At first glance, a shonen series such as Naruto has nothing to do with real life. This shonen series depicts magical ninjutsu, deadly ninjas, and even talking animals, such as Kakashi's shinobi dogs or the great toad Gamabunta. But in some superficial or thematic ways, the world of Naruto isn't so different from reality after all.
For one thing, the characters and storyline of Naruto can teach all kinds of vital life lessons that apply to the real world, and some trends, cultural norms, philosophies, and political aspects of Naruto reflect the real world more accurately than some viewers might realize at first. How is Naruto just like the world we all know?
10 Kids Have Insecurities About Themselves, Such As Sakura, Naruto & Gaara
It's a simple fact of life that kids and adolescents will have to cope with many insecurities about themselves; that's just a part of growing up. Youths may feel doubtful about their appearance, their physical condition, their choice in clothing and music, their hobbies, and of course, their social lives (or lack thereof).
More than a few Naruto characters face their own insecurities for myriad reasons, such as the young Sakura Haruno bemoaning her large forehead and lack of fancy jutsu. Or Neji Hyuga, who is bitter about the seeming lack of control over his life. Many real people also feel that their fate is totally out of their hands.
9 War Creates Orphans, Such As Naruto & Iruka Umino
It's a tragic reality that when nations go to war, it's not just the soldiers who pay the price for the violence. Many losses are sustained on the home front as well, when soldiers fail to return home to their families, or when the war deals collateral damage to civilian areas (mainly in modern conflicts).
Many children will lose their parents or family to war, one way or another, and they are alone and desperate. The Naruto world has more than a few war orphans, such as Iruka Umino or Naruto himself. And they are far from the only ones.
8 Hard Work Often Trumps Talent
In the world of Naruto, talent takes the form of powerful Kekkei Genkai and similar gifts, from the Sharingan eye to the Byakugan eye or even Hiden jutsu such as Shikamaru Nara's shadow possession. In reality, some people are born with incredible gifts for music, creative fiction, engineering, or athletics.
Should everyone else give up, just because they're not a musical savant or they don't have a 150+ IQ? Of course not. Characters such as Rock Lee, Sakura, and Naruto himself work hard to overcome this lack of talent, and they can easily surpass any talented ninja who squanders his or her gifts.
7 Acknowledgment & Fame Usually Come Slowly
In the current information age, it is possible for someone to become an overnight sensation, often via music or other creative and expressive endeavors (such as social media stars). More often, though, a person won't get into the spotlight until they've spent years practicing their craft, whatever it may be.
Naruto Uzumaki always dreamed of becoming a star ninja and even Hokage, but this didn't happen overnight. He trained hard and fought many heroic battles just to become popular, let alone officially Hokage. Good things come to those who work diligently, not those who hold out for a miracle.
6 Similarly, Good Results Usually Come From Diligent Practice
In a similar vein, a person can only achieve great results in their chosen field or hobbies if they put in some serious legwork first. Even if that person isn't seeking social media stardom or a big-budget biopic about themselves, they have a long road ahead of them.
Naruto Uzumaki trained long and hard to master all kinds of jutsu and techniques, from the Rasengan and its variants to Sage Mode. It would have been so easy to give up and lose patience, but the results came all the same. In the real world, the same rule applies.
5 Everyone Needs Mentors & Teachers
The world of anime is packed with beloved mentors and trainers, from Jiraiya the toad sage to Gran Torino and Master Roshi, among many others. Naruto Uzumaki learned much from Jiraiya, and Sakura totally reinvented herself as a kunoichi with lady Tsunade's help.
In the real world, any student, athlete, or young working professional also need mentors, and smart people know that they will spend their entire lives learning and growing. Education doesn't end with high school or college graduation; everyone needs a shonen-style sensei during all phases of life.
4 The Deceased Never Truly Leave Us
Many works of fiction depict the main characters going through grief after a mentor, friend, lover, or family member dies, and Naruto has its fair share of this. An early major death was Hiruzen Sarutobi, and then Jiraiya lost his life, too. Neji Hyuga later gave his life to protect Hinata's own.
The main characters all mourned these deaths, but they also learned from those deaths and lived up to the deceased person's expectations of them to honor their memory. Many real people may do this too, resolving to live a better life after someone close to them is gone. That's a constructive and respectful way to handle grief.
3 Great Leaders Have A Dark Side
International politics play a role in the world of Naruto, with each great shinobi village being led by a Kage and the great lands being ruled by daimyo and other rulers. Leaders such as Hiruzen Sarutobi (3rd Hokage) and the elderly Tsuchikage seem honorable enough, but they are not perfect people.
These great leaders have skeletons in their closet, make mistakes, and more, such as the Tsuchikage often hiring the Akatsuki organization or Hiruzen not doing enough to look after the orphaned Naruto. Goodness knows that nearly all real-life politicians on every level have their fair share of dark secrets, personal failings, and controversies, far too many to name.
2 Tradition & Modernism Often Clash
In the world of Naruto, traditional shinobi arts are lifestyles are somewhat threatened by the rise of modern technology, from the advent of computers to advanced prosthetic arms and cutting-edge machinery. Can the world of ninjas keep up?
Some people may rightly fear the traditional ninja arts are being made obsolete, and that the world will become dangerous and unstable as a result. Similarly, today's technology is a double-edged sword, with a dark side that many people or companies will gladly exploit for their own gain. There certainly weren't any computer hackers in the old days.
1 The Cycles Of Revenge & Hatred Perpetuate Conflict
This may be one of the grimmest but most accurate parallels between the Naruto world and the real one. When a conflict breaks out or acts of terror are committed, it's never just for fun. Someone, somewhere thinks that they and all people like them have been wronged by another party, knowingly or unknowingly.
In the story of Naruto, one of the core themes is how the cycle of revenge and hate will perpetuate conflict without ever producing any satisfaction or winners, and Nagato and Yahiko certainly know that. Naruto resolved to end the cycle of hate, and he largely succeeded. But can that ever be pulled off in our real world? One can hope.