Naruto

I don't so much hate Naruto as much as I hate what it's become. There was a lot of potential there and I kinda feel like it tried too much at being a DBZ clone to realize a lot of it.

That's incorrect. Kakashi correctly deduces that Zabuza is alive and that Haku is his helper almost immediately following the fight. It's why he teaches the team the treewalking exercise.

edited 30th Oct '14 8:49:26 PM by Hobgoblin

Another thing Bash writers often ignore: It is right before they go train while they're still at Tazuna's house, that Kakashi praises Naruto and says of the three he is the one who has improved the most (probably because of his brilliant on the fly plan to free Kakashi from Zabuza's Water Prison). Kakashi does not blindly favor Sasuke, he never did. Kakashi needed to see to Sasuke's safety (Orochimaru) and prepare him for Psycho Gaara.

edited 30th Oct '14 8:55:39 PM by WorldTurtle

We secretly love it.

They probably ignore it because most of them are angsty fourteen year olds who're projecting.

edited 30th Oct '14 8:56:30 PM by Ironypus

Lies! It's not like we like it or anything, b-baka.

I don't hate Naruto, but I hate what it means: it's a worldwide signal you can make your manga as dumb, ill-plotted, stupid as you want to, you may let it worsen as much as you can, and it'll still net you a fortune regardless as long as you put a lot of fights and Yaoi bait. It's basically the new free pass for Shounen to be stupid, shallow, vapid and refuse to actually grow up without any consequences or penalties.

Ever hear that joke about Gundam Wing?

... nope?

It can't be helped.

edited 30th Oct '14 9:02:59 PM by Ironypus

It wasn't a joke so much as a trolling attempt. What happened was that a poster on /a/ posted what he claimed was an interview with the director of Gundam Wing, where the "director" claimed the series was made on a bet. The terms of the alleged bet was that he would make the absolute worst series possible and fill it with the prettiest men possible, and if it was successful, he won the bet. Naturally, the interview was fake, but a lot of people fell for it.

edited 30th Oct '14 9:05:25 PM by HamburgerTime

Really, if you're writing a bash-fic, you're doing something wrong. Even if you hate a character, you should keep their behavior consistent or at least try to improve it in a realistic way.

I felt Sasuke kept Naruto and Sakura (especially) from growing as characters. While it is important to never give up on your friends, some friendships are unhealthy and some bonds should be broken so you can move on and grow. The thing is Sasuke isn't even doing it intentionally. It's just Sakura never letting go of her childhood crush and Naruto's loneliness preventing him from letting a friend go, that has made them this way. They defined their lives around Sasuke. Which is quite frankly irritating when the guy in question does not want anything to do with them when he isn't trying to kill them.

edited 30th Oct '14 9:27:14 PM by WorldTurtle

Saw the new Naruto teaser and GOD I can't believe how stupid his hair is.

That one I can't defend.

Jiraiya, I can see him failing to convince someone as stubborn as Naruto to give up on Sasuke. Jiraiya isn't the most responsible adult in the universe. But Tsunade is a healer, trained to care for people, and I'd imagine that part of caring for people is learning human psychology, dealing with mental issues and traumas as well as physical ones.

(Granted, Tsunade's probably instilled some in Sakura with her Training from Hell)

Sakura spent two and a half years with the greatest medic in the world (and enough time to mirror her mentor, well enough that others complimented her on it and viewed her as having even more potential than Tsunade), and Tsunade didn't bother trying to, or manage to defuse Sakura's unhealthy fixation? Or did Sakura just hide it really well? If Sasuke remained a criminal, did Tsunade just expect her to deal with it?

There weren't any psychological counselors in Konoha able to talk down her Sasuke obsession? They all just saw her determination to help save Sasuke as drive? Perhaps, but a lot of good it did them when she finally went after him. Maybe they all thought saving Sasuke was a good idea. Did they really think he'd spend two years in "captivity" and not become a totally different person? If he's still alive, he's stayed under the care of a terrorist of his own will, and probably become far deadlier as a result.

edited 30th Oct '14 9:33:06 PM by FOFD

Sakura's Sasuke issues are pretty repressed all things considered. I don't think she brings it up so much, just behaves irrationally when he comes into the picture which he didn't for three years.

There's a reason the show's called Naruto: Brain Problems Chronicles you know.

Personally I don't think it went downhill once Part 2 started. There was a lot of cool ideas still there. It dropped once we got to the Hunt for Itachi Arc. Good arc by itself but we got intro'd to the Rinnegan, ninshuu, Tobi being "Madara" , Sasuke curb-stomping Oro, Itachi was a good guy, Pain's plan for peace, an MS upgrade, the child of destiny, the sage of six paths, Sasuke turning evil, Sage Mode and Naruto being Minato's son which in hindsight were almost all bad ideas.

Out all those ideas Kishi shoved in, I would've only kept the Rinnegan, Sage Mode, and Sasuke turning evil.

Yes, Pain's peace plan was interesting but considering where it led I would've preferred if he had stuck to the Hidan and Kakuzu arc plan.

edited 30th Oct '14 10:38:05 PM by MadSkillz

I thought Naruto was Miinatos son as far back as part 1, but the way it was handled for why he sacrficed himself instead of raising him was pretty bad.

And then I thought he had a perfect chance to be his dad as a zombie, but no he has to return to ninja afterlife.

Minato being Naruto's dad left an awful taste in my mouth even if it was obvious. I was hoping they were just part of the same clan.

To be fair, Minato also didn't have arms, so it's not like he could have really done that much considering his profession. Plus, Hagoromo was the one who dispelled the Edo Tensei in the first place.

Are you implying it would be any sort of good idea to remain an immortal zombie so that you can interact with the son you condemned to twelve years of hatred due to your own ineptitude? That's crazy talk, y'hear?

Crazy talk!

Chakra arms and saying, "Wait, don't dispel me bro!"

edited 30th Oct '14 10:48:47 PM by Ironypus

I think I found the exact moment where Naruto falls in love◊.

It had better be, or I'll actually be disappointed.

edited 30th Oct '14 10:49:38 PM by Ironypus

Why would Minato deadbeat dad Namikaze want to stick around that blonde haired freak?

Clearly, he wished Sasuke was his son instead. He could relate to Sasuke's evil brain chakra telling him to do the wrong things.

Looks like Naruto grew some actual taste in women along with a terrible haircut.

edited 30th Oct '14 10:50:34 PM by MadSkillz

Hinata has to lose an arm first and then mix their blog together on the ground as a result. That's a sign of true love.

x4 At least if his son gets made he can just vent out his frustrations on his fathers immortal body. Not like he will die.

edited 30th Oct '14 10:51:58 PM by OmegaRadiance

Naruto's hair has actually grown on me.