timepiececlock (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timepiececlock) wrote2004-04-26 11:38 pm
timepiececlock) wrote2004-04-26 11:38 pm
Naruto, episode 80
This is probably going to go down as one of my favorite Naruto episodes, though there is zero action in it. And the episode is better for the lack, I think.
The animation was particulary good for this episode-- the dark color palette matched the mood perfectly, and all the characters looked especially attractive. Iruka, who always fell somewhere in the middle category on bishounen status, not good or bad, was hot in this episode. And Naruto, too, looked cute, and given the extended close-ups we got, I think we're suppose to see that he's going to be a hottie when he gets older. He reminded me yet again of the 4th Hokage's picture, which I still have multiple theories about. I think part of Naruto's unusual appearance in this episode was the fact that his ninja plate was around his neck, resting on his collarbone, instead of in his hair. It made him look much older.
Once again I am blown away by what I'm watching. But a totally different kind of blown away than the previous episode-- which was ALSO one of my favorites. I'm just acquiring more and more favorites the further we go into the show, aren't I? Let's take this in order of occurrence.
Kakashi was so eyefucking Kabuto. Or maybe it was the other way around. That mutual glare of murderous intent.... "Are you going to run away from me again?" "For now, yes." ::cackles madly:: Oh yes. They SOOOOOO want to do dark, dominate-y things to each other. ---And kill each other too, of course. I liked the quick shot of Kakashi squeezing his fist. For such an undemonstrative guy, that's a pretty telling danger sign.
Naruto crawling to Gaara... sad. I was feeling for both of them right then, specially cheering on Naruto. He's given everything, and yet he feels so much empathy for Gaara even as he promises without hesitation to stop him. And Gaara with his confusion, and the first time he's ever been forced to listen to anyone, to take anyone seriously. I was glad when Gaara apologized to his siblings... you could tell seemed to look at them for the first time, and make an effort to appreciate them, or at least recognize their pain-- anyone's pain besides his own. I got all squealy when Sasuke dropped down beside Naruto and told him that he could stop now, that everything was okay. For once Sasuke wasn't being a total prick, even, in fact, being considerate of Naruto's feelings. Like a friend-- or at least, like a real comerade. Although, he was drawn to look weirdly sinister in that scene. His eyes were very narrow.
The image of the Jounin and the ANBU standing in a circle around the 3rd Hokage made me incredibly sad. But it also emphasized what I think this series does really well-- more showing, less telling. We didn't need to hear them moan and wail over his body-- just the image of all of the main adult characters of the show, looking down at him silently... that was powerful. And later, too, the funeral talk was remarkably terse and solemn and quiet. It makes perfect sense, too-- they are, after all, ninjas. Silent warriors. Even Naruto, who seemed for once to be on the outside exactly what he always has been on the inside-- a quiet, lonely person grieving.
I liked that everyone had the same outfit, and the design of it. Not flashy, not ornate. Simple and stark, and unifying all the characters as members of one community, instead of focusing on their individualistic attributes as the show usually does. For this experience of mourning, they were all the same, all alike.
I liked the flashbacks of all the characters interacting with the Hokage. It's so obvious that he wasn't a far-removed ruler, but in fact very much a part of the life of the village, very connected to his people. When I first began watching Naruto I didn't expect to even care about the Hokage character... and yet, 80 episodes later, even though he's still a very minor character, here we are, and I am mourning his death right along with all the villagers. Poor Konohamaru! Poor Naruto! Poor Iruka! Poor Jeriya-whose-name-I-can't-spell! Poor Kakashi and all the other jounin and chunnin and villagers!
I loved Iruka's monologue. I loved that it was Iruka that Naruto asked, not the others... Naruto's relationship with Iruka is one of the best and most interesting relationship in the show, and I love when we get little glimpses of it. Naruto trusts and respects and believes in Kakashi, but he isn't close to the man the way he is to Iruka. And Iruka comforting Konohamaru the way he must have comforted a younger Naruto... ::sigh:: It's all so so sad. And so pretty.
One last thought: I wish I was better at judging the gender of Japanese names. There's many of the names, like the person that Kakashi says he visits early in the morning, that I think it would be good to know more about. That was probably a woman (just a guess by the way he said it), but we'll see I guess. Poor Kakashi. Also, I wonder what the name of the purple-haired ANBU woman is. She looked kind of like Anko, the woman from the chuunin exam, with her hair down.
One of the most interesting things about this episode (it was also noticable last ep, but even more so now), is the use of silence, sound, and music. This episode has so little dialogue, and yet it's quite powerful and emotional. The periods of silence were powerful, and the quiet, slow music was powerful.
This was, for all intents and purposes, a transition episode. But it's one of the best transition episodes I've seen done in quite a while-- it didn't feel like one at all, not until I thought about it after the fact.
I cannot gush enough about this series. It's not perfect, but I love it so. I hope it never ends.
