Naruto Road to Ninja Movie Review

Sakura: "Are you happy in this world?"

As an ode to Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods movie being released in the United States next month, I am reviewing some of the current anime movies I'm watching.  Today I finally caught up with my naruto shippuden and saw the Naruto: Road to Ninja.

I must admit it's amazing.  Madara uses a tsukuyomi ninjutsu to reverse the circumstances of the world and create an alternate reality that gives Sakura and Naruto the world they wished for.
This world parallels the real world and characters, and all the characters have reversed personalities and lifestyles. Characters like Minato and Kakashi were stronger in the other world because despair and burden rode their backs, but in this world they have a paced life full of happiness.

Naruto: Road to Ninja is a coming of age story that demonstrates how we as humans are products of our environment and the choices that helped shared our destinies are sometimes made because of the circumstance put before us.  For example, in the parallel world, Sakura's family was dead and she was alone but daughter of hero's like Naruto. This circumstance made Sakura appreciate what she has and empathy for what Naruto has to deal with as a result of his solitude.  

Honestly, if I were Naurto then I wouldn't return to the normal world.  In the story, He is loved and has a family for support.  His parents are the most powerful ninja in the village and he is well respected as a result. He must face the same scenario of a crazy man trying to take his powers but at least in this world he is not alone and treated like a burden and outcast.   

Naruto: "I've always wanted to live like this"

Makes you ponder your choices in life. Would you be wreckless with the choices made all things considered?  Would you want your inner most heart's desires over the lives of others you known?  What would be right or wrong to you, if you had options or weren't given a choice?  Naruto: Road to Ninja made me analyze a lot about myself.  It awakened a part of me that felt dead inside for a while.  It's hard to accept the bad cards you are dealt in life, but it's only an illusion to imagine what is real will magically go away because you covet more.  

In the end, I could feel Naruto's pain and refusal to embrace the false world. Why give your heart and mind to something that you know is not real and doesn't exist?  I felt Naruto: Road to Ninja carried the motif that not everyone is willing to give up what they desire or love for strangers. Throughout the movie you had a sense that you accepted the lies because they are what you wanted, but a part of you would never embrace it fully because you knew the lie would come to an end eventually. 

This is an amazing movie story wise. The ending sets up like a preview for the final battle between Naruto and Madara giving the audience a glimpse of what's to come.  If you played the video game Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, then you saw the ending of Naruto Shippuden ends with an epic battle similar to this movie.  All the pieces fit together in Naruto: Road to Ninja so I give a 10 out 10.  Must see.   It made me shead a few tears and questions why couldn't the writer let Naruto be happy for once, but in the end...the truth is a bitter pill of acceptance we all must swallow in life. 

Best QUote ever

Kiba "Akamaru, you don't go 1 day without biting me in the ass!"