So Naruto has finally come to an end. Some of you might already know my feelings about the last chapter. To be blunt, I hated the ending. I found it cliché and discrediting to the character development that has been built up over the years. I have a lot of complaints regarding how things got “wrapped up” but I don’t want anyone to get me wrong. My discontent with the ending hasn’t blinded me from what Naruto has meant to me. After all, the road is the goal, right? And what a journey it’s been! I want to look back to the good parts about the manga (and try to block chapter 700 from my memory).
Naruto has had such a huge impact on my life and is one of the few shounen stories I’ve followed until the bitter end. Even though it was seemingly never ending I always kept reading it.
I’ve been passionate for lots of mangas through the years but no other manga or anime made me into such a nerd like Naruto.
If you think I’m a nerd now you should have seen me when I was around 14 years old. That’s when I started watching Naruto. It has left marks that are visible on me even today! I have my side parting to the right because of Gaara. He has it on the left but I combed it to the right so I would see it correctly in the mirror reflection. Does that make sense to you? It was my private nerd joy. Of course I don’t keep my hair like that because of Gaara anymore but I’ve gotten so used to it after all these years.
Gaara was my very first cosplay. My parents helped me make it and the costume turned out to look really cool! Except that I had no idea about wigs or make up so I ended up dying my hair orange instead of red… Still, I had so much fun when I went to my first convention and that was only the beginning. Through the years I’ve cosplayed several Naruto characters, drawn fanart, written fan fiction, made parody videos and much more!
I want to show you some of the things I’ve done so let’s take a trip down memory lane.
Here is my first Gaara cosplay! (14 years old)
My later Naruto cosplays. (Here I was about 16 to 17 years old I believe)
My first Naruto drawing. (Definately when I was 14 years old…)
One of my more recent ones. (Drew this at the age of 20)
Unfinished doujinshis I drew. (I must have been about 17 when I drew them but I’m not quite sure anymore.)
Naruto has inspired me in so many ways. What I’ve uploaded here is just a fraction of the things I’ve created with the series in mind. Yes, the story has its flaws and didn’t turn out the way I had hoped for but I will always be grateful for the memories. Through my love for the manga I was able to connect with people from all over the world and it helped me make some of my first anime nerd friends.
Naruto helped mold me into the person I am today and I will always remember the story as a companion to my teenage years. I will always be grateful for that.
pumpkintale 