Naruto, Vol. 48: The Cheering Village

Naruto [ナルト] #48

by Masashi Kishimoto

Narutův souboj s Painem mění topologii krajiny a vymazává zbytky Konohy. Když se konečně střetávají tváří v tvář, Naruto zjišťuje, že Painovy pohnutky i minulost jsou mnohem komplikovanější, než tušil. Následky tohoto zjištění i změny ve vedení vesnice jen prohlubují Narutovo odhodlání. Navíc je ve vzduchu stále otázka ohledně osudu Sasukeho.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Shonen, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics Manga

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2009

About the author

Masashi Kishimoto (岸本斉史 Kishimoto Masashi) is a Japanese manga artist, well known for creating the manga series Naruto. His younger twin brother, Seishi Kishimoto, is also a manga artist and creator of the manga series O-Parts Hunter (666 Satan) and Blazer Drive. Two of his former assistants, Osamu Kajisa (Tattoo Hearts) and Yuuichi Itakura (Hand's), have also gone on to moderate success following their work on Naruto.

Kishimoto's first work as a manga artist was Karakuri (カラクリ?), which he submitted to Shueisha in 1995. This earned him the Weekly Shōnen Jump's monthly "Hop Step Award" in 1996, granted to promising new manga artists. This was followed in 1997 by a pilot version of Naruto (NARUTO－ナルト－), published in Akamaru Jump Summer. In 1998, Kishimoto premiered as a Weekly Shōnen Jump artist with a serialized version of Karakuri in Weekly Shōnen Jump, but it proved unpopular and was canceled soon after. In 1999, a serialized version of Naruto began publication in Weekly Shōnen Jump and quickly became a hit.

Reviews

[Christian Savin · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, the Ame Orphans' backstory is the saddest in the entire series. No better way to explain how a morally grey entity like Pain came to be. The sole reason I'm giving this volume a 5 stars rating. And while Nagato's last moments were extraordinarily moving, I can't say I'm fully satisfied with how this arc ended.

Naruto was meant to be an underdog (and for the most part, he was), not this shinobi version of Jesus who can bend the plot however he wishes with his Talk no Jutsu, and is favored by destiny according to some mysterious prophecies. I've never been a fan of the 'chosen one' trope, and here it's a major retcon for the main themes of the series previously established in Part I. Having in mind Sasuke and how shamelessly he's being favored by the plot (well, him and the Uchihas), I personally don't think it worked as well as Kishimoto thought it would.

Back in the day, there was this popular opinion that the series should have ended with this arc. I don't fully agree with it, but for the reasons listed above, I can't say I fully disagree with it either now that I'm revisiting the series more than ever.

And there's a big question I've always had since the very moment Nagato used not one, but two resurrection jutsu: why the hell didn't he revive Yahiko? Surely, he was under Tobi's influence, then one of those jutsu would cost his life, and we needed a plot. But still, still, this is a plot hole that shouldn't have been overlooked so easily.

[Ola G · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10 stars

A fitting conclusion to one of the best arcs of the series. I really like the fact that there are only very few truly evil villains in the series - the rest, like Nagato, just lost their way somewhere and sometimes needs only a push, an eye-opening event, to understand their own mistakes (and if their mistakes are basically genocidal in scope... erm, I guess Kishimoto gets carried away sometimes ;)) Naruto is excellent in eye-opening conversations ;) While the scope and depth of arguments of both sides remains stubbornly oversimplified and at times downright trivial, for me it's the intention that counts. It's still shonen, after all ;).

I enjoyed the scenes of the village honoring Naruto. While I still think they shouldn't have shunned him in the first place, it's heartwarming to see him so acknowledged - and besides, it would've been totally unfair if he hadn't been acknowledged for what was essentially a negotiated wholesale resurrection.

As for the start of the new arc... Eh. We'll see. It revolves again around Special Snowflake Sasuke, so I'm adjusting expectations accordingly :P. Still, Danzo as a Hokage is a nasty twist. I do feel he won't have long, though.

