Summary
As one of thelongest-running shonen animeof all time,Narutohas received critical acclaim and global repute. It’s clear that the series has done several things right, yet there’s one aspect that clearly lags behind the rest — romantic relationships. The show’s pairings are arguably the least liked element of the show, and fans can’t help but notice how artificial and forced these romantic subplots feel.
Author Kishimoto may be well-versed at writing compelling fight scenes and sentimental backstories, but it’s obvious that romance isn’t his strong suit. This has led toNaruto’sfinal pairings seeming completely out of place, with some even appearing to be chosen at random. Several factors have contributed to such nonsensical pairings, and examining each one reveals exactly how mismatchedNaruto’scouples are.
The Series Neglected Its Romantic Subplots
Before delving into exactly what went wrong with some ofNaruto’sprimary pairings, it’s worth noting that the issue with the series’ couples stems primarily from the lack of romantic development. Being a shonen anime, it’s normal for fights and looming threats to be the main focus of the narrative, but incorporating a bit of romantic elements is necessary to cut through the intensity ofback-to-back fights.
Narutofailed to incorporate this element into the mix, sidelining any sort of romantic subplot that could havehelped foster healthy relationships. Most of the ships within the series were only hinted at, and none of these pairings were ever confirmed inShippuden. It was only after the series’ conclusion that fans got to witness the final pairings inThe Last: Naruto the MovieandBoruto: Naruto Next Generations. However, this has left a massive gap between the couples’ development within theNarutoseries and their final pairing, making almost every single couple seem forced.
Naruto and Hinata’s Pairing Became a Victim of Neglect
The issue of the series’ romantic subplots being sidelined is the most apparent in the case ofNaruto and Hinata’s relationship. While the series had hinted at Hinata’s interest in Naruto from the very beginning, there were zero scenes where Naruto either reciprocated these sentiments or acknowledged Hinata’s feelings.
She (Hinata) is a lot like you. Come to think of it… she’s always watching you.
Even after Hinata confessed her love for Naruto during Pain’s invasion, there was never a single moment where Naruto followed up on such an audacious confession. Their love was never explored, and it remained one-sided till the very end, which is exactly why their pairing inBorutoseems almost forced.
The Final Pairings Have An Unhealthy Relationship
Some pairings have received their fair share of the spotlight, yet even that wasn’t enough to salvage the series’ failed romance. Some of the couples have a muddled past, and fans have a hard time accepting their pairing considering what they have been through. Apart from Shikamaru and Temari’s pairing, every other couple seems to have had their fair share of unhealthy elements.
Even Naruto and Hinata’s pairing appears to be quite toxic considering Naruto ignored her advances, and instead turned towards Sakura at every moment of the show. Ino’s pairing with Sai is also rather ironic, sinceSai was added to Konoha 11to replace Sasuke, which essentially deems him a replacement for Ino’s feelings for Sasuke. Still, nothing compares to Sakura and Sasuke’s problematic relationship that has been riddled with abuse.
Sasuke and Sakura’s Pairing Is the Most Problematic
Sasuke and Sakura’s problematic pairingneeds no introduction, with Sasuke bearing multiple accounts of almost killing Sakura. Despite being ignored for the majority of the series, Sakura still never lets go of her sentiments towards Sasuke. Moreover, Sasuke was never written as a character that could hold any romantic interests, making their final pairing seem entirely forced.
He really meant to kill her. How you’ve fallen, Sasuke.
Even after their marriage, Sasuke abandoned Sakura with their daughter, only to come back after Sakura had raised Sarada as a single mother.Sasuke’s overall relationship with Sakurahas been tainted by abuse, neglect, and indifference, making their pairing the most problematic in all of Naruto.
Some Of Naruto’s Couples Are Forced And Random
The primary characters and their pairings may not be perfect, but at least there seems to be a semblance of thought behind their relationships. The ancillary characters of the show truly get the short end of the stick with their random pairings, some that seem to be entirely random.
While there’s nothing wrong with such pairings, the lack of interaction between these couples just makes pairing them up seem nonsensical. The only interactions they have arebased on filler content, and even those instances are confined to mere hints through subtexts.
Ino-Sai and Choji-Karui Are Entirely Random Pairings
Ino and Sai’s pairing may be somewhat viable, yet there’s no denying that their relationship is quite random. It was never implied that they were into each other, with the few hints of the two liking each other being confined to filler content. Their eventual marriage in Naruto might be healthy, but it has no prior development.
While Ino and Sai’s pairing was still hinted at,Choji and Karui’s marriageis something that no Naruto fan could have seen coming. The two characters had never interacted with each other, and they are based in two different ninja villages. This makes their pairing all the more absurd, as they had no connection to begin with. Out of all the couples in Naruto, Choji and Karui’s pairing is arguably the most random one.
