Me, My Son, And Naruto: How Anime Builds Bonds
The way kids change your life is kind of like how Nappa came to Earth. They really just show up and start wrecking shop, turning your life upside down in the process. Still, there is much beauty to be found in this wreckage.
One such beauty is the bond you forge with your child. Contrary to what you might think, having a kid doesn’t mean you automatically have a bond with them. It’s still something you have to work at, especially as they get older—especially when siblings enter the picture.
Such was the case for my son and I. As a work-from-home mom, I was able to do everything with him during his early years which helped us develop a super close relationship. But as my husband and I added more kids to the bunch, it left less quality time for me and my son.
Now, he’s at that age. You know, the one where he starts feeling himself a lil’ bit. For instance, just the other day he told me he was too old to say “I love you”, to which I promptly screamed, “NEVER!!!” and attacked him with hugs and kisses.
Yes, my child is growing up, and growing away. He’s reached that stage where if it’s his parent’s idea, he wants no parts of it.
Except where Anime is concerned…
My own experiences with Anime began back in 1999, when Cartoon Network would annoyingly play 5 episodes of Dragonball then start over at Ep. 1, or play the same episode every other day. I didn’t care though, I watched them all over again. I was high-key obsessed with Vegeta and am still side-eyeing Bulma for bagging him, but I digress…
Fast forward some years (do the math on your own, friend) and I’m still here watching, except now I have company.
I’d heard about Naruto for years and jumped at the chance to watch it when it came to Netflix. One day, my son stumbled into my room on one of his random “pester mommy’s rest” missions, and went from asking me all the details about the show to watching the next few seasons with me.
Now, I have to pause here and say what might be considered controversial—dare I say blasphemous: I stopped watching shortly after season 3. I mean, I kept waiting for Sasuke to come back then when I Googled and learned how many episodes I had to watch until his return, I gave them a hard pass. And while I’m being controversial, am I the only one that thinks the Anbu Black Ops are trash?!
Anyway, back to the point: watching Anime became a new way for my son and I to build our relationship. Having this shared interest opened the door for various conversations about life, improved our communications with one another, and provided new ways for us to have fun together. He even brought his younger siblings into the fold. So much so that for months, we all ran around the house trying to defeat each other with Shadow Clone Jutsu!
And the fun continues. We’ve since spent many a night lounging on the couch, watching Shoyo Hinata try to become the next “Little Giant”, or waiting for Gon to finally find his father.
I know there’s a possibility that one day he’ll decide these shows are silly, or find something better to do than watch Anime with his mom (though seriously, what could be better?!), that’s why I’m going to enjoy these moments now and take heart in the fact that we’re building a bond and memories that will last as long as One Piece, aka forever!
What Do You Blerd Out About?
anime, blerd culture, dragon ball, lifestyle, naruto
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