[Alexana · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite volumes so far

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resolution and wind down. I couldn't be happier. So much had just happened, I wanted to get perspective and place the significance upon the rest of the ninja world. It was such a wonderful sight when the whole village came out to praise Naruto. The flashbacks of the exact opposite being so true for so long really pinned it in my heart, too.

Now Danzo, the evil prick, has taken over as 6th hokoge. Grrrr.

[Booksinvasion · Rating 5 out of 5]

In assoluto il mio combattimento preferito quello tra Naruto e Pain💔😍

[Leigh Ann Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

UGHHH NARUTO DESERVES HIS PARENTS. IT'S NOT FAIR.

Loved loved LOVED the scene with Minato and Naruto. Their relationship is adorable and they've only met once.

And Hinata confessing her love to Naruto; SO MUCH PRIDE, even though it's ignored the remainder of the story.

SAKURA AND NARUTO'S HUG THOUGH. Ugh. Brotp man. Brotp.

Seriously though why have they already elected a new hokage? It's pretty disrespectful to Tsuande and careless as a nation. The hokage title isn't something to take light of. So maybe they should wait, I don't know, AT LEAST A SOLID 24 HOURS BEFORE MAKING ANY RASH DECISIONS?

People complain that SAKURA cries too much and I just - ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Of course she cries all time, Sasuke freaking continues to betray Konoha. She's going through hell, everyone she cares about endangers themselves.

I don't know if I can emotionally handle this series. Hell, I cry more than Sakura does.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eye-opening epilogue that puts an end to the conflict revolving around Pain as his story is finally revealed and Naruto learns the nuances of pain and vengeance. It all ends by refocusing the new threat on Sasuke as the leaders of nations are called in for a secret meeting to determine the adequate course of actions regarding the rogue Konoha ninja.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars *may change
naruto should get a job as one of those ted talk guys considering he can make anyone un-evil from a single conversation

[Ashley Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

C - 9
A - 9
W - 9
P - 9
I - 9
L - 8
E - 10
63 pts / 7 = 9 Score on the CAWPILE system.
9-10 gives it 5 stars.

[clea · Rating 5 out of 5]

i honestly wont forgive konoha's people like fuck all of you for saying and throwing nasty shit to naruto when he was still a kid. fuck all of you for acknowledging him only bc he defeated pain. tf with "we know you can do it" "we believed in you" ??? mf you guys were the ones who dismissed him even when he was still a child. god i hate them so much. i really feel for naruto :(

[T.R. Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nagato is one of the most compelling characters in the series. His backstory with Jiraiya is heartbreaking in like ten thousand different ways. It all ties together nicely to bring about a great ending to this arc. Normally I would complain very heavily about people being brought back to life (And it does annoy me a little) but I think I give this specific case a pass because Nagato uses a technique that was supposed to be used on Madara to speed up Tobi`s (Won't say who he really is) war effort. I think Tobi now needing to find a new plan of attack simply because Naruto was able to change Nagato's heart is really good stuff. This is a rare occurrence for me, though. But it is done in a special way here that I don't have a problem with. It was a one-time ability that was used to reverse the damage done by the invasion.

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 5 out of 5]

The emotional finale to the Pain arc and damn I really love the growth that these characters have undergone through the series. It’s been rocky and complicated but they truly feel like real characters. Top tier manga!

[Dulce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy bonito el desenlace con Nagato y Konan pero no nos dan ni un respiro porque ya tienen más problemas respirandoles en la nuca, Sasuke y Danzo los elefantes en la habitación

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to need a minute to breathe and process, that was insane. Best arc so far

