Naruto would be a great anime if it was called "Rock Lee."

Naruto would be a great anime if it was called "Rock Lee."

Hear me out.
A story revolving around a protagonist who is severely inferior to all of his opponents in every way but one and has to gamble on that is WAY cooler-sounding than an OP half-demon kid who becomes a dog every time he gets super mad.

Not to mention it'd lead to a lot of cool perspective choices and super intense fights, and the risks would automatically feel way higher if Rock Lee had to physically PUNCH his enemies rather than summon a magic bullshit attack.

The central protagonist team would be
>Maito Gai
Obviously. Kakashi is a cool teacher and all, but only for Sasuke or maybe Neji, really. He'd basically take on the role of Gai's rival, and his squad would probably be more prevalent than Gai's was in Naruto.

>Rock Lee
Already explained.

>Shikamaru
He didn't graduate in the same year as Lee, but it wouldn't really be surprising if he had. He's a master strategist, highly intelligent, and lazy. and having someone like that around would perfectly contrast with Guy and Lee's simple, straightforward fighting styles.
It also works to their advantage in combat; Shikamaru can plan out every move two steps in advance, and while Rock Lee will probably act apart from the plans, it'd usually end up really well. He's also able to defend himself better than like half of the other genin.

>Tenten
You can't really get away from the twelve-year-old love dodecahedron between Sakura, Rock Lee, Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Hinata et fucking cetera.

Tenten is the only one who doesn't drag us into that.

She's also an investigator at heart, which could theoretically work well with Shikamaru's strategism and perception for some mystery-oriented arcs. Tenten also foils Gai and Lee, so it balances out fairly nicely.

Fake and gay

>Naruto would be a great anime
Or manga. Either.

(cont'd)
I mean, Naruto's character was basically the same story at the very beginning of the manga, but that was quickly changed with his fox demon asspulls and shadow clones. He was still weaker than Lee, but that hardly fucking lasted.

tldr; shikamaru and rock lee are better protagonists than sasuke and naruto and 10000% more interesting

It could be interesting but chances are he'd get stomped all the time so it shouldn't be in a setting where all combat is to the death.

Literally Kaiji if you replace fighting with betting.

>Tenten
Pretty much the only reason i'd watch that show.

>Tenten is the only one who doesn't drag us into that
user...

Shikamaru should have his own manga.

Naruto would be great if not for the nine-tailed fox. Imagine if Naruto couldn't deus ex machina his way out of everything

I'll check it out, sounds fun.

Potentially. I feel like it'd be a lot less often than Naruto gets stomped, though.

The romance in Naruto is SUPER overwhelming, though, for a shounen manga about fucking ninjas.

It would be GOOD without the fox.
It's only "decent, I guess," as stands.

>for a shounen manga about fucking ninjas
Magicians.

Naruto is as much of a ninja as Luffy is a pirate.

>Naruto is as much of a ninja as Luffy is a pirate.
I'd argue that Luffy is more of a pirate.
He beats up marines and does what he wants on a boat.
Naruto is loud and obnoxious and shitty at fighting.

rock lee vs gaara was the best fight in naruto

prove me wrong

>prove me wrong
nobody disagrees

But who would be the main antagonist and what would be his twisted plans about?

You could keep the current ones, probably. Maybe add some more and make Akatsuki less important.

That one Hokage who stole all the Uchia eyeballs.

from Hunter X Hunter?

Neji wouldn't be a protag?

It'd would probably need a big villain to push Lee into dangerous conflicts and make him face combat he wouldn't otherwise.
Kinda like Orochimaru pushed Naruto by luring Sasuke.

I don't care what anyone says, Naruto was the best thing to come out of Japan since the N64. Kishi put out the best art in Shonen Jump history on a weekly basis and a better story than monthly mangaka authors. It was original, unpredictable until the end (as in, it became more predictable once people starting to hover), and inventive with its use of cultural idiosyncrasies. The only thing I didn't like about it was Killer Bee. The story went down any chapters that he was in.

