Me (as a child) watching Naruto for the first time: hehe this is kinda stupid but in a funny way just like Naruto himself
Me, now, rewatching Naruto for the millionth time: See, Naruto tells a story about being able to succeed despite having learning disabilities and learning in a different way from everyone else. This is expertly shown when each one of Naruto’s teachers marks him as a problem child and refuse to understand why he has difficulties understanding the material, treating him like an idiot. Only when the teachers recognise he needs to learn in a different, more kinetic way and make changes to teach him as such does he show that he’s actually a very talented ninja. In many other works, the kid who struggles to learn the same way as everyone else eventually succeeds after their own effort to conform to learning standards. In Naruto, however, Naruto doesn’t change how he learns. The task of teaching him falls on the teachers as it should, instead of blaming Naruto for not being able to change. Only when teachers treat him as someone with potential does Naruto get to grow and show his natural abilities. This provides a much needed different narrative, just like a different teaching style, than typically shown: one where kids who learn differently succeed when a teacher bothers to change to help them instead of staying rigid in their teaching methods. Finally, as someone with learning disabilities, I can relate to and feel comforted by Naruto. I don’t have to change, to conform, to learn and grow. I just need to find teachers willing to reach out and help me in a way that works for me. The complexity of this show is hidden by the simple energy it gives off. Because of this, the show is often dismissed as ‘for children’, ‘childish’, and ‘simplistic’ but these aren’t even dismissable traits: in fact, they improve the story because this allows children to learn these important lessons in a simple way. In this essay, I will