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its an epic volume, we finally have the confrontation of Nagato and Naruto and we learn of his backstory and what events transpired to make him like this, first the loss of his parents and then when they were suffering after the war, he met Yahiko and Konan and they formed a team and learned under Jiraiya and his teachings and when they carried out his missions of peace, Yahiko was killed by Hanzou under some pretense, that awakened some demon/evil inside Nagatoand thats how he became the way he is, and the six Pains: how he was able to control them and why he founded Akatsuki is explained, but Naruto convinces him somehow to believe in the dream of Jiraiya about peace and how he was the one that inspired the book and after having realized it, Nagato restores the souls of the dead and kinda sacrifices himself. Its an emotional moment but Naruto is celebrated as a hero but Danzou has been made the new Hokage and Omoi, Karui come to Naruto to help rescue the 8 tail Jinchuuriki aka their Yugito-sensei. Meanwhile Sasuke vs The Fives Kages soon. This volume was epic and touching and hit the right buttons and explained why Naruto is the best, and also giving an ending to one of the best arcs of the book!!

[Mercedes McLean-Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the philosophy and hopefulness of this volume. And the resolution was pretty satisfying. I love the connections they’re making across the whole series by continuing to examine the idea of vengeance (or, perhaps more specifically, justice being just a form of vengeance) and calling into question the ethics of being a ninja.

[Somya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful volume. I'm just glad by how the events enfolded. If like to comment on something that I've observed.. Throughout the series Naruto is treated as childish, but the level of maturity Naruto has surpasses even the Elders of the city.

[Hafeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 48: Chapter 443-453
Arc 12: Pain Assault

- Deva Path is defeated. Naruto take out the black rods around his body to make sure he will not move again.
- Naruto heads to real Pain's location. He come across with Inoichi and Shukaku. Naruto wants to go there alone and insists nobody to follow him.
- Naruto arrived. There, Nagato (the ones who controlled Pain) and Konan already waiting.
- Nagato tells his story from his childhood and why he wants to spread pain across the world.
- Nagato's source of pain come after his parent death when he was a child and when Yahiko is dead after being betrayed by Hanzo the Salamander who joined forces with black ops from Konoha led by Danzo.
- But, Jiraiya's book, Tale of the Gutsy Ninja and Naruto's Will of Fire had changed Nagato.
- Nagato used Rinne Tensei no Jutsu to bring the dead back to life. All people who died during Pain assault were back to life.
- Nagato used all his chakra and died peacefully knowing that Jiraiya's and his ideal will be entrusted to Naruto.
- Naruto now is a hero of Konoha.
- Zetsu tells the news about Pain to Tobi. Tobi orders Kisame to hunt Hachibi.
- Shikaku is asked to attend Daimyo meeting along with Danzo. Danzo offers himself to be the next hokage while Shikaku named Kakashi as the next hokage.
- Finally, Danzo was appointed as the Sixth Hokage by the Daimyo.
- Samui, Karui and Omoi arrived at Konoha to give the invitation letter to Five Kage Summit.
- Karui and Omoi fight with Naruto, Sakura and Sai to gather more information about Sasuke.
- The Hokage have give permission to kill the missing nin, Sasuke.
- Sasuke and Taka come across with Tobi and Zetsu. After learning about Konoha and the newly appointed hokage, Sasuke changed his plan to kill Danzo.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really just a filler volume. You get some more insight into Nagato even though we kind of already know most of it. Naruto finally after all these years gets the recognition he so desired from Konoha village. Also in this volume we start setting up the new arc which is the Five Kage Summit!!

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was interesting. And confusing. A lot happens in this one. And it was not easy for me to follow. And since after 48 volumes I still mostly don't care about any of the characters, live or dead, it is hard to care. But I think this might have been one of the better books. 3.5 of 5

[Rockleese · Rating 5 out of 5]

And that concludes the Pain Arc, my favorite in the entire serie 🙌

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. A lot of change in the volume. And Naruto finally gets a welcome home he deserves.

[Insomnolent Reader °ㅠ_ㅠ° · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never cried so much reading a manga. 😭

[bia · Rating 5 out of 5]

FODA

[Ambia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masashi Kishimoto originally planned to make the Akatsuki a group of monsters like Zetsu, but changed his mind to something a lot more human. And from that we get some of the best shonen antagonists of all time. My personal favourite ends his story in this volume. Pain/Nagato. Leaving our hero with a lesson and an even bigger legacy to uphold.