My favorite arc was the Pain arc. The way it resolved Naruto's greatest plotline about love conquering over war, by demonstrating it, and subsequently the fruits of peace when Pain used his (plot-backed) Rikudo Rebirth jutsu to revive the village that he had just assaulted; which Naruto still remembers when Obito uses it and is why he doesn't try to stop Madara with Sasuke (that's what you call A-Grade detail). It all came together perfectly.

I especially like how it comes right after the Shikamaru Revenge and Sasuke-Itachi arcs, to kind of contrast how Naruto is different from other ninjas. I like how at the very beginning Naruto's the same. I like how their first mission took them to a country where ninjas don't exist because the ocean offers natural protection. I like how Shikamaru's dad's death and the Chakra Tree happen exactly 400 chapters from the moment when he and him are playing chess and he tells Shikamaru he will one day learn who the "King" is.

Art - 10/10
World-building - 10/10
Story - 9/10
Lore - 8/10
Pottery - 1000000000000/10

You couldn't out-write Kishi if you had a lifetime to do it. Believe it.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add the allusion to the Chakra Tree. Right after the scene with Shikamaru and his dad, it cuts to a big tree showing the forest setting where the showdown with Karasu and Hidan eventually takes place. And get it, 400 chapters, because "4" is synonymous with death in Japan?

stop shitposting

>Tenten getting captured and joining Madara's sex dungeon

After you

>art more than 4/10
>world building more than 6/10
>story more than 3/10
>lore more than 6/10
you have to go back

Kishi's art is 10/10. Can you draw 20 pages and an opening spread, and a cover for any given manga/novel or video game accessory as needed on a WEEKLY BASIS WITH ONLY A SINGLE WEEK BREAK EVERY YEAR FOR 700 CHAPTERS?

CAN YOU? I'm struggling to see someone of your talent browsing this site and giving Kishi only a 4/10 if you can.

And it still wins in pottery even if you think that lowly of the rest.

fuck off narutards

He was a 10/10 shounen protag his backstory had me in tears back when I watched it, he deserved the spin off.
OG naruto was pretty great in it's own right and only ate shit when the focus was on Sasuke.

>Rock Lee will never be relevant again

Literally everyone agrees.

That being said, second best fight? I would argue Shikamaru vs Temari for being an actual NINJA fight.

Honorary mention to that one fight between Danzo's Yamanaka subordinate and the guy from the mist. That 10 second fight was probably the best of the entire last half of Shippuden.

We've heard you out. Now, let's show you out. Get out.

I love Tenten fighting style, such a shame everybody uses shitty overpowered magic

>Naruto would be a great anime if it was called "Rock Lee."
This already exists.

>world building being that high

We didn't get shit about the other two clans until AFTER the Pain fight, which was past the halfway mark.

Gaara vs Rock Lee was the best pre-time skip fight and Sage Naruto vs. Pain was probably the best fight and should have ended the series before we got chakra rabbit and crap.

Too bad all that was filler and her fight was off screen in the manga.

I am very much pro Ten^2 getting some much needed respect

I've yet to meet anyone who disagrees.

You should read the LN of Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan (don't read the anime because it's a bad adaptation)

might check it out
not super into light novels
thanks for the recommendation though

>implying rock lee is good
shove off landlubber

cuck off sea urchin

One issue I see in particular is the matter of how ridiculous his training has to be regarding Naruto villains. He'd have to get absurdly powerful to justify his ability to put up a fight with most other characters, and that would require lots of explaining to do. He'd more or less become Goku, spending all of his time training with all sorts of methods and under a bunch of mentors to become capable of putting up a fight with them.

>Tenten is given attention
Yes

/thread

>back in part one naruto was about hard work
>kishi introduces the Child of Destiny bullshit

So just read black clover. Inferior ass protagonist who relies on physical attacks and athleticism while everyone else has OP magic. He even has a genius rival to compete with

This is why I say Naruto without Karuma would actually be pretty good. Imagine the struggles Naruto has, being ALWAYS overshadowed by Sasuke. Not being able to save anyone. Trying to keep his ninja path while being just an average ninja.

