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Feb. 5th, 2004 04:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
timepiececlock::watches special double-episode 66-67 of Naruto::
Oh.
Crap.
This isn't going well at all.
DAMN I LOVE THIS SHOW!
Oh.
Crap.
This isn't going well at all.
DAMN I LOVE THIS SHOW!
timepiececlocktimepiececlock
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Re:
Date: 2004-02-05 05:26 pm (UTC)I'm glad someone else likes it! We'll have to chat about the new eps as they come out. I'm almost caught up now... only have to watch ep 68 tonight. It's getting so exciting... I love this idea of a war between the nnija villages. This is getting much mroe expansive in its plot ideas than I expected when I first watched it... I thought it would be just about the 3 kids, and now it's all about the history and the adults and all of Naruto's classmates too!
I :heart: Kakashi, by the way. He's rapidly one of my favorite characters of the adults on the show. He's so... cool. amusing. He's understanding and sensitive, but ruthless as all get-out. And I wanna see what his face looks like! And I wanna know why he's got a sharingan if he's not related to Sasuke. Who is getting so much cooler... I didn't think much of his character in the beginning; he seemed a little borign to me. But now he's cool. His fight with Gaara is awesome, and I like the longer bangs he has. Is that in the manga?-- in episode 66-67 he has longer bangs than he had before.
I really like Gaara... wretched little monster that he is.
I like Kabuto too... too bad he's evil. He had that "sweet looking geek" thing going on. Now he's just dangerous and tricksy and not sweet at all. But in a sweet-looking way. I loved it when he went into the hospital after the chunnin preliminaries and was going to wihter kill/kidnap Sasuke... and then he had that juicy confrontation with Kakashi. That was so cool! ::goes all squeally like::
oh, recognize the lyrics on this icon?
Re:
Date: 2004-02-05 06:26 pm (UTC)Yeah, I love discussing and deconstructing shows, so it's been a little sad not to have anyone to talk about it with.
I :heart: Kakashi, by the way. He's rapidly one of my favorite characters of the adults on the show.
Same here. I was fairly indifferent to him at first, but I really warmed to him after the fifth episode (where he imparts the lesson that breaking the rules might be wrong, but not taking care of your friends a far worse crime).
And I wanna see what his face looks like!
There's a hilarious 3-page comic where Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke take Kakashi out to dinner just to they can see what Kakashi's face looks like. Unfortunately, they miss out on the view, but the waitress is left starry-eyed. *g* (Er. I hope you don't consider that a spoiler. It's a gag comic side story and unlikely to be included in the show.)
Who is getting so much cooler... I didn't think much of his character in the beginning; he seemed a little borign to me.
See, I think the problem with Sasuke is that he wouldn't let himself be a kid. All he ever cared about was getting revenge for the murder of his family. Despite his popularity, he didn't even seem to have any close friends before Naruto and Sakura. His friendship with them seems to have done him well.
I really like Gaara... wretched little monster that he is.
There's been so many wonderful new characters introduced with the chuunin exams. Gaara's creepy, but entertaining. I also like Shikumaru and Rock Lee a lot. Lee is--well, when you first see him, he's this enormous dork with freaky eyebrows and haircut. But he grows on you. And Gai-sensei is hilarious. :)
oh, recognize the lyrics on this icon?
*thinks* They *seem* familiar, but I can't place them. Something Naruto-related, I'm guessing?
Re:
Date: 2004-02-05 07:05 pm (UTC)I love deconstruction shows too... I already made a large post one time about how the childrend in Naruto resemble the children in the book Ender's Game.
I was fairly indifferent to him at first, but I really warmed to him after the fifth episode
I had no opinion at first either, except for thinking the mask was kinda silly, but I warmed to him after he took Naruto hostage and told Sakura to kill Sasuke, as a lesson, I think in ep 4 or 5. I remember blinking at my monitor and gaping. Then I kinda looked like Naruto when he says "He's so COOL!"
I keep getting fond of his habits of being late and reading porn, and his obvious fondness of the three of trio, but I'm equally fascinated by how he can turn cold and ruthless at the drop of a hat. The confrontation between him and Iruka when he nominated them for the Chuunin exams was wicked... "They're not your students, they're my soldiers" or whatever. It was neat because in some ways he does treat them the way that Zazuba treated Haku. I also noticed this because in the Chunnin preliminaries, he appolgizes to Gai for reprimanding him about teaching Rock Lee, a mere kid, the self-damaging technique, admitting that he would have done the same thing. Then he looks _right_at_Naruto. That scene almost gave me the creeps, because now we *know* that as much as Kakashi may like Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke... he would *totally* use them and manipulate them.