This is where the fight with Pain ends and the new "fight" starts with Nagato. More so than any other fight in Naruto, where he ends up lecturing his opponent, this one ends with a real conversation. Naruto wants to hear them out, needs to. He has to understand their pain so he can understand himself and align his goals to this new world view that has been opened up before him.

It's also all about growth. Pain is growth, as Nagato was taught by Jiraiya, Naruto's own teacher. Is that why he pierces his hand, right where he made his first vow? Could have stabbed his leg again but I think circling back to the vow to never back down was important. He's got some trepidation about talking to Nagato, Nagato who has already broken into young Naruto's mind and shattered his beliefs.

He looks completely forlorn at the end of the fight with pain, when in any other situation he would have been overjoyed to win because it's not a victory yet. Someone out there is so hurt, they're gonna keep hurting those around Naruto. He's lost a bit of faith in himself and his naive dreams during this confrontation, but no one has lost faith in him. Shikamaru, stoic, lazy, bored Shikamaru believes in him. That's a real victory right there. Shikamaru can't help but want to follow Naruto. It's that same fate that brings Naruto to Nagato I guess. Someone else's body "moved on their own" if I remember correctly.

Then it begins. The long conversation. It starts with a very odd insult. "So the peace maker comes tottering in." Was this an insult or just a statement? Maybe it's an odd translation? I actually kind of like it. Nagato patronises another young man with a dream. Dispising himself as the naive child. Everyone berates Naruto for naivete. Is wanting peace really so childish? Maybe without a plan.

Naruto has heard about the cycle of hatred and he wants to end it, but he's also one of these humans Pain speaks of and he finds he can't forgive. Here we see the crosses in his eyes from Kyuubi and Sage power which becomes his emblem later on. He looks beautiful I have to say, although it reminds me of a goat (30).

When Nagato tells his story, it's in a starker black and white colour pallette that almost makes it look like a horror film. It's very effective. Makes the whole thing seem confusing as it probably was for the characters involved. It was also Nagato's first horror and pain. His Rinnegan is triggered in this event, understandably. This makes me question what we later learn in the series. how can a child have an adult's eyeballs inside them? Eyeballs grow until you're around 20 years old. It would have been better for the story if the Rinnegan was truly mystical and popped up to usher in fortune or chaos in Madara and Nagato. The latter especially choosing chaos. Fate based in choice is a major part of the story now, so this could have been included.

We learn about the Ame trio fending for themselves because there was no system for orphans in Amegakure and to be fair, there wasn't really one in Konoha either. Yahiko is the loud mouthed de facto leader of the trio. Another spiky haired brat. The story is full of Naruto's. Naruto's who fail or fall and throw people into despair. The final one must not.

They train with Jiraiya and gain the power to be gods. And then comes that guy. Dear god its always him isn't it? Danzo. [Hanzo. Rhymes.] You just know someone's getting betrayed when he's around. And it's Yahiko who gets the knife in the back, actually front, this time. This causes Nagato to lose it and take up his mantle with a different approach. But he gives Yahiko his dream. He lets him rule as a god. Just like he wanted. It's really quite sad.

Pain and making your own decisions is what growing up means. This fight gives Naruto the chance to grow up. He's been faced with the practicalities of what his goals mean and the legacy passed down to him from his beloved teacher and now his fellow student. A legacy held within his very own name. Which came from his teacher's first and greatest novel. The novel that changed the world. With its main character named after a boy who could change the world. Who influenced the boy who would change the world. I would have liked it if this volume was titled simply: Naruto and Nagato.

