Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-12509038-20141124214040/@comment-12509038-20141224220457

@Plane, Gemnist, Rachin, Blaezej, Aki714, and everyone else on Narutopedia- finally, here's my response! Sorry for making you wait so long; now hopefully we can move into a nice discussion. Since I'm back home for winter break, I have a lot of free time now (with the exception of tomorrow, for obvious reasons). Let's go!

Plane: To be honest, I don't really have much to say about this one, as I'm not really a fan of Karin (just look at my username for proof of that). She had potential when she was first introduced, and I thought she would be one of the more interesting females. However, that all changed when she took off her glasses and tried to get with Sasuke the first time at Orochimaru's hideout. From that moment, I realized she would be nothing but another Sasuke fangirl. In fact, she ended up being even worse that all the others, as he actually stabbed her in the heart and attempted to kill her. Of course the same could be said for Sakura, as he tried to kill her multiple times, but Karin's reaction just seemed worse than Sakura's. IDK, it's kind of a sticky situation. How do you feel about the fact that she got no closure in the series? Kind of unrelated, but I also want to know- what did you think of Naruto and Sasuke's final battle? Also, is there anything else you want to talk about (there must be something- there's so much to talk about in a series this long)?

Gemnist: You are right that Tenten could have done something during the War with those tools. In fact, I even thought she may have been the one to seal away Madara. However, it was probably for the better that she didn't because could you imagine the backlash if Tenten was the one to defeat either Madara or Kaguya? It's probably for the best that she didn't do anything too impactful in the final arc since she was so irrelevant for the majority of the series. Speaking of Sasuke, what's your thoughts on his character? As far as Naruto trying to redeem Sasuke, it's just a key part in the overall idea that you summed up with your one-line statement. Naruto chasing after Sasuke was a large focus of the plot for the story- in fact, it was probably the main storyline piece following the ordeal with the Akatsuki in Part II. However, if Naruto didn't manage to save Sasuke in the end, then his ideal peace and him achieving the goal of Hokage would have never came to fruition. Regarding the Gedo Statue issue, I think its just a plot hole that was never explained. Kishimoto has developed so much in his story that it is easy to forget some basic concepts such as this. Hopefully it may be touched upon in the mini-series or future movies, but it probably won't be. At the end of the day, it's not a huge deal- more of a nitpick over anything else. One of the more interesting things I am looking forward to about the mini-series is that I want to see the shape of the new world after the War. I want to see how Naruto's generation has changed it for the better instead of repeating the same mistakes that have happened to all the generations before them. As proven with the last chapter, this has obviously become a peaceful world. Since it is a Shonen, there will obviously be some type of threat to this new peace, and I am eager to see what the conflict will be in the mini-series (hoping for Orochimaru to come back as the antagonist, hellbent on causing chaos and destroying the foundations of peace- kind of like the Joker in The Dark Knight). I know what you mean about rambling on- it's very easy for me to do that as well! xD Kind of unrelated, but I was just curious- what did you think of Naruto and Sasuke's final battle? With that, is there anything else you'd like to talk about? There is so much in this series that there's gotta be more on your mind...

Rachin: Oh boy, this is gonna be an interesting one! Hopefully you'll stick around, as I can see a good debate on the horizon if you ever respond back! xD Your complaints about certain characters not getting enough time to shine are certainly valid- I can't say you're wrong on that front. However, in order for a series to thrive, you can't focus on so many characters. There needs to be a limit; that's why so many of those who were developed in Part I became much more minor characters in Part II. I almost consider Part I as a test Kishimoto performed to see which characters he could develop further in Part II- at the end of Part I, he collected all those who had room for growth and development, while all the others were demoted to simply background characters. At the same time, he also developed some characters completely in Part I to the point where there was nothing else to expand upon in Part II. For certain characters, such as Rock Lee, it sucks that there was nothing more for them in Part II, but that's just how it played out. Your complaint about how many female characters were poorly written is also a very agreeable- Kishi isn't great at writing females, and he's outward admitted this. Its a shame, but there's nothing that can be done about it. Just wondering- how do you feel about the fact that Sakura ended up with Sasuke, who tried to kill her multiple times (I may be adding gasoline to the flames, but so be it)? Ninjas in Naruto are very different from the mythology of ninjas in real life- that's something that's always been clear. As far as the plot goes, this is one element where I have to disagree. The story has always been about a boy who is trying to gain acknowledgement and make the world a better place in whatever way he can. It's just escalated from that original plot point into something far more extensive, adding the Sasuke subplot and the Akatsuki subplot along the way to further add to that original idea. As far as the Sasuke thing goes, I understand why some people don't like it. However, I personally love it, as not only does it add a more human element to a series full of nonsensical things that we mere mortals can't understand, but there's also a bit of a relatable element to it as well. Anyone who has ever had a really good friend who they have lost touch with over unfortunate circumstances can relate. Basically, I once had a friend who I was really close to, and it ultimately ended up similar to Naruto's quest to chase after Sasuke. It's a long story that I won't get into. But, that taken into account, that's why I loved the whole subplot revolving around Naruto and Sasuke's bond. As far as the Akatsuki goes- you are right that some of them were taken out a little too easily. However, for the most part, I was very satisfied with them as the main antagonists for the second half of the series. If you'd like, I'll go into more details as to why later. However, Kaguya was abysmal- no denying that. One thing that not a lot of people have brought up that I have a problem with is Naruto being the "Child of Prophecy", despite the fact that he was completely against prophecy and predestination in Part I. How do you feel about that? I personally love the action in this series, as there has to be more than constant explosions or big moves. One of the best parts about the fights in this series is the often the clash of philosophies as well; it adds more of an impact to the battles when there is more than just fighting (that's why the Kaguya fight is somewhat of a fail in my book). What did you think of Naruto and Sasuke's final battle? The themes are definitely a bit preachy, and it's nothing that no one doesn't know already. However, for what he tries to do, I think it comes off as a success, even if it is a bit much at times. What about the art in the latter half of Shippuden looked bad to you? I think that's when it was at it's greatest height. Anything else you want to mention? I feel like we can get into something good...

Blaezej: Well, I'm back so whenever your ready to write a reply, I'll be ready! :D

Aki174: What about Minato's resurrection disappointed you? I definitely agree that he was better in myth than actually showing up. Anything else you wanna talk about?