I like that Kakashi seems to have a very clear view, unclouded by naivete, of what it means to live that militaristic ninja lifestyle, and that this has definitely taken hold somewhat for team 7, as you can tell when Sakura has her epiphany during the 2nd half of the chuunin exam, and when Naruto tells Iruka not to understimate him. But Kakashi's cool because makes mistakes too, like overestimating his own strength in certain situations, like with Oro-what's-his-name and Sasuke.
Despite his popularity, he didn't even seem to have any close friends before Naruto and Sakura. His friendship with them seems to have done him well.
I like how that's been developing too. He might not think of them as "friends" but at least he recognizes them as valuable comerades now, and worthy of his consideration, at least. I loved the whole thing in the Forest of Death or whatever when tehy met Oro-what's-his-name, and Sasuke gave up the scroll and then was surprised by Naruto's reaction... and then that an Sakura's reprimand triggered Sasuke to grow and not think of himself for once. Plus, Naruto stopping that snake thing was tres awesome.
I also like Shikumaru and Rock Lee a lot. Lee is--well, when you first see him, he's this enormous dork with freaky eyebrows and haircut. But he grows on you. And Gai-sensei is hilarious. :)
I've grown to love Shikamaru too. And Ino, surprisingly. None of the characters are quite so one-dimensional as they seem at first... you'd think that Ino is going to be a ranty bitch who's story purpose is to contrast with Sakura... and it turns out that Ino is not that at all, and that Sakura started their rivalry. And Shikamaru seems boring, but he's actually so laid-back that you can't help but like him.
Rock Lee I was put-offf by at first... except that he's such a great comic character, that I learned to love him too. And you respect him just like Sakura and Naruto learn too. I love Gai-sensei, because the by-play between him and Lee is so funny, since they live in this exitable little deluded world together. Also is his "eternal rivalry" with Kakashi.
I noticed that it was with the exams that suddenly the story really moved beyond just Naruto, and into the whole village. It's been getting better and more interesting with that.
The icon lyrics are from the second opening theme, near the end. I loved that opening best (in terms of both music and animation), and I loved the first ending theme best.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 04:57 am (UTC)Yep, he seems to be a good man, but one who can be very unsentimental and coldly practical at times. He wouldn't *like* using his students as tools, but he'd do it in a heartbeat.
<i>I also noticed this because in the Chunnin preliminaries, he appolgizes to Gai for reprimanding him about teaching Rock Lee, a mere kid, the self-damaging technique, admitting that he would have done the same thing. Then he looks _right_at_Naruto. </i>
Scenes like that make me nervous because Naruto is a show where a LOT is foreshadowed early on. Makes me wonder if we'll see him do something similar to Naruto later on.
<i>I've grown to love Shikamaru too. And Ino, surprisingly. None of the characters are quite so one-dimensional as they seem at first...</i>
I should admit that I didn't like Sakura much at first either, but she turned out to have far more depth than I had given her credit for. So, nowadays I try to wait a little before judging a character -- almost everyone seems to become more likeable/three-dimensional with time.
<i>And Shikamaru seems boring, but he's actually so laid-back that you can't help but like him.</i>
Yeah, he seemed a little bit of a chauvinist at first (he only fought because he didn't want to be beaten by a girl *g*) but he's a really nice, laid-back guy. I hope we see more of him.
<i>I noticed that it was with the exams that suddenly the story really moved beyond just Naruto, and into the whole village. It's been getting better and more interesting with that.</i>
*nods* There are only so many storylines you can do with just the trio. And Naruto has grown a lot as a result of interacting with all the new characters. It's like there's a lesson imparted with every character -- for example, Haku and Zabuza strengthened his resolve not to become an emotionless tool just because convention said so. Neiji was all about how there's no such thing as fate, you make your own destiny. And so on.
<i>The icon lyrics are from the second opening theme, near the end. I loved that opening best
(in terms of both music and animation), and I loved the first ending theme best.</i>
Yep, Naruto has an incredible soundtrack. "Sorrow and sadness" is especially beautiful, but I love all the theme songs and instrumental scores.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-05 07:10 pm (UTC)So he's such a bishie that he must keep his face covered to protect and unsuspecting world? ::giggle::
What volume/chapter of the manga is this in? I'll look at scans of it.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 03:47 am (UTC)Well, they're extras, so I don't think they're included in any of the regular chapters. Not sure where you can find the files these days -- the original translators removed all the scans after Naruto was licensed.
