People are bashing Dragonball Z compared to Naruto. They forget that without Dragonball Z, Naruto would NOT be what it is today.
Goku is obviously the inspiration for Naruto, dumb but battle-smart. Good hearted, and good natured.
Vegeta is obviously the inspiration for Sasuke, however the roles switch. Vegeta starts off as a major antagonist and turns into a protagonist, whereas Sasuke starts off as a major protagonist but turns into a major antagonist. Sasuke possesses a superiority complex, being happy when he believed he was stronger than Naruto, and feeling inferior when Naruto caught up to him or surpassed him. VERY similar to Vegeta, who was happy to be stronger than Goku, but the minute that was over he placed his pride on top.
Jiraiya and Master Roshi. Both trained the main characters of the show, both perverted, and both possess wisdom that benefits the main characters.
Madara reminds me of Frieza, who was ruthless and would kill his own soldiers. Much like Madara apparently "killed" his brother. It does not seem likely that Izuna, who was stated to want to chase power like Madara, would refuse Madara's eyes in exchange for his own. Madara sometimes possessing polite mannerisms, just as Frieza did.
The list goes on and on. Naruto was heavily based off of Dragonball Z, as Dragonball Z was only loosely based off of "A Journey to the West". I agree that even the most minor of characters have more character development than Dragonball Z did, but let's not forget Naruto's roots.
