Summary
Long-running shonen animeoften run into the issue of unnecessarily inflating their character rosters, leading to most characters being either neglected or forgotten. With over 700 episodes under its belt, theNarutoseries is known for its over-extended character lineup. This has resulted in theNaruto’sancillary characters receiving minimal screen time, with some almost seeming like one-off characters.
Konoha 11 is a primary example of this predicament, as these supporting characters barely receive the spotlight they deserve. While the group does receive some recognition, one member in particular has been entirely relegated to the sidelines – Tenten. With only three instances of canon battle scenes, Tenten is arguably the most neglected character out of all of Konoha 11. Kishimoto has reiterated his inability toproperly focus on female characters, yet Tenten’s case almost seems like purposeful maltreatment.
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Tenten’s Place Within Konoha 11
Tenten’s characterization started off strong, as the series presented her as a skilled kunoichi that excelled in a unique type of ninja art. However, this narrative diminished right after her very first battle against Temariin the Chunin Exams. The fight ended almost immediately, with Temari toying with the kunoichi the entire time. While other members of Konoha 11 experienced similar defeats, they were able to bounce back and prove their worth during other missions.
Tenten was never given the opportunity to redeem herself after such a mortifying defeat. The Sasuke retrieval mission failed to incorporate Tenten or any other Kunoichi from Konoha 11, deeming them weak and insignificant. WhileSakura, Ino, and Hinatawere able to find a place for themselves within the series’ narrative, Tenten failed to assimilate herself somewhere within the premise.
Being paired with Neji and Lee, two of the strongest members of Konoha 11, further overshadowed Tenten’s progress. The two played a significant part in the Sasuke retrieval mission, and their pivotal role was thoroughly celebrated. Their growth and development also far exceeded Tenten’s, making the latter seem nothing more than a forgotten side character.
Tenten’s Limited Screen Time
With hundreds of characters populatingNaruto’snarrative, it’s impossible for every single one to receive a fair duration of the spotlight. Out of Konoha 11, however, Tenten seems to have gotten the short end of the stick as her canon screen time amounts to nothing more than a couple of hours. In terms ofanime-only content and filler episodes, Tenten receives almost 10 hours of screen time, which is still minimal compared to other members of Konoha 11.
Most ofTenten’s screen timeis limited to anime-only content, meaning she was entirely forgotten in the anime’s manga. However, her limited screen time can be attributed to the fact that she has never actually interacted with Naruto directly. It’s only natural for a character that doesn’t interact with the protagonist to receive little to no screen time.
An Unconventional Ninjutsu
While novel and unconventional techniques often end up receiving more screen time, Tenten’s unique abilities ended up working against her. Since weapons and ninja tools are viewed as nothing more than an empty threat inNaruto, Tenten’s entire arsenal became pointless and insignificant.
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Kishimoto also failed to explore Tenten’s unconventional fighting style, yet her squad members, Neji and Lee, received extensive training arcs and power-ups. As ninja tools became obsolete inNaruto’snarrative, Tenten’s role in the series naturally diminished. The author could have easily expanded upon her novel techniques, yet her Fuinjutsu was used as a mere excuse to relegate her to the sidelines.
Tenten’s Role in Boruto
Part 1 ofNarutoandShippudenentirely neglected Tenten, and the sequelBoruto: Naruto Next Generationscontinues this running streak. Fans were hoping the sequel would make up for Tenten’s lost time, yetBorutofurther sidelined her character by relegating her to the role of a mere weapons shop owner. A role such as that would have been quite fruitful inShippuden, yetBoruto’speacetime era resulted in theneed for ninja toolsto completely die out.
Now, Tenten is stuck with a struggling ninja tools business that isn’t going to take off anytime soon. It seems as if the author purposely associated Tenten to such a minimal role, since her unique ninjutsu could have easily been utilized elsewhere. While the rest of Konoha 11 has taken up significant roles withinthe Hidden Leaf Village, Tenten remains lost and forgotten.
Tenten is also the only kunoichi in Konoha 11 that does not have a pairing. Since theNarutoseries initially paired her off with Neji, it seems that there was no coming back for her after his death. While marriage isn’t necessarily an end goal for these characters, it would have certainly added some level of depth to Tenten’s characters, yet Kishimoto failed her on that front as well. Overall, it seems that Tenten’s role isn’t going to change anytime soon, deeming her the most neglected member of Konoha 11.
