Naruto is a popular cartoon based on the most popular manga in Japan. Episode 1 gives the basic story. Naruto is a trouble-maker, uses unbelievable ninjutsu, makes some friends and lots of enemies, and has hilarious adventures. It's a cartoon. What can a cartoon possibly teach us?
Behind all the silliness, Naruto has a deeper story. If you can suspend disbelief, Naruto and his teammates practice, suffer, and even sacrifice their lives for the safety of their villages and teammates. They know they're freaks (each has special powers - one is infested by helpful beetles and Naruto by a nine-tailed-fox demon). They learn to ignore the taunts and to defeat the threats.
The spirit is summarized by the theme song of episode 100 that includes the words "we are fighting dreamers" showing the characters as prepared to fight for their convictions regardless of the challenges.
Karateka (people who practice karate), at least those caught by this charming cartoon, are able to internalize this message: believe in yourself, believe in your dreams, train hard, work together, be willing to fight for what's important, and sacrifice, if necessary.
PS: Curiously, Naruto and his teammates train like karateka seldom do - they learn to fight together to defeat an enemy too strong for an individual to conquer. Hmm. How should karateka train for that, and why wouldn't we?
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