due to his lonely childhood, is really emotionally intelligent and observant. He saw the instability and anguish. He wanted to address it. The fight was how he knew how to. Definitely getting to the good stuff now!

I am very happy to see you quickly getting a grasp about the world of shinobi. You’re definitely on to something and you’ll be pleased to know this won’t be a “that’s just how the world is let’s skip over it” situation. When I first experienced the series I thought all the cruelty was just pockets in a peaceful world growing too big. As I followed the series the roles slowly reversed.

thank you for making this video. it enhanced my appreciation for a story i grew up with

17:20 The fandom has a term for that. We call it "Talk no Jutsu". Naruto's greatest ability 😊

I really love kakashi's habit of being late, which is the same habit obito had, even has the same reasons lol

yo we gotta see reaction to Naruto op's; they're so incredible and give so much meaning, mood and depth to their respective story arcs the ending themes too are so incredible!!! all of naruto's music is peak but the openings and endings are real short and sweet and perfect for a quick super popular vid for sure the 5th opening during the sasuke retrieval arc might just be one of the greatest music videos ever

Gaara and Naruto's fight is still one of my favourite scenes in the series. The dark mirrors and incredible parallels between the two always speak volumes. Looking forward to you reading about Sakura post-time skip.

Oh man I'm so hype you liked the kakashi story as much as I did, it was one of the first physical manga volumes I ever had so I've read it 1000 times. Such an important look into not just kakashi, but the ninja world as a whole.

It's Tsu - NA - De ("TsuNahDay)

Sakura being trained by Rock Lee sounds awesome.

So much fun that I started watching Merphy's videos along with my journey of watching One Piece for the first time, and it was her first manga. Now I'm caught up. And nooow, she's reading Naruto that was MY first anime, the first I watched all the way through while I was like 11 years old. And it was as impactful to me as One Piece was for her. Didn't thought I needed that, but I love her talking about Naruto this way, with the same seriousness that she treats One Piece 🥰 she sees their unique value in both, even if it's different with each of them, and I love that!

I absolutely love that your into Manga now. I wish more people would read/watch it. There are so many stories out there that are so cool and interesting with well written characters and dialog. Your in for some really awesome surprises. Puls a few let downs. But you should like all of the series for the most part

My life is complete ❤️ I love Naruto more than I should probably

44:39 Your interpretation is absolutely perfect It also makes sense with the future events of the story I won't spoil you

it makes me so excited you want to reread now knowing what you know, like the first video you glossed over the bell scene but now you know the context and importance. Kakashi is my favorite character of the series.

What a great review! On point! I miss naruto! This brought me back in memory lane and now i wanna read it again

People always say that Kishi can't write female characters which is mostly true but always forget that he wrote an entire arc about Tsunade who feels like a real person that has suffered from so much loss and trauma that she is now indifferent to the world, and she is now at a Crossroad in which she can choose to continue to live in a twisted recreation of the past that is so dear to her or to move on, accept that loss and become a mentor to protect the future generation that reminds her of her little brother so much

Yaaaay new long video!!!

I can’t explain to you how happy I am that your getting into Naruto. It holds such a near n dear place in my heart… I grew up with it being the anime I related most to, and I’m 25 years old still never lost the love I’ve had for the series. So watching your journey thru 1 piece was amazing and I loved that…. But this? Watching your journey through Naruto??? It’s on such a different level. And I’m super excited to watch you become attached to the characters, and the story, and just learning about the plot and how deep it goes, the plot twists… everything you’ve got going on is amazing I love stick content, and I truly hope you stuck thru the series up till you finish Naruto shippuden, I think you’ll genuinely love it! Love ya murphey!!! Keep up the great content ! Extremely happy to welcome you to the naruto community !

Your depictions on the charcter motivations/important scenes and themes from part 1 are mostly spot on! Part 2 incoming:) The best is yet to come!

Awesome video 🥰🥰🥰

Thanks for the interesting video! I wouldn’t like to spoil it, but Hiruzen, the third Hokage, is similar to Dumbledore not only in appearance, but also in his actions, you will understand this later. Harry Potter and Naruto have many similarities, this was confirmed by the manga author Masashi Kishimoto himself, who watched the first film about the boy who lived. As the story progresses, you will notice more similarities! I wish you pleasant reading! By the way, the arc about the sound village ninja and Sasuke's decision to leave the village is the most emotional and deep in my opinion, I advise you to watch the anime and listen to the 5th opening with the song “Rhapsody of Youth”, where our young friends (brothers) Naruto and Sasuke break up, but they will never forget each other!

Great vid AND I like the long takes. Take your time explaining your thoughts.

I absolutely love watching your analysis of the series. I read it when I was a kid growing up and then recently reread it again. Gaara is one of my favorite characters in the series.

Anyone else feeling the urge to read Naruto again?😂

7:19 yeah there’s a lot of us that hate on. 15:49 ahhh the start of Talk No Jutsu. 32:03 that first kiss meant a lot

Really good commentary, I'm gonna be waiting for part 2 !!

Super glad of your positive experience, looking forward to hearing your views of "part 2" of Naruto.

Naruto's main theme is acceptance and acknowledgment.

The Kakashi backstory is like the equivalent of post summit war from One Piece. They both give you details on why certain characters acted they way they did in the past and provides the main character a baseline to rebuild themselves and add additional goals.

your interpretation of everything is like consuming the show all over again. thank you, its beautiful

Very excited to see you continue this series Naruto is my favorite anime. I never read the manga myself so this is almost new to me too. I’ll also gonna binge watch your one piece series idk much about one piece.

The worst part is that the genjutsu wasn't just three days, Itachi doesn't just control how much time passes, but also how fast or slow time passes. 1 second could feel like a whole hour...