Board Thread:Episode Discussions/@comment-12509038-20141231031332

I. Introduction:
Welcome to this year's reflection of the Naruto Shippuden anime! In this discussion, I will be listing my top ten favorite episodes of this past year, and I then encourage you to do the same. This year, there were forty nine episodes of the anime (344-393) this year, and it covered from chapters 601-662, while also including a decent amount of filler material. To put that into perspective, the anime covered from the last half of the manga content from 2012, all of the content from 2013, and the first two chapters of 2014. With so much content, there were many very good episodes this year. Without further adieu, let's get started!

II. Top 10 List:

 * 1) Kakashi vs. Obito (#375)- Similar to last year with episode 322 (AKA "Madara R@pes the World"), the single battle sequence between Kakashi and Obito stole the show this year. The anime managed to make a decent chapter (636) completely worthwhile, extending it significantly and adding stellar animation to the fight (this is what they need to do with Naruto vs. Sasuke- specifically 697). On the other hand, we also saw a lot of interesting moments on the other battlefield, such as Sasuke hinting that he has an ulterior motive. Finally, the episode ends with Obito throwing in one of the best plot twists of the series where he defies Madara's orders and becomes the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki!
 * 2) A True Ending (#393)- The final episode of 2014 was also one of the best ones! The content covered in this episode was absolutely amazing, and done even better than in the manga. Besides a few interesting action sequences here and there, the greatest attribute of this episode is that this was the first time there was really a true sense of dread and despair in the series. By ending the episode off with Naruto and Sasuke on the verge of death, there was no better way to end the year than with the ultimate cliffhanger!
 * 3) I'm in Hell (#345)- Undeniably one of the most darker episodes in the entire series, this was the turning point of Obito's character where he went from the innocent child who cared about his friends into the sociopath hellbent on throwing the world into an illusion. Following Kakashi's "murder" of Rin, the standout scene of the episode was absolutely Obito's massacre of the Mist Shinobi, as he murders them in cold blood. With such a gory and graphic final scene, the anime turned a brutal chapter in the manga into one of the most disturbing and haunting episode of the series.
 * 4) Something to Fill the Hole (#372)- The key word to describe this episode is "nostalgic." Beginning with an opening scene dedicated to the shinobi alliance uniting to prevent an attack from the Ten-Tails, it only escalates from there, as the four reanimated Hokage arrive on the battlefield. However, what makes this episode great is when Sasuke arrives and is reunited with Naruto and Sakura. With Team 7 together and stronger than ever, there is no sight more inspiring or heartwarming.
 * 5) The Ties That Bind (#364)- Yet another tragic episode on this list. This episode saw the death of one of many people's favorite character: Neji Hyuga. Sacrificing himself for the lives of Naruto and Hinata, there was no scene that was more sadder this year. Following Neji's tragic death, Hinata's speech to Naruto is another element of the episode that made it one of the most endearing of 2014. With a NaruHina fan service moment at the end, there were many moments in this episode that made it one of 2014's best.
 * 6) Allied Shinobi Forces Jutsu (#363)- This is one of the few episodes on this list that are on here purely because of it's bad ass action! Combined with amazing animation, this episode covered Naruto, Kakashi, Bee, Guy, and the Tailed Beasts' battle against the Ten-Tails. The rest of the alliance shows up mid way through the episode and they launch one of the greatest combination attacks in the entire series. Filled to the brink with clashes and explosions, this was one of the most bad ass episodes of 2014!
 * 7) Madara Uchiha Arises (#391)- This episode saw the transition of the ultimate villain go from Obito to Madara. And as you can imagine, it was something that was very nice to see. With Madara officially revived, he immediately begins dominating the battlefield, quickly defeating Naruto and Sai, then proceeding to absorb Hashirama's senjutsu. Following an amazing battle sequence with Sasuke, Madara turns his attention towards the Tailed Beasts, intent on "putting his pets back on their leashes." Awesome!
 * 8) An Opening (#379)- One of the better episodes in the battle against Obito as the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. Overall, this was primarily a battle-driven episode (as most of these episodes tend to be, since this is the climax of the series). In this episode, we see an extended battle sequence between Hashirama and Madara, following one of the best combination attacks in this series when Naruto, Sasuke, Minato, and Tobirama team up to take on Obito. However, despite that amazing attack, the show stopper was when Naruto realized only senjutsu will work on Obito and he manages to deliver a Rasengan straight into Obito's back- one of the best moments from Naruto Uzumaki in the entire War.
 * 9) The Divine Tree (#381)- Yet again, another episode of 2014 that filled the air with despair (if anything, that would probably be the best word to describe the anime this year). Beginning off with an outstanding battle sequence with Naruto and Minato teaming up against Obito, it ends with Obito releasing the true form of the Ten-Tails: the Shinju (AKA The God Tree). As Madara delivers a history lesson, explaining the origins of the chakra, the shinobi alliance is overwhelmed by tree branches that absorb their chakra and life force. With so many corpses on the battlefield by the end, this episode did an amazing job making a subpar chapter seem truly terrifying in the anime
 * 10) The All-Knowing (#366)- Of the episodes this year, this one probably had the least amount of action. However, what made this episode special was watching the dynamics between the four reanimated Hokage (specifically Hashirama). Despite us not seeing many of these characters in the actual story (with the exception of Hiruzen), we were able to learn so much about their characters in such a short amount of time, with Hashirama easily being the most interesting of the bunch. After addressing Sasuke's question about what a true shinobi is, the action-junkies are treated to an amazing battle sequence between Hashirama and Madara at the area that would soon become known as the Valley of the End.

