We call them "Narutards", a portmanteau of Naruto and retards, because that's what they act like when they aren't bolted to the floor watching the latest episode. They constantly try to chop, kick, or yell their way through everything and everyone, just like their idiot heros. They are so annoying, even people that LOVE Japanese anime (cartoons for you Westerners) ABSOLUTELY HATE these imbecils.

I kid you not, I was at a Japanese culture expo, answering questions about kendo (japanese swordfighting martial arts) when one of these little retards, complete with show-branded headband, strolled right up, grabbed a wooden sword, casually dropped to his knees and mimed the suicide act known as Harikari or seppuku. Literally pretended to kill himself in front of a crowd of old ladies proudly demonstrating the finer aspects of kimonos, origami, and zen meditation. We were ourselves speechless. Needless to say, I don't mention that I watch anime around my martial arts friends too often for fear of association with these mental defectives.

Then again, kendo is the art of the samurai, the natural enemy of the ninja...

I'll have you know that those kids you are talking about are NOT repersenting the entire Naruto fandom. I myself am a Naruto fan, but I don't go around trying to "Shadow Clone" myself or throw shuriken and/or kunai at people. I can also survive without having to be glued to every Naruto episode that comes on.

Once again, people are stero-typing a group of people because of the way a few of them act. I'm sick of it. Don't label everyone because of the way one person might act, m'kay? Thank you.

Stero-typer.

my god stop being racist to people who like naruto its not the shows fault that theres people who like the show a little to much jesus if your like this to naruto what are you liek to other anime besides american television is getting worse and worse anime is filling the void left and america is making even anime worse by taking parts out that are important now even americans are begining to hate the american dubbing company if you hate so much why dont you go make your own show that lasts over 220 episodes(im talking about the japanese ones)

As the people below have stated, yes, it is a stereotype. HOWEVER...

In my city we have an ALARMING amount of Narutards, only a few people, (partially including myself, I only read the old volumes of the manga) aren't moronic fans. People who get upset when the subject of Narutards are fools themselves, whether they are or not a 'tard.

If it's not insulting to people who don't represent the 'fandom' than it is to those who are 'tards. My point is, (if I still have one), it would be a widely-accepted stereotype if the majority didn't act like fools.

Oh, and by the way, anyone ever see InuYasha or Yuu Yuu Hakushou things any more? Naruto is just a phase, pretty soon it'll be over and something else will come by.

"Naruto is just a phase, pretty soon it'll be over and something else will come by."

I don't know what you mean by soon. But, let's be honest: the author has stated that naruto will be about 500 chapters (16 - 19 pages/chapter) long. One chapter is released each week. they just did chapter 350 not too long ago. 52 weeks in a year. Naruto won't be gone for another three years. And if you're sick of Narutards now, it'll only get worse later.

2011, Narutard-weary fraysters: that's your first potential year of relief!

And by then there shall be other well-developed obnoxious pop-culture trends.

. . . who loves Naruto, has the head band and everything. She also manages to pull down decent grades, has tastes in clothing and music above and beyond her anime habits and is active in her school's theater program. Somehow, I doubt she's going around faking chakra and Seppeku.

"We call them "Narutards", "

No worse than any other idolizing young'ns. I hope the lad you're refering to was older than 10 or mayhap you're being a bit harsh. At any rate, that's pretty funny the contrast you described between all the very serious bunkasai activities! A very iconoclastic part of me is secretly cheering on the kid, but only because I find irony so darned ironic.

Now, if the lad was in his teens, he should be made aware the great taboo of seppuku, not to mention the disrespect of picking up someone else's sword, regardless of what material it's made of. I've found most japanophiles are willing to abandon the silly behavior as soon as you present something more authentic. I taught aikido to kids for a few years and I had to begin all bokken training with the idea of reverence for the blade, wooden though it may be (didn't stop musashi).

So again...how old was the "little retard"?

ninjadan:

my god stop being racist to people who like naruto its not the shows fault that theres people who like the show a little to much jesus if your like this to naruto what are you liek to other anime besides american television is getting worse and worse anime is filling the void left and america is making even anime worse by taking parts out that are important now even americans are begining to hate the american dubbing company if you hate so much why dont you go make your own show that lasts over 220 episodes(im talking about the japanese ones)

<tongue in cheek> Oh...my...god...I so know what you mean! I SOOO hate racists who judge people on something other than their race (like here where there was no race-degrading)!

Ok I had to stop reading after the first several lines (getting a headache)...not only is TV in America getting worse, but so too is the ability to communicate. I mean OMG seriously! Know what I like about your post? That you don't use a single bit of punctuation until the parentheses. At that point...what is the point? No worries, though. Your post probably took half the time of mine to make.

