Minato is revealed to be Naruto’s father during Jiraiya’s emotional final conversation with Tsunade.
It’s one of the most touching moments inNaruto Shippuden.
Since then, Minato has become beloved, andeven earned a recent spin-off.
I, like countless otherNarutofans, do truly love Minato.
However,it’s worth meditating on how this twist is a problem forNaruto’s premise.
Naruto isshown to be an outcast, actively avoided and jeered at.
He’s supported by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi, who gives him a modest living space and support.
This attitude, through the first part ofNaruto, leads the protagonist to constantly win people over.
Naruto As Hokage “Believe It”?
But when the people acknowledge you, youcanbecome the Hokage.
In the first part, all of Naruto’s goals and aspirations fit together neatly.
In a way, this makes perfect sense.
It’s obvious thatthis opens up a lot of questions.
The question isn’t whether Minato was a hastily made decision or a deliberate narrative choice.
The question is how this choice plays intothe broader themes ofNarutoand Naruto’s own characterization.
I started to wonder where the Hokage’s recognition by the people comes from.
The idea that it might just be by relation to another Hokage left a bad taste in my mouth.
The truth is that I love Minato.
More than Minato, I love Kushina, who was one of the most underusedNarutocharacters.
Iwant to hear more about them, and especially her, so badly.
I was thinking about what bothered me about the Minato reveal after all.
When Minato appeared, I was extremely excited, and I fell in love with him and Kushina immediately.
Over time, though, I began to feel like it was a weird decision.
Inconsistency is in all creation.
Analyzing it helps us as fans to be more attentive, creative, and thoughtful in considering creative works.
Itgives us new ways to appreciate things.
I won’t grant that the Minato reveal doesn’t signify part of a broader thematic and narrative shift.
To me, that’s inarguable.
Finally, it provides the opportunity tocreatively imagine other routes for the story.
One takes certain key themes and imagines the series seeing them through over the others.
After all, that kind of criticism and consideration is what has led to innovations in shonen storytelling.
