Naruto Anime/Manga (Manga Spoilers Not Tagged) [WSJ]

The Twilight Mexican

Ex-SeeD-ingly good
AKA
TresDias
Ah, okay. Thanks for the clarification. :monster:

Every now and then I find it hard to follow what Kishimoto is trying to convey. Sometimes takes me two or three times to get it.
 

Drax

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Benoist; Captain Highwind
I have no idea who the mystery man could be, since everybody in the series has shown up at some point in this war. Unless it's the old Sage of the Six Paths :monster:

Weird that Madara just dumps a weapon into the enemy's lap. At least destroy it before dumping.
 

X-SOLDIER

Harbinger O Great Justice
AKA
X
I'm really, really, REALLY loving seeing the others stepping it up. Seeing Kakashi's generation coming into the spotlight is so marvelous. Kakashi & Obito using his Sharingan together was amazing. Also, the preview text for next week suggests that Gai's gonna open the Death Gate has me really nervous about how all of this is gonna play out, not to mention that Sasuke's still dead right now, even though it looks like Naruto's got the opposite half of Kurama back.



X :neo:
 

X-SOLDIER

Harbinger O Great Justice
AKA
X
Kabuke or Sasuto? Hahaha.

This page was maybe one of the best ever, because you see the two people who brought everything down saving the two heroes who stood most adamantly against them, and the master manipulator behind everything at the end: http://www.mangapanda.com/naruto/667/9

I'm a little scared that Madara knows about the Death Gate's effects, but this upcoming chapter or so looks like it might be one of the most defining moments of Kakashi's age group, because they're laying it all out on the line (also, I'm curious what Tenten is checking, but I bet it's related to the Ninja Tools).


X :neo:
 

X-SOLDIER

Harbinger O Great Justice
AKA
X
I am a bit confused about the reference to him not being able to use Ninjutsu, as he's CLEARLY used a summoning Justu on multiple occasions. Seeing the 7 Swordsmen was awesome, and final gate Gai looks amazing & I'm excited to see what Evening Elephant looks like. Flashback context means that this really is the end for him, and I loved that he got to "surpass his rival" Kakashi.



X :neo:
 

Alex Strife

Ex-SOLDIER
I feel quite the same! I mean, he CAN use ninjutsu to a certain extent. Maybe he was just awful at it, initially, and not "0%" like Lee is? I mean, such an easy thing to spot, so I do not think Kishimoto-sensei would make a mistake like that...

However, I feel it's not the same that we've been told Gai couldn't use ninjutsu. Or, at least, that it was hinted at. I seem to remember that because I seem to remember having had the same thoughts "it can't be! He did use some ninjutsu!" in the past...

Hmm.
 

Obsidian Fire

Ahk Morn!
AKA
The Engineer
*mind is blown*

Well.... the next couple chapters should be interesting....

It'll be interesting to see what SSP wanted chakra to be used for as opposed to what it is used for.

And SSP is giving off the same "I know how the world is supposed to work" vibes that Vivec from The Elder Scrolls gives off, which is pretty funny considering some of the recent lore developments from that series...

*eyes the Naruto/The Elder Scrolls crossover plot-bunnies that are breeding and hopes they don't become rabid*
 

X-SOLDIER

Harbinger O Great Justice
AKA
X
So, there're a few VERY interesting things in this chapter, and not just the Asura/Indra mythology connections. Also, it's worth reading Mangastream's translation this week: http://readms.com/r/naruto/670/2307/1

While the connections between Naruto & Sasuke and Ashura & Indra are pretty clearly laid out, what's more interesting to me is the fact that Hagoromo mentions that he had a brother who assisted in sealing the Jubi. The fact that Hagoromo has a brother who isn't a part of the war as it stands is exceptionally interesting, and makes me wonder where that comes into play.



X :neo:
 

Obsidian Fire

Ahk Morn!
AKA
The Engineer
^^Oh yeah... whoever SSP brother was is going to be really interesting. Particularly as no one knows who he is/was. Actually, by the time of the Naruto manga, everyone thinks the SSP himself is a myth, never mind his brother or his mom. So his identitly is completely up in the air.

It's also interesting that SSP says that both he and his brother sealed the Juubi within both of them. Makes me wonder if the Bijuu themselves are just half of the Juubi and there's been another jinchuuriki wondering around all this time.

Also, from the sound of it, both Ninjustu and Ninshuu are attributed to SSP and split with his kids. Kinda want to know if his brother helped him come up with them or if he just went off and did his own thing...
 