At any rate, I've temporarily uploaded them to my site:
http://www.zero-consequences.net/Naruto01.jpg
http://www.zero-consequences.net/Naruto02.jpg
http://www.zero-consequences.net/Naruto03.jpg
It's a short one, but I really love it. *g*
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 03:51 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 04:24 am (UTC)I liked Naruto's baiting of Sasuke.
Have you ever watched Fushigi Yuugi? Kakashi sometimes makes me think of Chichiri from that series. A lot, actually.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 05:20 am (UTC)Nope, it's still on my (very large) "to watch" list.
It did however occur to me that Sasuke and Naruto are much like teenaged Spike and Angel. (No, really. Hear me out.)
Angel/Sasuke = Dark-haired guy who broods a lot about his tortured past. Kind of anti-social despite many people surrounding him.
Spike/Naruto = Blond, loud, mouthy. Something of a loner/outcast, and envies Sasuke the attention he gets from others. Always trying to compete with Sasuke and prove he's his equal. In love with a girl (Buffy/Sakura) who only has eyes for Sasuke.
Really, I'm just waiting for Sakura to turn down both boys and say she's cookie dough. :)
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 11:38 am (UTC)Really, I'm just waiting for Sakura to turn down both boys and say she's cookie dough.
::giggle:: That'll be an interesting day. Yep, I can see the resemblance. I love how Sakura's changed already in just 68 episodes... at first I used to get annoyed at her and want to shout "Why the hell are you standing in the back all the time and how can you criticize the boys when you just stand and do nothing?!" And then, lo and behold, that very same issue becomes a plot point! And I am satisfied again.
I'm actuallly leaning toward Sakura/Naruto myself, because Inner Sakura is so much like him, that I think if she ever got her mental faculties sorted out and started letting part of her true self outward, then she'd find she has a lot more in common with Naruto than she realizes.
I noticed that during the Chuunin exams, both Hinata and Sakura were compared to Naruto for the same reason-- the former comparison made by Sakura, the latter by Kakashi.
I actually have yet to form a solid opinion about Hinata... she seems to be a very predictable character, so I'm kinda waiting for her to have some kind of other aspect revealed than her shyness, something that makes her more interesting.
Fushigi Yuugi/ Mysterious Play is good. I watched the first half in English and the second half in subbed; both were fine. The show has it's share of issues, and I wouldn't put it up in the same quality as other shows like Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne, Eva, or Trigun, Naruto, etc. But it is very entertaining and INSANELY addictive. I went through that whole show, and even at the points where I didn't like it, I _had_ to know what was going to happen next. It's criminal hw addictive it is. The two seasons of the show are one continuous storyline, but the seconds season is more serious... sorta like "Ok, we've done the easy part and let you cling to your naivte for as long as we could allow you that kindness, but now it's tim for the painful part."
because Naruto is a show where a LOT is foreshadowed early on.
I've learned to watch for that too. I like it, because it gives the show a sense of continuity from episode to episode.
It's like there's a lesson imparted with every character -- for example, Haku and Zabuza strengthened his resolve not to become an emotionless tool just because convention said so. Neiji was all about how there's no such thing as fate, you make your own destiny. And so on.
Yep yep! And I would say that Hinata is about how Naruto can influence people too, something he'd never thought himself able to do before, or important enough for. Rock Lee is about recognizing that not everything comes to others as easy as it might come to you, and that you should never take the efforts of others for granted. The closet-perfert teacher whose name I forgot that was Naruto's sensei for one episode in the chuunins before Naruto met the old white-haired pervy hermit man... Aisubo or something like that... he was about understanding that you can't make assumptions about people because you had one encounter with them, and about again reinforcing some of the themes of Iruka-sensei from the first episode that rank is earned for a reason, and is not decoration, and that Naruto needs to respect that.
Some other entertaining Naruto fic I've found:
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1538723
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1719075
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1717205
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1377451
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1494334
check it out....
Date: 2004-02-06 04:29 am (UTC)Re: check it out....
Date: 2004-02-06 05:00 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-05 06:30 pm (UTC)(In case you're wondering who this weird person is appearing in your comments section. *g*)