Originally posted by: Arcane1
Sakura, Ino, TenTen, and Hinata. Why dont we see more of them? I'm not saying there needs to be a "Girl Power" ep or story arc, it just as there are used now they are only moveing the guys storys along, with very littel to no story of there own. In closeing Sakura needs to "come in to her own" as a nija, Hinata and Naruto need to hook up, and more of Ino and Ten Ten.
I think the age group targeted by Naruto is made primarly of pre-teens and teens boys, who aren't really into romance, even so because they're mostly inept at it.
Obviously, boys at that age, due to this ineptude, will be mysogynists, so it's not good business to show women to kids who think they're worth nothing. The show has its emotional undertones, but some people don't really value them.
Another thing is that the most obvious way to portrait conflict is through fights. Kids that age are full of internal conflicts and watching them on the screen is a good way to deal with them. You really won't expect, nowadays, the majority of teenagers enjpying 3 hours of Hamlet, even it it also portraits conflict. So basically, shows with lots of fights fill the cathartic needs of children that age. But, amazingly enough, it has a mimetic effect on many.
To summon it up, the show has to appeal to the most emotionally underdeveloped, and as result, feelings and relationships will be out of the picture, for the most part.
Not that I personally don't enjoy the girls on the show, and don't want to see more of it. Naruto accepts everybody unconditionally, for the most part, and Hinata is the only person, who, from day one, also accepts him that way, so it's really interesting to see how it develops.
But I guess, not everybody shares our tastes, so all I can do is wait and see. Fights can be fun, especially when you're happy to watch them in a show and so avoid bringing them to real life...