Naruto: Akaki Yotsuba no Clover wo Sagase

Given the length of this special, my expectations were minimal. If you're looking for development or something that deepens the characterization or plot, this is not the one for you. But if you're okay with a simple slice of life that shows more of the characters you've grown to love, then maybe give this a go. I adore both Naruto and Konohamaru and always look forward to their banter and interactions, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this. Sure, the special is incredibly short, and the plot is a straightforward minor adventure, but it has the characters' usual funny antics and the charm of ... Konohamaru's first crush, a landmark I was happy to witness however briefly.

<Potential Spoilers>
I can see why this was an OVA.

Everything about this ova is unnecessary and generic. The horrifically generic storyline, decent animation, and ok sound design are only saved by the interactions of characters Naruto and Konohamaru.

The story can be summed up in this single sentence. Konohamaru needs Naruto to try and get with a girl. While the story of trying to get a girl can be done right. This OVA presents the story in a way that is forgettable and just boring.

The animation is decent, it’s around the same quality as most other Naruto episodes. I don’t know if it had something to do ... with the quality of the copy I had of the OVA or the actual OVA itself had this quality. But I could only play it at like 144p. For now, I will only assume it was a result of the poor copy I had.

There’s really not that much too say about the sound design other then the voice acting was decent. That’s it.

The characters Naruto and Konohamaru interacting and working with each other made the ova slightly more bearable. It was fun seeing these two interacting. But that’s really all the OVA had going for it.

While this review is short, the OVA has nothing going for it. A generic story, ok animation, and ok sound design are only forgiven through the somewhat enjoyable character interactions.

Overall, I rank this 4/10.

Specials are never really "good" but they can and should be enjoyable. They should be funny and a sort of comic relief. I usually like the Naruto specials, but I couldn't stand this one.

The story focuses around Konohamaru and Naruto searching for a secret wish-granting clover that will hopefully prevent Konohamaru's crush from moving away from the village. I personally loathe Konohamaru as a character and find him exceptionally annoying. The jokes were lame and the artwork was worse than the parent story. If you're trying to watch a Naruto special, I recommend any other than this, as this was probably the worst that I ... have watched.