Well, I don't know what to say. To be honest, I'm quite happy that something good came out of this (well, maybe that sounds a bit too negative, but I hope that you understand me, hehehe *nervous laugh*). What I'm sure of, though, is that we can create many more good thing out of this. We had a bit of a rough time, but putting that aside, we can achieve good results.
Many people say that I was brave when starting a thread like this, but in reality, I'm not. In fact, I have to thank you all because if was you who gave me the courage to do something. Many of you want to see a good mood around Heaven and Earth (especially when we return either from a tough day at work or simply from a difficult day, right? You could say that this is our paradise of sorts), and one way or another, you're working on it. The members are working on it, and so are the mods and admins. And when everyone puts effort into something, the results will be inevitable and beneficial. Once again, I want to thank you for your kind efforts. Credits to the people who helped me create this thread, credits to the members who replied to it with a kind behavior, and credits to the mods and admins for your job.
Finally, I'm not sure if this will be the last post -since we have a Q&A thread now. BTW, credits to tricksie for the idea. Well done!- (link:
http://www.narusaku....p;#entry458820), but I do want to quote a few words from a kind friend (they're going to be edited a bit, so I apologize in advance for that, but I thank you for everything you have done. You're a true friend.
):
Our desire to see our heroine in action and to see more moments of our beloved couple (NaruSaku of course) triggers a feeling of fear and impatience in us. The fear of not seeing our couple nor our heroine in action as each chapter progresses (along with what we've seen in the form of chapter 615 onwards) makes our desire to see Sakura and NS moments grow weary. Some of us can become sensitive, demanding, or simply sad due to the fact that we feel that Kishimoto is neglecting his quality in his writing and of course, the way he handles Sakura. This feeling is understandable, since many of us feel it in one way or another.
However, this has lead us to criticize one another because not everyone shares the same expectations. Some have higher expectations than others... others are more aware of the difference between a chapter that is well written and a chapter that lacks quality... and others simply want to see results "now". We have a big fandom here, so is understandable that we have many different mindsets and many different ideals and expectations; and that very last statement is something that we have to keep in mind when treating others here in Heaven and Earth. Most of us want to see NS become canon, and in the end, Kishi is the one who will determine if it will happen or not. We have the privilege to share our opinion about how he has handled the manga and the characters, but as long as we're respectful towards each other, we can achieve a mutual understanding between each other and keep sharing opinions, ideas, and debates about Naruto and about other topics. Like some of the members have mentioned in this thread: we have a variety of topics to talk about, and not only about Naruto. That's why we have other sections in this forum, right?
But the main point is: let's try to understand each other whenever we have a discussion. Some members are more sensitive than others, so if we keep things like these in mind whenever we're about to post something, I'm sure that we'll be able to have a nice discussion.
Another point which is very valid is that... Yes, we
expect Kishi to handle his manga in the way that he
meets our expectations, but again, we all have different expectations. Not everyone will be happy about the chapters and we also have to understand that. There's a
probability and a
possibility for Sakura not showing, for NS moments to not happen in every single chapter; and that's something that we have to keep in mind. After all, no one is "predictable", right? Not even Kishimoto. With that said, there's no reason to lose hope. The manga isn't over, and as long as the manga isn't over, the possibilities and probabilities will still exist. The ones who have let go of those (of the possibilities and probabilities) have the right to do so and the ones who are still holding on to these also have the right to do so too.
And speaking of the manga, we have to keep in mind that we're only handled one piece of a puzzle every week. We don't have the complete puzzle yet, so as long as we don't have that, we will still look for what the next piece of the puzzle will be. The chapters are only a part of a volume and and the volumes are part of the manga, so it means that each chapter is a small piece of something much greater. With that said, results will not appear right away. We will be left with cliffhangers and questions every time a chapter ends (unless the chapter marks the end of an arc/volume, and even in those we will still be left with questions). So this may be too much to ask, but let's be patient; and of course, if someone else's opinion is different than yours, as long as is not flaming nor bashing, let's not jump on each other. This thread is a prime example of what happens when we jump on each other's throats, and we have seen how bad things can be when this happens. We are all better than this, and I trust this fact. After all, we're pretty much the top NS forum, right?
Anyway, I guess I lied to myself when I mentioned that I didn't know what to say (how did this post grow so big? :O ). But in the end, I'm happy that we could take a step forward in solving some of the issues here at H&E. I'm going to put the rope in my neck and say that not everyone might be satisfied with the results. And if this is the case, I want to encourage you to keep bringing ideas and opinions about how Heaven and Earth can be improved. There are many ideas in the shape of diamonds buried in the ground, so is up to you guys to uncover them and bring them here to Heaven and Earth.
So from me to all of you, thanks for your efforts. Keep up the good work and I'll see you all later.
Louis (Shadow Wolf)