Naruto (Look! An all-anime post! How rare!)

[thistlechaser]

*stands up* Hi, my name is Thistle, and I cannot spell the names of the main characters in an anime I've been watching for months.

I think my brain is broken, I just can't get all the letters in the right order in Japanese names! And stupid Google is no help. Do a search for "Naruto character guide" and you get a crapload of stupid quiz results! Bah. Anyway, now that I've looked up the spelling of all the important names, here we go with the post!

I've come to the point where I'm almost not liking Naruto much. Why? Two reasons, one old and one new.

#1) I hate Sakura. I hate her from the very second she shows up on the screen. She doesn't even have to open her mouth (or cry), and I hate her. She is so utterly and totally useless. I'm so sick of useless female characters in anime, and she is the most useless of them all. I hate her pink hair. I hate her outfits. I hate how, after more than a HUNDRED eps of her throwing herself at Sasuke and having him reject her, she still does it! Gah! *pulls out own hair*

#2) I like anime because it tends to be more mature. It doesn't insult the viewers. It doesn't soften blows. Naruto has now made itself an exception to that rule. (This name wasn't in the guide, but I'm pretty sure this is how the subbing group spelled it.) Chouji isn't dead. What the fuck? There had been no question in my mind that he had died in that ep, but now he's alive. NONE of them died. Yes, I liked them all, but this was a really big mission against really bad, bad people, and they are kids. There is no way that there couldn't have been at least one death. This point has actually done much more to kill my love for the series than the first one. I've lost all respect for it.

So anyway. Now the series is going into what looks like a god awful filler ep. "Unreasonable story logic?" Check. "Butt-ugly character designs on NPCs?" Check. Sounds like filler to me! But what makes this even worse? Sakura is one of the two main characters in it. *pulls more hair out*

I caught up with the subbing group, but I really couldn't be bothered to watch the preview for the next ep. I just didn't care. What happened to the earlier quality? Things like the Haku/Zabuza story arc?

To be fair, there were a couple little things I liked about these last few eps. I've always loved Shikamaru, but I think I like the character even more now (He cried! Eeek! I wanted to hug him!). Seeing all of Kiba's family's dogs was fun, as well as seeing Kakashi's! (I'd like to see more of them!) But those are just tiny little things in the face of so much I dislike. I do not want to stop liking this series! It used to be my favorite one! I just hope this filler arc doesn't last too long, otherwise it will be hard to maintain my remaining liking of it.

Edit before posting: Reading the manga isn't an option for me. I'm reading the manga for Bleach (just for the eps which have aired thus far as anime), and I can't see the draw of it (ha ha, no pun intended). I know, I know, I'm odd. But since I can't get into the manga, I really want to experience the story for the first time in animated form. See the colors, hear the voices, all that.

Comments

[kriatyrr.livejournal.com]

Re: character deaths, on one hand I agree and think there should have been some, on the other hand.. I'm glad none of them died. I'm still mourning Hayate, who died 85 episodes ago. -_-

My site has an excellent character list. Not completely up to date, though.. Got nearly every character that appeared up to episode 80. Not motivated to work on it much.

I'd make a similar site for Bleach, but the scrolling credits at the end are pretty much impossible to read.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I agree and think there should have been some, on the other hand.. I'm glad none of them died.

Understood. :)

What's your site's URL? I could bookmark it, then not have to search!

[kriatyrr.livejournal.com]

It's http://www.tokubetsu-jounin.net (you could've just looked at my profile for that :P)

It's my Naruto/everything else site. It's gotten somewhat popular thanks to google and some other search engines, so I feel a bit guilty about not updating more, but on the other hand.. no one have ever contacted me as a result from visiting my site. The only person who has signed the guestbook is someone I've known for years.

The birthday list has been linked to in at least three different LJ posts and some german anime forum, so I know people are reading the site and enjoying it.. I just wish they'd tell me that sometimes.

It started out with my desire to have all the characters' names in both Japanese and English form, and grew from there to add images and the seiyuu's name (again both in kanji and romaji). Now I'm working on translating the end credits of each episode, and have just over 1/3rd of them done.

And then I use it to host all the pretty photos I post on LJ.

[farli.livejournal.com]

I hate filler arcs. I understand their purpose, but they are VAPID WASTES OF TIME and honestly, the poor quaity animation in the past arc was painful enough.

1) I feel sorry for that girl. Between Kishimoto's inconsistancy with her characterisation (and his own admittance that he cannot write or draw young girls and doesn't really like to 9_9;) and poor quality animation/arcs like the recent fillers.. But Sakura is not that bad. Mind you, she is the /most normal/ character who acts like a girl her age should, (yay 12 year olds) regardless of being a ninja - she has a crush, and the 'throwing herself' at Sasuke does taper off -- she was awesome during the second part of the chuunin exams, and its a damned shame that Kishi kept dropping the ball with her..

