No anime arc made me feel like the Konoha Crush Arc in Naruto

 

It's been many, MANY months since I decided to rewatch the OG Naruto instead of moving onto Shippuden.

Let me tell you--they just don't make anime like this anymore. You probably already know this. But there's something so charming about older anime. They are slower, more earnest, more straight-forward in a lot of ways. But they trust you to pick up the story and understand without having it spoonfed to you or all shoved in your face at once, lest you get bored. My theory is because they were made during the height of Cable TV, kids had no choice but to just sit and watch these full episodes and long ass arcs. 

I just finished the Konoha Crush Arc, where Orochimaru and his crew infiltrate the Leaf Village, wreak havoc, kill the Third Hokage, and then dip. Also, Naruto and Gaara's sand monster go head-to-head (with some help from the Chief Toad). That's pretty significant. Actually, that's more of the focus of the arc.

The last episode of this arc (ep. 80: "The Third Hokage Forever") brought me to tears. Everyone in the village, wearing black, coming together to honor the Third, as well as those who fell in service to the Leaf Village. They talk about their duties as shinobi to protect each other, how this is all about community, how the Will of Fire that Iruka speaks of is alive more than ever in all of them. 

I don't know man. It's good shit. Naruto is one of the best anime I've seen at world-building. I really like how the story is told, and subsequently, how lore is revealed about the ninja, the villages, ninjutsu, etc. It makes everything feel so impactful, especially in a story that takes its fucking time being told. It's annoying at times, but rewarding when it does pay off. Seeing Orochimaru and Kabuto's long-planted seed of destruction sprout--explode, really--into the Konoha conflict was worth the wait. There have been plenty of great moments along the way, too.

This arc saw a lot of growth from Naruto in particular. It's so exciting to watch him learn both ninjutsu and life lessons. He's matured a lot as a person by this point. His resolve to retrieve Sasuke, his ability to regroup and win the fight against Neji in the Chunin Exam finals showed a lot of mental growth. As a shinobi, he's also learned how to tap into his orange chakra, using this to help defeat Shukaku. His determination in learning ninja arts will serve him well in the next arc when he learns another new skill. One I'm sure he won't become overly reliant on.

Naruto is very near and dear to my heart. Even though I first saw it in my 30s, it became a comfort anime for me. Something I hold in such high regard. I'm glad I saw it early on in my anime career because I learned that it is so iconic for a reason. The Konoha Crush arc represents everything I love about Naruto. I don't care if it's for kids. I don't care if it's simple on the surface. It's perfect the way it is and while there are anime I like better overall, none of them hit me quite the way Naruto does.

This rewatch has only solidified its place as one of the greats with me and as one of my favorite anime that I've seen to date. I don't see that ever changing.