Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-12509038-20141124214040/@comment-8284722-20150112153940

@Plane You seriously think the shipping was the only thing keeping Naruto alive?? I'm sorry, but you couldn't be more wrong. Naruto was kept alive by how sheer good it was. Whether it was action, comedy, drama, characters, etc., there were many factors keeping the series alive.

I guess I should go over the specifics you made. Naruto and Sasuke's Final Battle had a great lead-up and was executed perfectly. Kazekage Rescue was another one of the realistic, ninja-like aspects of Naruto that everyone loves, and that was a good arc. Itachi Pursuit was also great, being suitably dark as well as giving the series' Darth Vader twist. I gotta actually disagree with the war. It was able to wrap everything up, and though it dragged on, I actually liked everyone's conclusions given in it, particularly Obito's. Invasion of Pain, meanwhile, was perfect in every way, shape, and form, although I agree it slowed things down a bit. The ending also was believable, and I agree it was kind of misplaced. If it was me writing it, I would've implied shipping solely because of The Last, which I wouldn't have conceived at all. I would've ended it on Naruto's Hokage Coronation Ceremony.