...As it is, you should change your tune a bit should they do Kakashi's Gaiden and launch the anime into Time Jump territory.

But for the record: Sakura and Naruto taking off for Sound is FILLER. 100%. Completely. Utterly. This may be to allow the manga to get far enough ahead that they can continue the actual REAL stry, but it doesn't make it any less sucky.

2) The anime actually softens things up a lot in order to get shown on TV. A lot less bloodshed for one. ^^ But yes, the Rescue Rangers survived, but it was very close! It was a very close call, but c'mon. Like Kishimoto was going to kill off fan favourites? It would have been BRAVE AND BEAUTIFUL, but he's a wuss, man. XD

I'm hoping (soon as I download the episodes anyway) that the anime doesn't do what the manga did and completely skips the rehabilitation process because I REALLY wanted to see that, rather than: HAHAHA they live, and LOOK three months later..

But it gets better. I'm seriously enjoying the time jump and I can't wait to see it animated, because it will be *awesome*. Seriously. Don't give up just yet.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Well, I won't be giving up just yet, no worries on that! (I've been told that there's some tidbit I might be interested happening sometime ahead -- once we get out of this filler anyway.)

Mind you, she is the /most normal/ character who acts like a girl her age should, (yay 12 year olds)

Ha ha! Maybe it's good that I don't know any RL 12 year olds then? I'd probably choke them all!

But for the record: Sakura and Naruto taking off for Sound is FILLER. 100%. Completely. Utterly. This may be to allow the manga to get far enough ahead that they can continue the actual REAL stry, but it doesn't make it any less sucky.

I'm figuring that must be the reason, yeah. Sigh! Oh well!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

(you could've just looked at my profile for that :P)

But that would mean I wasn't lazy! Heehee.

Thanks for it! I'll check it out!

[farli.livejournal.com]

...! That's your site? <333

It is a most AWESOME resource. A friend showed it to me once at the start of the year, but I forgot to book mark it. *hee* It's some really great work. Thank you very much for sharing it with us.

[kriatyrr.livejournal.com]

Thank you! That's the kind of comment that makes it all worthwhile. :)

I only bought the domain at the end of January, and it took me some time to get things set up, so you might've been to my old site (iki.vandaliersheart.com) which still gets more visitors than the current site, despite me putting up "we've moved. go here instead" on the front page and the character list. I'm competing against myself now. ^_^;

[draymor.livejournal.com]

You sir, needs to read the manga.
Sakura gets a big upgrade later.
=p

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I do half-intend to catch up with the manga -- at least up as far as the anime is. I don't know when I'll have time to do that, but sooner or later!

[ladycosmos.livejournal.com]

I'm not happy with the filler either :/ I think when they go off-manga, they get really stupid and it shows because...dude. Orochimaru is in his ORIGINAL BODY which is just a big plot-hole right there.

I'm not going to go into why I dislike this arc; though it did manage to make me giggle last night! Mainly because it had Naruto acting like Naruto and I love the little boy.

I'm hoping that what they're trying to do is put so much space between the anime and where the manga is now that they won't have more filler arcs and that they can pace things decently. I remember waiting nearly a year for the Garra/Naruto fight to be animated and now, we have only a few months turn around.

So, hopefully that's the plan. (Maybe Kakashi-Gaiden really will be animated? one can hope.)

[mithas.livejournal.com]

I can't really say anything in relevance to how things are shown in the anime as I stopped watching it shortly before the Chuunin exam arc started, but I can see where you're coming from with the character deaths. Except while I gnawed in worry whether Kishimoto would actually be evil enough to kill yet another character, I was pretty sure he wouldn't kill any of the five that went after Sasuke.

The series has seen too many deaths already as it is, especially for one that caters to such a young target audience (not us, but the 5 year old boys who watch it in Japan). And this series makes me cry so much it isn't funny. >.>

I am probably one of the few who has always liked Sakura, despite my being annoyed to the nine hells and wanting to slap her silly every time she throws herself at Sasuke. I disliked Sakura for say... about the first three volumes of the manga and then I became neutral, then I slowly started to like her, looking past the stupid Sasuke infatuation. (It's Sasuke that I don't like.) If only because she had potential, and I was just waiting quietly for Kishimoto to show exactly what that potential could do. She's not a favorite, like Temari, who is my favorite female character in Naruto.

The anime is too close to the current manga story arc already. It's unsurprising that they're throwing in the fillers yet again. I wish they'd just stop airing and not animate the second part of the series. At least not until the manga has gotten far enough for them to have material and not majorly butch up the story.

