Action, ninjas, and the fate of the world are all what many guys would consider to be cool, but Naruto Shippuden is not. Being an anime television show, Naruto carries the stigma of being both a nerdy and somewhat childish. It may be a cartoon, but it also happens to be one of my favorite television shows at the moment. I believe that if you can look past the connotations associated with the genre, anime has a lot to offer. For one, it is a cartoon and therefore not limited to what can be shown with camera or special effects. When the writers want Naruto to battle a thousand year old fox demon, they don’t have to pay tremendous amount of money on CGI, they just have to draw it. Things of ridiculous magnitude can happen on the show that would be impossible without a Hollywood budget. For that reason, you end up seeing some crazy stuff happen in most episodes that just isn’t available in other genres. Additionally, as a cartoon, it tends to have some childish qualities. To many this is a source of the stigma, but there are plenty of viewers out there who actually some childish humor now and then. Personally, I can sympathize with both of these categories. There are definitely some moments where I feel a little immature watching teenage ninjas save the world while learning lessons about life, love, and never giving up, and I can’t help occasionally feeling guilty watching what many would consider to be such nerdy entertainment. I believe what makes it a “guilty” pleasure is the connotation associated with its stereotypical audience. I feel a little uneasy telling people I watch the show for fear of being labeled a nerd. However, just because others think it’s nerdy doesn’t mean I can’t think its cool. Looking past the stigma, Naruto, and anime in general, definitely has a lot to offer to a lot of people. It may feel a little guilty, but I can’t deny that it’s a pleasure.