The conversation ends with Naruto's answer. It's not a fully developed one, more of a promise to find the right path to peace and a hope that his fellow will believe in him. A quest passed on. I'm going to interpret this as Nagato realising he's been beaten and the prophecy he knew about actually pertaining to a different child. Because it's actually a bit wishy-washy that a book report changed him. Did Nagato really never ponder upon his own past and his teacher's teachings? He must have looked at his past all the time when heading towards his goals. He would have remembered these conversations and the book surely? Or maybe it didn't. Maybe he made his choice and fate changed. The red string of fate had to tie to another Uzumaki kid. Or maybe this was how it always would be. Jiraiya had the prophecy revealed to him. His choices guided it. He guided these two boys together. Through their hardship and understanding the hero figures out how he will save the world. Having criticised this a little, I have to say that truly, I love a golden-hearted hero. One who can't cause pain because they know it well. Talk-no-jutsu is the whole point of this story and this wonderful hero. In the end, I love it.

Even the Toad sage was surprised that his own prophecy, or is he just the vehicle of its telling, pertained to two "leader of reformation." Could it have been anyone if Jiraiya picked differently? Best not to get bogged down in prophecy. A futile conundrum.

We can't forget Kakshi, the man who dies but never dies a thousand times, seeing his father. Forgiving his father. Telling him he loves him. He's proud. Another father-son reunion in this brilliant arc. This story just has so much heart. No wonder I was so taken by it.

"Wasteful death..eternal hatred...and pain that does not heal..that's...what war is'' (128). Some of Nagato's last words after sacrificing his life in reparation to bring all Konoha's recent dead back. He leaves this world light I think. The burden of peace laid on his name sake. It's so damn sad. What a fantastic antagonist. I can't really say villain. Naruto does them so well. So human. Pain/Nagato wasn't a god after all. Even Nagato was smiling in the end.

But light shining on Naruto as Nagato says "or perhaps...this was the doing of an actual god" was quite the statement from the artist-author.

The flowers Konan leaves are laid down at Jiraiya's memorial with the book! Tears and tears.

After all that. Sweet victory. Naruto gets his hard-won recognition. The village crowds him and crowns him. Their hero. Acknowledging this particular hardship. Konohamaru's there, like he's been since he knew him. Iruka's there, like he's been since he was the first to accept him. Kakashi's there, Sakura's there, like they've been since he became their teammate. The confusion, bitterness, comes later. For now it's time to celebrate, bask in glory and rebuild the village. Which Yamato does using chakra for its true purpose, to bind and help. He's building houses, not just sheds or shacks. There's a reason there's a "jutsu'' for this. Of course, all this comes later in the story and I'm a re-reader with an all-knowing perspective. Even Tazuna and Inari come to help to repay the debt they owe team 7. Wow, Naruto's good deeds are already paying out for the, until recently, ungrateful village.

Trouble looms immediately as Danzo bullies his way inti becoming Hokage and immediately sanctions the death penalty for Sasuke. I hate this man, but this move was pretty logical. I would have done it too. Apparently Konoha decision making is done by Hokage, lord council including Daimyo sometimes and then a Jounin assembly. Interesting. Konoha politics reveal themselves.

Finally, Omoi and Karui appear. They're rightfully angry about Naruro's so-called best friend kidnapping their teacher. Something Naruro just experienced. Now he's having to deal with the fact that his beloved best friend, who doesn't deserve him, has joined the terrorist organisation that is hunting him and has actively partaked in the harming of people like him, jinchuriki. But he still doesn't let him go. I love Naruro wholeheartedly and this loyalty and their deeper connection is a major part of his character, but I can also say Sasuke drags him down. He's the flaw in Naruto's character. Or is he everything Naruto stands and fights for? The debate is endless.

Omoi and Karui have really good facial expressions. Both have strong personalities and a wide range of emotion in a very short space of time. I like them. Especially when Karui tells team 7 off.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the entire series.

Once upon a time, the spirit of an evil Nine Tailed Fox wreaked havoc on Konohagakure; the Village Hidden in the Leaves, killing hundreds of honorable ninja in the skirmish and leaving many children without homes or parents. The Fourth Hokage (leader of the village) unleashes a forbidden jutsu (magic spell/ninja ability) to seal the spirit of the evil fox into the body of a newborn baby named Naruto at the cost of his own life. He did this in the hopes that the boy could one day learn to master the power of the demonic spirit and use it to protect the village and become a great hero of the people.