[draymor.livejournal.com]

That's the thing though.
You see, the anime stopped on the main story line pretty much right before the end of "book" one (I don't know what you'd call it otherwise), and it's on a filler arc until the manga progresses further into book 2. If you want to see how much Sakura kick ass, you'd have to read book 2 as well, since that is where she gets more screen time, so to speak.
Anyhoo, just wait and see ^^ she'll redeem herself later =D

[morinotokei.livejournal.com]

Ok, I know manga doesn't really do it for you, but I think if you just read the parts of the manga from where the anime left off before the filler, it would go pretty fast, and then you'd be caught up. And since I know you like Kakashi, there's a Kakashi Gaiden in the manga (6 chaps, I think?) that looks like it might not be animated, since that was what was supposed to be next instead of this filler arc right now. But eh, either way, just know that there should be better stuff coming up. =3

[morinotokei.livejournal.com]

You are not the only one who likes Sakura. I just got done talking to someone on my flist about her yesterday, actually. I've got issues with her, and I have complaints in general about how Kishimoto is using her, but in general, I still like her, which probably has more to do with me than with her character. At the same time though, I can see why people wouldn't like her. I don't like Sasuke either, but I never did, since day one. I know some of his fans ditched him because of his defection, but if anything, I think that makes him a bit more interesting, or at least, gives his storyline some potential. Though I still don't like him. =_= But anyway, I'll stop spamming Thistle now before I ramble off even more about other characters. It's just that you never talk about Naruto. >F

[wanderingscribe.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way with Sakura; if she didn't have such an annoying and unhealthy crush on Sasuke, she'd be much more interesting. She has the ability to be a great ninja, but that always came second to a stuck-up, selfish, and overprivileged emo kid. (Yeah, I've never liked Sasuke much either. Ask me why. ;D)

Wow, talk about a majority here.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Good to hear! I'd hate if she stayed useless forever!

Now she just needs to give up on her stupid crush and pounce Ino! ;)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

because...dude. Orochimaru is in his ORIGINAL BODY which is just a big plot-hole right there.

!!! How in the world is the anime going to line back up with the manga after the filler arc then? "And then he woke up!"? Gah!

Agreed: Hopefully that's their plan!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

The series has seen too many deaths already as it is, especially for one that caters to such a young target audience (not us, but the 5 year old boys who watch it in Japan).

Wow, I had no idea they targeted kids that young! That makes it sort of amazing that us older folks in the US like it!

then I slowly started to like her, looking past the stupid Sasuke infatuation. (It's Sasuke that I don't like.)

You know, if she got over that crush I might be able to like her, too. Well, maybe not "like" her, but not hate her as much. The crush is just so insane though! And STUPID! How often does he have to keep telling her "no" before she finally accepts it?

Agreed on the last part: I'd rather they just stop making new eps than make these crappy filler arcs.

Thanks for the comments!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info! If Kakashi Gaiden doesn't show up after this filler, then I'll go back and read it for sure. So many people have mentioned it! I'm curious about it. :)

Thanks!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I don't like Sasuke either, but I never did, since day one. I know some of his fans ditched him because of his defection, but if anything, I think that makes him a bit more interesting, or at least, gives his storyline some potential.

Strongly agreed. This is perhaps the first time I've actually been interested in his character. (Though I also did wonder if he would really be (emotionally) able to kill Naruto, too.)

But anyway, I'll stop spamming Thistle now before I ramble off even more about other characters. It's just that you never talk about Naruto.

Heehee, yes. I guess not much in the last few eps have prompted me to post much? I think the last time I posted about it was when Chouji "died". If the show would have more moments like that, I'd probably write about it more! ;)

[ladycosmos.livejournal.com]

In the last filler, they had Sasuke in his original clothes which boggled my mind for a bit but I could live with that one. They tried to integrate the story in somehow by using Sasuke-not-kicking-ass-as-usual-as-of-lately to further his problems and go to Orochimaru.

A friend of mine actually tried to argue the point that that arc was necessary cause it was what finally pushed Sasuke over the edge. Then, she had three people shoot her down by saying they had to do that because in the manga, blahblahblah. Suffice to say, we used canon against her argument XD

I hope it's their plan, but I'm not holding out :/ As long as they don't include too many references to these stupid arcs, I'm going to consider simply not including them in my Naruto anime collection.

[morinotokei.livejournal.com]

Except we're not in the majority, oddly enough. If a general glimpse at the fandom can be trusted, the majority of the fans still like Sasuke, and he's been the number one popular character in past polls done by Weekly Jump. >.>;;

[morinotokei.livejournal.com]

You know, I really wondered about that too, because he was clearly delusional enough to be going to Orochimaru in the first place. Though of course who's to say he won't still be wanting to kill Naruto in present time? We'll just have to see.

Oh man, I really liked that arc and the bit with Shikamaru and Chouji. <3

[wanderingscribe.livejournal.com]

Well, no, not in general. I meant here in Thistle's entry. or so I'd like to think. C'mon, throw me a bone here. ^^;

[morinotokei.livejournal.com]

Oh definitely. It just means we all have good sense and excellent taste in characters here. ;3