One thing I could never understand is why people like Rock Lee so much. From my interpretation Rock Lee symbolizes a hard working average American. He is not somebody who is talented, exceptional or special in any way but his drive. His credo is; through hard work and determination, I can advance myself. By basically maiming Rock Lee to the point of inability to perform as a ninja, the people responsible for the manga/anime are saying that hard work and determination will only get you so far, you need to be born talented/elite. This makes much sense since Japanese are very elitist (based purely on personal experience, no stereotyping intended). To me, anybody with interest in Rock Lee is celebrating the fact that the Japanese believe somebody must be born with talent to succeed in life.