Unknown to the citizens of the Leaf, the Nine Tailed Fox was being controlled by an even more powerful adversary, a legendary rogue ninja that plans to wage war against the entire world from the shadows. The identity of the mysterious ninja that attacked the Leaf Village using the Nine Tails died with the Fourth Hokage, and he used what remained of his life to gift Naruto with the power of one day being able to stop this evil ninja and a clan of outlawed S-rank criminals called the Akatsuki from committing mass genocide against the many hidden villages and clans of the world.

Because of the evil spirit sealed inside him, Naruto grew up hated by the other children of the village because they believe him and the Nine Tails to be one and the same. They believe he’s a ticking time bomb waiting to go off, waiting for the perfect moment to kill them all just like the Nine Tails killed their parents and families. Shunned, dehumanized and treated like dirt, Naruto vows to become the greatest hokage the world has ever seen so that he can receive the love and acknowledgement he never got as a child.

On top of the Nine Tails power and the will to never quit, Naruto also possesses the uncanny ability to turn everyone he meets into a potential comrade. He brings out the best in his peers and tries his hardest to make his enemies see the errors of their ways. He disobeys the rules and ignores cultural traditions to try and make changes to the world and break the eternal cycle of war and hatred through his own methods. His determination is infectious to friend and foe alike. He earns himself the respect he deserves by overcoming one impossible obstacle at a time.

Naruto encounters many fascinating and terrifying ninja over the course of his journey to become hokage. Among them are Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto’s best friend and rival who is driven by the vengeful lust to murder his elder brother after he wiped out their own clan in cold blood. Sasuke warms up to Naruto, but his hatred and trauma are dangerous forces that threaten to break his moral code as a ninja and destroy his reputation among his peers.

Kakashi Hatake is a notorious copycat ninja that survived one of the most brutal and devastating wars in history as well as the Nine Tails attack on the Leaf Village. He becomes Naruto and Sasuke’s mentor and teaches them a great number of valuable lessons about surviving in the dangerous world of rogue ninja, bloodthirsty assassins and clans ruled by corruption.

Jiraiya is a perverted yet wise sage who taught the Fourth Hokage everything he knew and he’s regarded as a god among shinobi that’s famous for his heroic actions in the second great ninja war. He takes an interest in Naruto and raises him as a father figure to carry on the legacy of the Fourth Hokage to prepare him for the many dangerous people that want to use his power for their own nefarious purposes.

The Akatsuki is one such group of wicked ninja. Among them are Sasuke’s brother Itachi who murdered his clan and possesses many dangerous techniques involving illusions, psychological torture and elemental manipulation. Sasori who controls poisonous puppets with magical threads, Orochimaru who mastered the forbidden arts of reanimation and quasi-immortality, Deidara who fights from afar using detonating clay and many other deadly foes.

The entire series chronicles Naruto and his fellow ninja comrades growing through countless trials and tragedies. There are hundreds of unique jutsus, clans, and techniques which lead to some very intense, creative and strategic battles between skilled ninja with diverse abilities that don’t always match up evenly. There are clan based abilities such as the Aburame clan’s ability to control insects, the Yamanaka clan’s ability to jump into other people’s minds and control their bodies and the Inuzuka clan’s ability to bond with wolves that learn to mimic their master’s battle skills. Then there’s ocular genetic abilities such as the sharingan which allows the user to create psychological illusions, copy their enemy’s abilities and manipulate elemental energy. The byakugan allows the user to read their enemies vital points and detect their spiritual energy from faraway. The rinnegan grants control over space and gravity and so on.

On top of having countless unique abilities, nearly every character has a tragic backstory that makes them sympathetic and relatable, even the nastiest of the villains have well-explored reasons for following the paths they do and becoming the way they are. One of my favorite aspects of the series is how well it explores the physical, emotional and psychological effects war can have on society and culture as well as the survivors and future generations that are forced to live in them. How it breeds racism and cultural disputes, how it inspires hatred in orphaned children and war veterans robbed of their homes toward foreign nations, as well as how this eventually leads to further death, war, poverty and destruction. Learning to forgive the ones you hate to prevent further conflict and damaging the world for future generations even further is a major theme throughout the story.