X-SOLDIER

Harbinger O Great Justice
AKA
X
Ok, so I'm gonna begin with some rampant speculation, and then move on from there:

tumblr_n3e6egvBYv1qfo4qoo1_500.jpg


We FINALLY get something that addresses the quote from Kakashi about the Sharingan evolving from the Byakugan, and it's just as amazing, if not more than I could have ever hoped. Which lead to someone making this (click for big version):




So let me elaborate on why this seems totally plausible.

Hagoromo has three eyes, which include the forehead-centered, red Sharingan-like Rinnegan that the Jubi possesses, but without the Tomoe. Hagoromo's natural Rinnegan split into the Ashura & Indra variants, i.e. the Senju's chakra & Uchiha's eyes. That means that Kaguya's other doujutsu must've passed to her other son - i.e. the Byakugan.

Hagoromo created Ninshuu (which became Ninjutsu), so it's logical to conclude that his brother would have focused on a way to control or stop that power. The Byakugan allows you to see the flow of Chakra & their combat technique involves the ability to cut off the flow from a living being by attacking the network that carries it. Not only that, but their clan is EXTREMELY focused on maintaining their lineage and the secrets of their technique, moreso than any other clan in the series, and they're probably the most powerful clan in Konoha for reasons that've never been fully clarified.

(not to mention, this makes the possibility for Naruto & Hinata's relationship 1000x more interesting) :monster:


As for non-speculative content of the chapter itself, learning more about what Mugen Tsukuyomi does as far as entrapping everyone else in a real Matrix-like environment that uses them as energy finally makes more sense as to why it was Madara's endgame goal. Also, knowing that Sasuke and Hagoromo were having their own conversation at the same time, and seeing that pulled off as a reveal was totally brilliant. I can't help but wonder if him seeing it was related to the technique that Hashirama shared with him, which is why his team isn't freaking out about his chakra getting as low as it is, since he'd need to be near death to pull it off. The image of seeing all the Biju back with Hagoromo, but all grown up was utterly spectacular, but what I think was especially awesome is hearing Hagoromo acknowledge that the conflict was because he neglected Indra and payed more attention/care to Ashura.

Aaaaand last but not least: Night Moth.



X :neo:
 

The Twilight Mexican

Ex-SeeD-ingly good
AKA
TresDias
After anticipating another extended flashback to follow last week's entry, I was really pkeased by how quickly things seem to be moving toward the big finish.
 

X-SOLDIER

Harbinger O Great Justice
AKA
X
Man... the more I think about how much it seems like the series is moving towards a conclusion, the more I feel nervous about it, only because I've been reading it weekly for the last 11 years and it'll be super sad when its finally over. That being said, I'm also REALLY looking forward to how he brings it all together.

Additionally, the recent chapters made me wanna bring up how much the mythology that Kishimoto's gone with really mirror a lot of that used in Asura's Wrath which was a game made by CC2 (who made all the Naruto games), and heavily inspired by Kishimoto's work in a very different light.

• Asura is an As(h)ura - six arms (and depicted with three faces at one point like this chapter's cover) who's mantra colour is Red (Naruto's Chakra being orangish-red).
• Yasha was trained by Deus, who's ultimate power is Indra and he wields a Vajra, like the one of the cover of this chapter, and his Mantra Color is Blue. (Sasuke's Chakra being blueish-purple).
• They're both friends/rivals with differing ideologies who need to come together to defeat the big bad.
• All sorts of other awesomeness.

Here's a cinematic playthrough of the game for anyone who hasn't had the pleasure:




At any rate, I like to think that at least a small part of those design choices were as a hat tip to their studio.


Also, I dig the new Opening/Ending







X :neo:
 

Joker

We have come to terms
AKA
Godot
I'm going to do my best to not read anything above this post...

I picked Naruto back up after a few years of not reading or watching it, and decided that it would be best to go back to the last thing I clearly remembered seeing almost all of - the Chuunin Exams arc, somewhere around episode 80 or something like that (the fight between Naruto and Neji). I'm really glad I did, because the anime did get so much better as it continued. I finally managed to finish the bajillion filler episodes and just started Shippuuden; I'm a little ways into the Sasuke and Sai arc, and omfg I love Yamato he is so so so so so great...possibly because his eyes remind me of Chiyo-chan's dad from Azumanga and every time it cuts to him being scary I just laugh because it's hilarious.

Ahem.

Anyway, I'm also aware of even more filler coming in Shippuuden...mendokuse.
 

X-SOLDIER

Harbinger O Great Justice
AKA
X
If you're into Shippuden, I'd highly recommend jumping into the manga. I'll gladly help ya find where ta start.


X :neo:
 
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