My money is on he dies.

are you describing Hajime no Ippo?

While I didn't hate them and perfectly understood their status as fan favorites, I never particularly cared for Rock Lee, outside of his fights, and Shikamaru. Either one or more aspects of appearance, personality, goals, special ability/fighting style, and role within the story didn't fit my tastes or hindered the narrative.

Eh, the story would basically be identical. Naruto thrived on its large cast. Rearranging that cast still leaves the same group.

It doesn't matter which underdog character you make your protagonist in Naruto, the story wouldn't change.

The original underdog premise existed because when Kishimoto first started Naruto, he was a no name author who was rejected by women and potentially destined for failure. When Naruto made it big, Kishimoto got mad rich. Suddenly, all the women began to pay attention to him, he got laid, he was no longer the underdog.

Thus, Naruto went from "I make my own luck," to "Luck is made for me, because prophecy."

I actually really loved the fact that he was demonized but learned to overcome the monster inside him and gain the admiration and respect of his peers. I also like that he worked hard to get far but when all he does is spam the same two techniques, shit gets lame as fuck.

but that's the point

Wouldn't work. They would run out of things to do since Rock doesn't have anything special in him. It would make a decent one season show at best, assuming it's an action show and not a comedy.

>yfw Gai-sensei didn't die

>last chapter literally had him saying "The springtime of youth is finally over"

I'll never forgive you, Kishi.

Sauce pls

>yfw Anko is fat

>Wouldn't work. They would run out of things to do since Rock doesn't have anything special in him.

This is super wrong. That's exactly why it would be interesting. His fights would actually have to be thought-out instead of just "I will use my asspulley technique that i didn't open with because i'm stupid and Naruto and beat you in one hit"

They can sync up better, though. The protagonist trio in Naruto were the three most annoying, shitty characters in the entire series.

Rock Lee's personality can get a little annoying, but he fits better with these three than Naruto ever would with his team.

I'd think it'd be more or less banking on Rock Lee's already mostly-developed fighting sense and speed and Shikamaru to figure out what the enemy's weaknesses are. Might get repetitive, but at least it's not super OP magic that Kills you in One Hit, spamming the same attack, or constant sharingan bullshit.

Naruto's current issues are already worse than the problems it brings up.

but this is hot garbage

She was always stuffing her face. And I still would.

I guess it's better than laying dead in a cave but still

wew this thread

If only the author knew anything at all about martial arts

I would like sasuke vs diedara more if it wasent fir that boss summoning asspull

I see.... maybe we just hated Naruto because of Naruto.

The other characters were more then fine.

MAYBE OTHER PEOPLE DID NOT LIKE NARUTO BUT JUST LIKED THE OTHER CHARACTERS I SEE

Danzo? He might be a massive dick, but he does everything for Konoha. He was trained by Tobirama "Uchiha are Niggers" Senju, which explains why he didn't trust the Uchiha in the slightest.

You talking about Fu vs Tobi? That actually a pretty nice fight, I liked how Danzo's guards actually figured out Tobi's intangibility during the fight and actually damaged him. If Tobi couldn't switch out arms as he pleases, he would have died.

How to fix Naruto

>Make Saskue a girl
>Make Sakura a guy
>Make Orochimaru the endgame boss
>Dont let the Sound Ninjas die like chumps, let them be a matchup to Team 7 with a mutual enemy
>less wizard shit and more ninja tactics

>>Make Orochimaru the endgame boss

For how much of a fuss they made of him early on it was really a buzzkill how he just got the boot for those other assholes

If rock lee was the MC then Kishi would have ruin him too
The problem wasn't Naruto, it was the author
People always say support characters are better than the main cast
It's wrong
They just don't have the same exposure to the shitty writing of the author that's all

Kyubi was an interesting plot point at the beginning of the serie, now is just a big ball of fur in need of hug cause of some step daddy issue, because the author suck penisu on regular basis