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Reviewed by Michael Aronson “Still in the thick of the Journeyman Ninja Selection Exams, the student ninja unleash their signature techniques as they spar in a series of one-on-one elimination matches. The heated battles bring out a new side in many of the opponents as they fight to advance to the third stage of the test and, in some cases, struggle to survive! Naruto looses an explosive new move on his foe...but will it be enough to win? And when Hyuga clan members Neji and Hinata are pitted against one another, will old family grudges make their duel even more vicious than the others?” Volumes 9 and 10 consist of the middle and final acts of the tournament of ninja-in-training from Naruto’s school. As the students were divided into seven groups of three, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke finally come in contact with their eighteen peers. The tournament chapters serve largely to expand the cast and introduce the reader to the larger scope of Naruto’s world. As is typical with expanded casts, some of the new members stand out more than others. Neji and Hinata have a sort of brother/sister relationship that goes foul when they’re pitted against each other in the tournament. Gaara is a near-mute who’s got a creepy leer for everyone, but there’s not much more to him than the silent evil-looking kid. Lee’s a dorky little guy in need of an eyebrow wax, but his skills extend far beyond everyone’s expectations. In terms of character development, there isn’t much really. The new guys get some strong moments, but who knows if they’ll make it past this storyline. The only place the core cast shines is in the development of their fighting ability, which does count for something but doesn’t make them more interesting. For establishing fighting prowess and ability, the tournament story does a pretty decent job of conveying suspenseful action, though action is just action. Naruto’s 9th and 10th volumes have the momentum going, but it’s a little discouraging that the series is already in the double digits and the full cast has only just met each other. The tournament isn’t really over yet either, only the first round. Not recommended for the impatient. Comment on this review of Naruto v9/10 on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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