Quote Originally Posted by Krbadass
There was more involvement with the original characters ( Neji rocklee Gai Kakashi etc..) and it had more of a ninja tactical feel instead of a who has more power feel. I hate to use the dbz cliche but its getting more and more that way. It just doesn't have that same feeling anymore that it used to.

Thoughts?
-Most of the side characters really only served the function of developing the one or more of the main characters. With the exception of Shikamaru, few of them are actually characters in and of themselves. Most of them reached the maximum amount of depth required for them in this story during the Sasuke chase arc.

-Actually even in the high powered battles there has been a fair amount of tactics involved. Look at some of the things that Naruto has done to turn fights around. It's just that if your name isn't Shikamaru the power scenes typically have more impact thenthe tactics.

-Typical of a shounen styles manga, the battles power and intensity rise as the story continues. The DBZ trap is when characters have to get ridiculous powerful as the foes get just as insane. Even then people give DBZ too hard of a time. I went back recently and watched the Buu Saga (the story I never finished because I gave up on DBZ then), and came to realize even the Buu Saga did something that DBZ always has done well: Plot twist. Even as silly as the Buu Saga was Toriyama had a way making sure everything went delightfully dreadful to our heroes. Nothing happened the way you would expect it. If any manga is to labels as power struggles without any interest I name Bleach that manga.