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The Naruto fandom has often seen Sakura as the weak link in the original Team 7. She is one of the most hated characters in the series.
When you hear the name Sakura Haruno, what’s the first thing you have in mind? Sakura has been getting a bad rep for her character flaws, especially, during the early days of the series. Though she showed some character development, the difference in how fans treat her and the rest of the main characters couldn’t be more real.
In her introduction, she gave off an impression of a person who was out of touch with the real shinobi world. Although she swept through academic tests, she seemed not to realize the real implications of being a shinobi. However, throughout her time in Team 7, she had her share of brilliant moments. So, why the hate?
Sakura’s Introduction and Reception by the Fandom
Sakura made her debut as a member of the newly formed Team 7 under Kakashi’s guidance. It consisted of Sasuke, Naruto, and herself. She was already making attempts to get romantically close to Sasuke, but to no avail. On the other hand, Naruto got into a rivalry with Sasuke, which often led to be infuriating to Sakura.
On top of that, she made an awful remark about Naruto, mentioning his status as an orphan, not realizing Sasuke was an orphan too. If her character in the early days seemed like a drama antagonist, that was also what the fans thought.
Sakura’s character rubbed both the protagonists and the fans in the wrong way. However, throughout the series, she made considerable contributions. Her character developed both as a competent shinobi and a more mature person.
Sakura’s Growth as a Character
Her rocky debut in the first few chapters of Naruto really created an unfortunate reputation for Sakura. She was portrayed as book-smart but immediately became a dead weight in a real fight. For instance, in their first training with Kakashi, Sakura practically did nothing but scream. It also didn’t help that her teammates would later grow into the two most powerful ninjas.
However, later on, Sakura had a number upswing in terms of her combat competency. In the time-skip period, she found her potential for medical jutsu and later turned into one of the most prolific medical ninjas. She even went on to master the Sozo Saisei. This jutsu allows the ninja to automatically heal any injury without making any jutsu sign.
Sakura’s personal development also can’t be overlooked. Her relationship with Naruto by far is the best indication of her character growth. Sakura in Naruto started off as someone who had a prejudice against Naruto, similar to other characters at first. On top of that, her early days fall perfectly into the damsel in distress trope.
However, Naruto’s growth and dedication to being stronger inspired her to do the same. She deserved some credit for catching up with Naruto and Sasuke, considering how strong the two ninjas became later on.
Why Sakura Is Hated by the Naruto Fandom
Despite that, the hate around Sakura’s character still lingers. There is animosity in the anime community when discussing Sakura. Some fans mistake her as an eternal deadweight for the team back then. Regardless of her growth, the hate has not subsided. So why is Sakura in Naruto one of the most hated characters in anime?
For those who have watched the series in its entirety and still think Sakura in Naruto is a badly written character. In this case, there are two possibilities, either the fans missed Sakura’s character growth completely or it wasn’t shown enough.
How Sakura’s Character Has Been Mishandled by Kishimoto
Naruto could’ve handled the female characters better. Shonen anime are typically tailored for young male audiences. So, telling a story about the boys going into adventures and conflicts is at the core of this genre.
However, undermining a female character’s development over the boys can backfire, even in a story focused on male characters. The tricky part comes in balancing the pace and the runtime for the series.
Sakura’s case in Naruto falls victim to the time-skip trouble. By putting her growth in an off-screen scenario, the anime glossed over important points that could add more depth to Sakura’s character. Moreover, once she got the chance to showcase her powers, she was outshined by Naruto and Sasuke.
Why Sakura Deserves Better from the Naruto Fandom
From a storytelling perspective, Sakura’s character is a great tale of a damsel in distress eventually finding her own strength. However, her character did not receive the attention it deserved and this affected how fans perceived her.
In all fairness, Masashi Kishimoto got the formula for an appealing character arc with Sakura. She had a rough and conceited beginning, but there was a moment when she realized her own lack of qualities.
Not to mention, Naruto’s fame factor amplifies the first impression of the characters. For series that didn’t last as long as Naruto, the pacing would be easier for the audience to digest and less time-consuming.
Conclusion
Sakura Haruno is an example of how a female character got mishandled and hated. Though the series is a testament to shonen story, the female characters, especially Sakura often find themselves on the sideline.
The unfortunate thing about Sakura is that she pretty much got all the spotlight in her worst state. However, by the time she became a capable shinobi, the focus had shifted from her or she got time-skipped. As a result, fans didn’t have as many chances to see Sakura’s progress and her best moments were outshined by others.
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