Why does Naruto always use flashbacks for character backgrounds?

[enuzuki]

Well, it's no surprise to any Naruto fan that the author "kishi" as most fans like to call him, likes to give us the background story of characters with the use of flashbacks....The thing that really gets to me is that it's mostly during the fights that we get the background story, I suppose the idea is we should get emotionally connected to the character so we can cheer them on? Honestly there are more ways to go about it, for example you could have a cold and sheltered character that mostly push people away, or/and is emotionally closed of and have some other character tell the story of why he's like that to get some background story. I know it's a bit cliché but when it works it really does...work
my "beef" if you will, with kisi is that the flashbacks are used so much and mostly when it's convenient for the plot or when someones about to die that it really feels like nothing but a plot device. Seriously it's the same guy that created a world of ninja that use chakra, hand signs to unleash insane destruction, etc. My point is that he could go about giving use the backround story of a character in so many ways, we all know he's creative, so i really hope that the flashplot(using a flashback as i plot device.) will end.

 

[Ōkami]

because just having the character tell you why he ended up they way he did isn't as interesting

 

[enuzuki]

True, but you can always use another charater to tell the story, my point is that the background stories are told when it's convenient A.K.A, used as a plot device.

 

[p0002q]

I don't really count new material as flashbacks, even if it was of a past event. I know by definition it is a flashback, but I'm just glad when it's not repeats.

Seeing the naruto and sasuke fight @ the valley of the end over and over again throughout shippuden is what I consider flashbacks.

 

[Rigobert]

the current flashback is working for me, I am actually starting to feel sorry for obito in some weird way. Dont think it worked in Kabuto's flashback but thats only because i never really liked him

 

[enuzuki]

I'm not specifically talking aboub recent events but now that you mention Kabuto....What was the point of his flashback? Let me tell you to get a emotional connection with him to feel bad about is end, that was kinda cheezy to me, kishi could have him be conflicted about his own actions. That would be very interesting watching him like that, instead we get to see hes emotionally disturbed confusion. See that was pretty nice but they should've be like that along time ago.

 

[KGB Kakuzu]

I would say they are only annoying when they are constantly repeated...someone mentioned Sasuke vs Naruto...When they are used like Kabuto, Itachi, Obito, or to explore a new emotion it is used as part of the story to explain how they are. Basically they wouldn't exist if they weren't meant to explain why someone takes an attitude or action. Now when they use them can be pretty bad. I found the current one with Obito annoying as it is in the beggining of the real fight and here we are 5 flashback chapters ...Itachi's second flashback was basically a retelling of the story we already knew.

They are used as plot devices as they reveal the reasons behind an action and when you find out about something like that you tend to act based off of the new info. Only reason he uses flashbacks to a character just saying it comes down to Obito saying You let Rin die as opposed as getting to see how Kakashi let Rin die. It makes the story more dramatic and you can better connect to it.

 

[thegame]

I think the flashbacks can work very efficient, but it is obvious that Kishi made some problems for himself along the road. Too many plot twists that needed to be explained, and then he chose to do it all in one flashback. If he had just constructed the story line a bit differently he wouldn't have this problem, and he could make some even better flashbacks that would work in the way you mention, to make the reader take a liking for the character.
Instead the flashbacks just creates new questions that wont always get answered, or then they have to be answered in some future flashback. It doesn't work very well all the time. But of course often the flashbacks tell us something interesting at the same time, which is good.