TheNarutoanime series is known primarily for having one of history’s best manga and animated adaptations among its vast entries. Most fans around the world have at least heard of the canon adventures of the titular ninja, as the work of Masashi Kishimoto was undoubtedly revolutionary for the industry. What most anime viewers might not be familiar with arethe various movies that have been released around the franchise.
Although most of them are not canon, which has greatly hurt their success among the community, they are still beloved by the most hardcore of fans. But only one movie can be considered the best, far surpassing the one most fans would consider the worst of all time. The reasons behind these decisions tend to boil down to the story, how effectively the characters were used, and the impact left on the franchise.
Naruto the Last Is a Movie All Fans Should Watch
Although Not Perfect, Its Impact on the Story Is Undeniable
Regarded by most as the true ending of theNarutoseries,The Lastis a film that gave the protagonist a chance to redeem one of his biggest mistakes. Set two years after the ending of the Fourth Great Ninja War, this movie focuses on the hero’s quest to save Hinata froma mysterious and powerful member of the Otsutsuki clan, Toneri. Motivated by an ancient legend talking about a Byakugan Princess, the villain decided to kidnap the Hyuga heiress and turn her into his perfect queen.
Naruto, incapable of preventing Hinata from being taken to the Moon, decided to go on a quest to save her from the alien, confident in his abilities asone of the strongest warriors alive. Along the way, the hero ponders his feelings for the Hyuga girl, realizing that he might have made a grave error by ignoring her confession during the battle against Pain. While the movie’s focus is on the relationship between Naruto and Hinata, it does have several amazing battle scenes.
Even After All This Time, Naruto’s Netflix Success Proves the Anime Is Bigger Than Ever
Naruto was huge on TV and DVD, but Netflix helped it dominate modern anime.
Toneri is also a despicable and ruthless villain but interesting enough to keep audiences engaged. His plan, although not the most original, gave the film a sense of urgency, something that several other entries in the series failed to accomplish. The movie was also helped by the fact that it is one of only two canon additions to the franchise, so its events do have an impact on the overall story. It is a moving and memorable film that fans have loved since it was released.
The Lost Tower Has an Interesting Premise, but Poor Execution
Not Even Minato Could Save the Film From Failing
Naruto The Movie: The Lost Toweris the seventh film to be released, and it was one of the most anticipated by fans when it was first announced. After being given a mission to stop a rouge ninja from taking over the Elemental Nations, Team 7 travels to the ruins of a once glorious city named Loran. After reaching their destination, Naruto and his friends come across their target, a man named Mukade who uses Ninja Puppets to fight for him. The villain traveled to the ruins to find the Ley Line, a legendary Chakra flow sealed under the city.
By using the power of this energy source, he could travel back in time, giving him time to enact his world domination plans. Naruto, trying to stop Mudake, is also affected by the Ley Line, returning 20 years before the beginning of the series. Once in the past, he joined forces with Minato Namikaze,the Fourth Hokage and his father, to stop the conniving villain and protect Sara, Loran’s princess. Several other beloved characters, like Kakashi and Choza Akimichi, also make appearances as younger versions of themselves.
You May Love Naruto, But These 10 Moments Show Why the Fourth Hokage Can’t Be Beat
Minato is one of the greatest ninjas in Konoha because his influence helps to shape both Naruto’s destiny and the shinobi world itself.
The movie had a premise and cast that should have made it an instant classic among fans. Nonetheless, viewers were dissatisfied with its performance, as the story did not properly utilize the characters it had access to. Minato could have been replaced with any other prominent ninja, and the film would have been the same. He was mostly included to tease the connection between him and Naruto, even though it was already known that he was the protagonist’s father. It is still an entertaining movie, but it did not live up to the expectations it had built during its promotion.
What Makes the Last Better Than the Lost Tower?
Several Reasons Explain Why One Succeeded Where the Other Failed
Although their plots are quite different,The LastandThe Lost Towerare films created to fulfill similar purposes. The first one was produced to give Naruto a happy ending, finally pairing him withone of the most popular and powerful girls in the series, something that fans had been pleading to happen. Similarly,The Lost Towerwas created with the intent of giving the protagonist a chance to fight alongside his father, fulfilling a longtime dream of the fandom. Despite this, there is a major difference in how they were executed that contributed to their drastic difference in success.
Even though its story was based around the romance between the hero and Hinata, the last still tried to give audiences an exciting movie that would affect the franchise. Toneri’s appearance helped expand the scarce lore of the Otsutsuki clan while also giving viewers a deep dive into the origins of the Byakugan.The Lost Tower, on the other hand, put major emphasis on its cameos and disregarded its story. The final moments between Naruto and his father are quite emotive, but they cannot save an otherwise lacking movie.
Fans Can Still Enjoy the Story Without Any Major Issues
It might be true thatThe Last Toweris not among the best films theNarutofranchise has to offer, but this does not mean it is a bad film. Disregarding the obvious flaws its story and development have, the heroes’ adventure in the country of Loran is truly enjoyable. Seeing Naruto and Minato interact and fight together is still iconic, and its soundtrack has been heavily praised by fans over the years. If viewers are just looking for a fun new experience,The Lost Towermight be right up their alley.
TheNarutofranchise will continue growing and releasing new entries that will help expand the universe and lore of the series. Not all of them may be masterpieces, but they will still be a part of one of the most beloved stories of all time.
