The series has reached or is reaching DBZ level plotwork, where you're even born special or born as dead weight. It always annoys me because I could have sworn the author said it was about hard work triumphing over natural talent. Naruto being a loser appealed to me. Now, from what I understand, he's basically comes off like the protagonist of a fanfic. He's probably going to die, otherwise they'll just have to give antagonists incredibly contrived powers just to spar with him.

Anyways, Foxi is right, the fighting games are pretty ok. Everything else is take it or leave it with me. And I think Yu-Gi-Oh! contains far more mindless talking. Characters going through monologues about their strategies and card effects.