Now, I hope you'll forgive my impertinence. I'm feeling plucky today. Oh and Inuyasha TOTALLY kicks Naruto's butt! (Actually, I find myself occasionally watching Naruto...not so bad, really).

Gambatte okudasai.

Madai:

"Naruto is just a phase, pretty soon it'll be over and something else will come by."

I don't know what you mean by soon. But, let's be honest: the author has stated that naruto will be about 500 chapters (16 - 19 pages/chapter) long. One chapter is released each week. they just did chapter 350 not too long ago. 52 weeks in a year. Naruto won't be gone for another three years. And if you're sick of Narutards now, it'll only get worse later.

2011, Narutard-weary fraysters: that's your first potential year of relief!

And by then there shall be other well-developed obnoxious pop-culture trends.

I understand how you make that point, it probably isn't going to be over soon...However, as I bring my point back up again with InuYasha. I just checked aroound the internet, (so forgive me if my sources aren't completely 100% correct), but Rumiko Takahashi's manga, (not the anime), is at its 511th chapter and is still being released in Japan. Now tell me, when was the last time you heard someone get excited over the new volume of InuYasha?

My point is, yes, the author plans to make around 500 chapters, I just don't think it'll stick around long enough, because (I'm sooo not trying to be rude to the creator), but how much more original will it be at those 500 chapters? (And sometimes plans change). Humans like things that change, and some humans don't. But I predict the fanbase will drop after a while and finally dwindle out to the solid fans, and at that time I'll join back.

(I want it to be like the old days when you asked someone what Naruto was. I know that'll never happen, but at least I want to be able to hear the phrase, "Oh yeah, Naruto. I wonder whatever happened to that show.")

ninjadan:

my god stop being racist to people who like naruto its not the shows fault that theres people who like the show a little to much jesus if your like this to naruto what are you liek to other anime besides american television is getting worse and worse anime is filling the void left and america is making even anime worse by taking parts out that are important now even americans are begining to hate the american dubbing company if you hate so much why dont you go make your own show that lasts over 220 episodes(im talking about the japanese ones)

Oh, and to point this out, people who like Naruto as the fandom group aren't a race. Therefore, your claims of racism are false. Think before you post words, it helps a lot.

This comes from my experience, backed up by others I have talked to at cons, expos, anime showings, and other japanese events. It's been reiterated by may people I've talked to. I haven't seen this kind of stupidity in all my years of anime experience.

Yeah, I could hardly contain my Irony-meter from pegging on that previous post. Racist? That doesn't even make sense. I said I was demonstrating KENDO, one of the most Japanese-ettiquette and dress-sensitiive arts around. WE ACUTALLY WEAR HAKAMA. If "ninjadan" doesn't know what that means, then he obviously doesn't know enough about japanese to even consider me a racist. Plus, I've probably been watching anime longer than he's been alive. I started in the 80's with Robotech, for Christ's sake!

But yeah, that other post made me laugh my ass off. My head nearly exploded because I'm at work and trying not to laugh out loud and give myself away!

At least late teens, early 20's. Old enough to know better, or at least WOULD be if he wasn't a social outcast loser retard. I hate the stigma that is attached to anime and some of the lowlife losers that it attracts. Sure, I've crashed with my pot-smoking buddies that watched anime just to see some new episodes and have someone to talk to it about, but, damn, we have to have SOME standards, right?

I've had a number of conversations with people at cons, shows, manga stores, anime-sections-of-video-stores­, and other locations where the topic of conversation has been disgust over the actions of the latest "babies" actions. The youngest anime fans tend to latch on heavily to their favorite shows and adorn themselves with not only the gear, but the attitudes and motions of the characters as well.

A few examples, if you will...Years ago, it was Tenchi Muyo. People carried stuffed Ryo-Ohki's and had their own woodblock servants tethered to their backpacks. Sailor Moon made TONS of anime girls dress in short skirts and long ponytails while twirling about the floors of the Con. Even when people were giving themselves the facial "X" scars and carrying the giant swords or wooden ones because they love Ruroni Kenshin, they did seem to wave them around too often or attack people with them.

Nowadays, though, it seems like you can ask anyone you know that watches anime if they've seen a Naruto kid do some stupid kick or punch or folded-hand shakra pattern and yell alot in their face, being disruptive, and I'm pretty sure you'll get more than a few positive responses, dare I say a majority will have a "God, there was this dumbass kid that..." story. I'm saying that Narutards are generally not well received by anyone who's been watching anime for more than a couple of years, and that when people see that headband, they tend to expect the worst.