The animation was particulary good for this episode-- the dark color palette matched the mood perfectly, and all the characters looked especially attractive. Iruka, who always fell somewhere in the middle category on bishounen status, not good or bad, was hot in this episode. And Naruto, too, looked cute, and given the extended close-ups we got, I think we're suppose to see that he's going to be a hottie when he gets older. He reminded me yet again of the 4th Hokage's picture, which I still have multiple theories about. I think part of Naruto's unusual appearance in this episode was the fact that his ninja plate was around his neck, resting on his collarbone, instead of in his hair. It made him look much older.
Once again I am blown away by what I'm watching. But a totally different kind of blown away than the previous episode-- which was ALSO one of my favorites. I'm just acquiring more and more favorites the further we go into the show, aren't I? Let's take this in order of occurrence.
Kakashi was so eyefucking Kabuto. Or maybe it was the other way around. That mutual glare of murderous intent.... "Are you going to run away from me again?" "For now, yes." ::cackles madly:: Oh yes. They SOOOOOO want to do dark, dominate-y things to each other. ---And kill each other too, of course. I liked the quick shot of Kakashi squeezing his fist. For such an undemonstrative guy, that's a pretty telling danger sign.
Naruto crawling to Gaara... sad. I was feeling for both of them right then, specially cheering on Naruto. He's given everything, and yet he feels so much empathy for Gaara even as he promises without hesitation to stop him. And Gaara with his confusion, and the first time he's ever been forced to listen to anyone, to take anyone seriously. I was glad when Gaara apologized to his siblings... you could tell seemed to look at them for the first time, and make an effort to appreciate them, or at least recognize their pain-- anyone's pain besides his own. I got all squealy when Sasuke dropped down beside Naruto and told him that he could stop now, that everything was okay. For once Sasuke wasn't being a total prick, even, in fact, being considerate of Naruto's feelings. Like a friend-- or at least, like a real comerade. Although, he was drawn to look weirdly sinister in that scene. His eyes were very narrow.
The image of the Jounin and the ANBU standing in a circle around the 3rd Hokage made me incredibly sad. But it also emphasized what I think this series does really well-- more showing, less telling. We didn't need to hear them moan and wail over his body-- just the image of all of the main adult characters of the show, looking down at him silently... that was powerful. And later, too, the funeral talk was remarkably terse and solemn and quiet. It makes perfect sense, too-- they are, after all, ninjas. Silent warriors. Even Naruto, who seemed for once to be on the outside exactly what he always has been on the inside-- a quiet, lonely person grieving.
I liked that everyone had the same outfit, and the design of it. Not flashy, not ornate. Simple and stark, and unifying all the characters as members of one community, instead of focusing on their individualistic attributes as the show usually does. For this experience of mourning, they were all the same, all alike.
I liked the flashbacks of all the characters interacting with the Hokage. It's so obvious that he wasn't a far-removed ruler, but in fact very much a part of the life of the village, very connected to his people. When I first began watching Naruto I didn't expect to even care about the Hokage character... and yet, 80 episodes later, even though he's still a very minor character, here we are, and I am mourning his death right along with all the villagers. Poor Konohamaru! Poor Naruto! Poor Iruka! Poor Jeriya-whose-name-I-can't-spell! Poor Kakashi and all the other jounin and chunnin and villagers!
I loved Iruka's monologue. I loved that it was Iruka that Naruto asked, not the others... Naruto's relationship with Iruka is one of the best and most interesting relationship in the show, and I love when we get little glimpses of it. Naruto trusts and respects and believes in Kakashi, but he isn't close to the man the way he is to Iruka. And Iruka comforting Konohamaru the way he must have comforted a younger Naruto... ::sigh:: It's all so so sad. And so pretty.
One last thought: I wish I was better at judging the gender of Japanese names. There's many of the names, like the person that Kakashi says he visits early in the morning, that I think it would be good to know more about. That was probably a woman (just a guess by the way he said it), but we'll see I guess. Poor Kakashi. Also, I wonder what the name of the purple-haired ANBU woman is. She looked kind of like Anko, the woman from the chuunin exam, with her hair down.
One of the most interesting things about this episode (it was also noticable last ep, but even more so now), is the use of silence, sound, and music. This episode has so little dialogue, and yet it's quite powerful and emotional. The periods of silence were powerful, and the quiet, slow music was powerful.
This was, for all intents and purposes, a transition episode. But it's one of the best transition episodes I've seen done in quite a while-- it didn't feel like one at all, not until I thought about it after the fact.
I cannot gush enough about this series. It's not perfect, but I love it so. I hope it never ends.
no subject
Oh and it's Jeraiya by the way.
no subject
Yep. Except for his blue eyes, Naruto really hasn't been drawn or presented as attractive at all earlier in the series. But in this episode he just looked kinda handsome... like he's going to be a hottie in a few years. If the 4th is his father (the great question), then it's a sure thing because the 4th's picture was a hottie. I squealed, and watched it twice.
This conflict with the Sand & Sound ended faster than I expected... I thought that once the Gaara and Hokage fights ended, we'd see more of the battling of the village ninjas, all Naruto's classmates and the chunnin and jounin etc. But it ended swiftly... or at least came to a standstill.