Subtext!

A while ago I was watching the first Naruto movie on Cartoon Network (there was nothing better on...seriously) and I couldn't help but feel something was a little off. Shonen fighting anime traditionally has cliched morals, flat protagonists and over the top villians, but this was something new.

To effectively explain what it is, I'll need to summarise the plot first: Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi are hired as bodyguards for Yukie as she goes to the Land of Snow to make a movie. Through the magic of contrived coincidences it turns out that Yukie is the deposed princess of the country, and her usurper uncle wants to capture/kill her to get the plot device crystal she carries. As well as dealing with opposing ninjas the titular character must also stop Yukie from running away and convince her to take back her country. In the end the villians are all dead, spring comes to the land and Yukie becomes the princess (queen?).

So the idea is that Yukie must face her fears, stop running away and take responsibility for her country. Or at least that's what it is in planning. In actuality it is a story of a normal woman caught between two groups of superhumans, each with their own agendas and little regard for Yukie; the villains want Yukie's land and its treasure, and the 'heroes' want Yukie to be in danger to validate their existance as bodyguards.
What makes this film so sad is that by the end, poor Yukie has changed from the independant woman capable of giving ninja's the slip to a cheerleader for the very people that were forcing her into danger.

Yukie Kazahana: self-centred ice queen, or tragic heroine?

The reason for this charcter derailment? None other than Naruto himself. I've come to realise that Naruto is brilliant but evil character who hides behind an image of rash but well-meaning incompetence.
He uses a combination of brutal one-sided (he's got as much chakra as the plot requires) beatdowns and repititon of the superiority of his life goal and philosophy (and therefore the inferiority of everyone else's). This physical and verbal combo has an accelerated Stockholm Syndrome effect, making the victim subservient to Naruto.

Thinking I'm bullshitting? Let's look at some of the peole he has converted:
-Yukie, who went from finding Naruto an annoying brat to calling him the greatest ninja ever;
-Neji, who changed his whole view of fate after losing to Naruto;
-Gaara, who went from being a psychotic killer to.....less of one.

The face of cunning, believe it.