III. Conclusion:
As mentioned previously, there was a lot of content this year for the Naruto Shippuden anime. The year started out with Obito's flashback, which explained how the innocent young Uchiha turned into Tobi, the leader of the Akatsuki. Shortly afterwards, we got the Kakashi ANBU filler arc that lasted for a few months- ultimately, it was a bit disappointing after all the hype it got, but it is still one of the better filler arcs from both Part I and Part II. Once that was over, we returned to the battlefield where the Ten-Tails was finally revived. The Allied Shinobi Forces soon arrived afterwards, and the epic battle raged on, resulting in the deaths of Neji Hyuga, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and everyone else at the Allied Shinobi Forces Headquarters. We then returned to Konoha where Sasuke, Orochimaru, and Taka revived the former four Hokage with the Edo Tensei. Sasuke questioned Hashirama about what a shinobi truly is, leading to a flashback that explained the creation of Konohagakure and the friendship that developed between Hashirama and Madara. Once the history lesson was over, Sasuke decided to protect the village (with a twist), and the team prepared to head to the battlefield. Meanwhile, Kakashi and Obito entered the Kamui Dimension to have their final battle, while Sasuke and the Hokage arrived to help battle Madara and the Ten-Tails. Eventually, Obito was "defeated" and returned to the real world. Madara tried to manipulate him to use the Rinne Tensei, but Obito shocked everyone by becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki. Then the BS Mecha-Naruto filler happened... Returning back to the canon storyline, the battle against Obito raged on for several episodes. In the process, the Shinju was revived and it took many lives. Eventually, Naruto and Sasuke combined their powers to take on Obito. During the climax of the battle, Naruto TnJ'd Obito, which eventually led to the Allied Shinobi Forces extracting the Tailed Beasts from Obito, defeating him. Madara used this opportunity to make Obito revive him with the Rinne Tensei. After besting Naruto, Sasuke, Hashirama, and Sai in battle, he took on the Tailed Beasts next. Overcoming the Tailed Beasts, he forced them back into the Gedo Statue, while extracting Gyuki and Kurama from Killer Bee and Naruto. Sasuke tried to kill Madara while he was distracted, but he failed and was fatally stabbed by Madara. The anime ended off on the ultimate cliffhanger, with Naruto and Sasuke on the verge of death... so as you can see, a lot happened.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable year of the Naruto Shippuden anime! It probably had as many good episodes as last year. I cannot wait to see the anime next year, as 2014 was an amazing year for the Naruto manga, and so the anime is bound to make it even better!

What is your top 10 favorite episodes? What did you think of the Naruto Shippuden anime this year? Let me know in the comment section below! 