Being a massive 700 chapter series, it’s not too surprising that there’s some plot holes and consistency issues. A rule might be stated regarding the requirements and usage of a certain jutsu or ability only for that rule to be repeatedly broken 400 chapters later. Sometimes the characters and rules contradict themselves, sometimes the chronology of certain events and historical facts don’t match up perfectly, the lore and general backstory go through several retcons that change the philosophy and power scaling of the characters and the scope of world-building; the final arc especially drags on and breaks a lot of the logic and rules that the story spent the whole series setting up, etc...

Naruto’s far from perfect, but I remember it very fondly for being one of the first series that introduced me to things like manga and Japanese entertainment in general. It was one of those childhood classics like Dragon Ball, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho and Rurouni Kenshin. The series grew up with me and I can’t help but feel grateful to it for introducing me to hundreds of other franchises that I’m still a huge fan of to this day and I continue to find many new ones on the regular. Naruto's journey from a clownish, disrespected outcast into a talented, well-loved and admired hero is a memorable one.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naruto is kind of like the Harry Potter of the manga universe. The characters grow up with you and you see how close they are and that even when they fight, they always remain loyal. Even Sasuke.

And Naruto truly deserves all the praise he gets. He should have been given this from the beginning, but this just really makes you happy for him when he gets acknowledged.

[Diana Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful ending to the Pain arc. I love it so much and revisiting this arc with the manga was just as amazing. Now though, we are switching gears to the 5 Kage summit arc and all I gotta say is I'm excited for some Sasuke screen time in his next epic fight, and FUCK DANZO. Lol on to the next.

[n · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s so much to say I can’t possibly fit everything in right now.

So emotional…

I wonder why Nagato went crazy? Hmmm.
Nagato is one of the most relatable and sad characters in the whole series.
The Pain Arc is one of my favorites because the back stories are so moving.

*Kills your parents in front of you, while trying to run out of your own house because it’s been made a war zone, soldiers snuck in to take your food and shelter*
“You aren’t shinobi? My bad kid!”

Yahiko, Konan, Nagato, had the same ninjutsu sensei as Naruto, Jiraiya.

Jiraiya’s simply “not giving up” attitude has apparently shaped the Shinobi future.

Honestly, fuck Yahiko for taking Nagato’s hand armed with a kunai and jabbed it into himself. Dude you literally traumatized your friend for LIFE. I mean what the fuck? If Yahiko was my friend I would be PISSED.

When he had all the chakra rods come out it was gross and cringey but also super cool…
So that’s how the Gedo statue came about huh? I didn’t remember that.

After witnessing his parent’s death, Nagato goes off alone. He searches for food and for shelter. He collapses on the ground because he hasn’t had food in a very long time. A stray dog pops up and licked his face, awakening him. The dog follows him around, not just for food but for companionship. It’s obvious. After Nagato is found by Konan, she brings him back to her hideout with Yahiko. Nagato shares the loaf of bread with the dog. Nagato names the dog Chibi.
After some time, the 3 and Chibi were walking around and were hit with an explosion by accident. They had unknowingly walked into a battle. They were all thrown by the explosion. Chibi was dead. Chibi died and I lost it. Balled my eyes out it’s just breaking.


Ok though, to end,
Danzo can get fucked I hate him so much. He makes my blood boil and steam comes out of my ears.
And I HATE the elders too. I can’t even write more about Danzo it makes me SO angry. I could write 1000 essays on why he’s an abomination .
Guess he’s the new Hokage now! Wonderful!(said NO ONE)

BUT as much as I hate Danzo, he’s right in declaring Sasuke a rogue shinobi. I mean, come on, we all know Naruto world is not realistic. At all. It’s definitely a teenager manga because it always has some sort of peaceful ending or laws getting pushed, favoritisms within leading, ect.
Sasuke should be taken care of, asap. He should be dead.
But, Kishimoto decided early on that he didn’t want Sasuke’s character to die. I feel like THATS ENOUGH SAID.

Tsunade is wrong to handle the Sasuke problem privately. That’s way more than being biased. She just loves Naruto and has blind faith in him. Even if he always comes through, she’s still BLIND. And we know why, every male she’s held dear has died. Naruto reminds her of ALL of them combined so I feel that, she almost, lives for Naruto, and the future she believes he will bring. That’s unprofessional and frankly inappropriate. But I HATE Danzo. Even if Sasuke doesn’t get “taken care of” it still HAS to be written, otherwise this series is shit.

When Neji screamed “why would he be so reckless?!” I fucking died. Is that even a question…? It’s Naruto.

I like that Hinata starts to finally verbalize her feelings. Though it can’t be fully translated in English because our “I love you” is different from theirs. She is essentially saying I really really like you a lot. So, Naruto, being as thick as he is, will not pick up on the sentimentality of her words.

[Nekkina93/72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Mentre Naruto è ancora alle prese con l’allenamento speciale per apprendere l’arte eremita, Sasuke è ancora alle prese con il suo piano.
Ormai Sasuke è sprofondato sempre di più nel girone del dolore e della vendetta.
Da quando ha scoperto la verità su Itachi e sui capi del villaggio della Foglia, il dolore, la rabbia e la vendetta hanno preso il sopravvento in lui.
Non riesce a trovare pace nel suo cuore.
Non riesce a vedere una luce immerso com’è nell’oscurità.
Al momento il suo obbiettivo sembra il villaggio di Konoha, per vendicare Itachi e il Clan Uchiha.
Ma sarà davvero così o sono le sue emozioni a parlare?
Quello che è certo è che ha acquisito una nuova abilità, ma questo nuovo potere ha delle conseguenze molto gravi.
.
Nel mentre, ormai Pain è arrivato al villaggio della foglia e inizia a scatenare tutto il suo terribile potere di distruzione.
Ad ogni passaggio una scia di morte e distruzione lo segue.
La sua domanda è sempre la stessa.
Il suo obbiettivo è sempre uno.
Vuole catturare Naruto per avere il Kyuubi e farà di tutto per ottenerlo.
Riuscirà a capire dove si trova Naruto?
Riuscirà Naruto a venire a sapere dell’attacco?
Riuscirà Naruto a padroneggiare la nuova tecnica?
Riusciranno i Ninja di Konoha a tenere a bada Pain?
Chi sopravvivrà e chi morirà?
La guerra è davvero così imminente?
Non vi resta che sfogliare queste tavole cariche di azione, tensione, paura e dolore.
Ma piene anche di speranza, audacia, intraprendenza, famiglia, amicizia, lealtà e una forza incredibile.
La volontà del fuoco si farà sentire attraverso ogni singolo abitante di Konoha.
La battaglia per la sopravvivenza ha inizio.
.
Lo stile come sempre è scorrevole e coinvolgente.
Naruto resta uno dei miei manga e anime preferiti di sempre.
Ha letteralmente tutto e ha molti insegnamenti tra le righe.
Le tavole come sempre sono bellissime, l’unica “pecca” che potrei far notare è che per alcuni personaggi dedica diverse tavole per mostrare le nuove tecniche o in generale tutti i passaggi della tecnica di turno mentre combatte.
Per altri magari dedica solo mezza tavola o una tavola intera e basta in quel momento.
Molto probabilmente questo è dovuto al fatto che anche i Mangaka hanno delle regole da rispettare e un tot numero di tavole a disposizione per ogni albo.
Però allo stesso tempo è un peccato.
Ma in questo caso è più colpa di chi da un limite di tavole e non del Mangaka.
Per il resto adoro tutto come sempre, anche se in questo caso ammetto che questa battaglia rende meglio nella versione animata, perché si vedono tutti i singoli passaggi e momenti.
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Voto: 5/5″.