The problem is, as Branden put it, Kishi has been neglecting Sakura's character for like, 90% of the series if not part II. If Kishi intends for her to be the heroine, well then SHOW IT!! Yes, RtN counts, but the real million-dollar question is, can he follow that up in the manga??
616's CP does not count. This is just as bad as as NH fans using the games as proof, when really it's just pure fanservice. CP's are clearly stated to be fanservice. Sure, it's nice and all with that text "HEROINE". But I want concrete, solid proof she is the true heroine. As things stand, she seems to be about as relevant as Tenten to the story.
Bolded: really?? 'Cause quite honestly, I have definitely read mangas that completely changes the main characters' roles in the middle of the story. One should look no further than Bulma. In the later parts of DBZ she was relegated to secondary character status.
And yes, Shikamaru was the main character in the Immortals arc, and he didn't go on to replace Naruto as the hero. But if you read what I said clearly, Kishi needs to follow up on Hinata's development. If he doesn't, then Sakura is still the heroine.
And please don't start with the whole "you're being pessimistic, you're not a true NS fan at all". Those kinds of arguments are the one thing I hate more than opposing fandom's arguments.
Dragon Ball Z could be considered a completely different series than Dragon Ball. It's a sequel, and in some cases (depending on when the sequel takes place) the roles are switched around. Avatar, for example, started off as being centered around Aang, Katara, and co, but the sequel takes place at a different time with a completely different cast. There were still appearances of the old cast, but as it was a new series, the heroes and heroines changed. Another example is Lord of the Rings. The original story, The Hobbit, follows Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves, but the sequel follows his nephew, Frodo, and the fellowship. Two completely different stories.
Dragon Ball Z is the same way. It started off with an original cast of characters, such as Goku, Krillin, Bulma, etc... but led to having some significant changes in the sequel DBZ. The characters are now adults and are starting to have children, so we see more focus being placed on the second generation rather than the first. Plus they're fighting stronger enemies and the story is focusing more on a different species - the Saiyans. Because of this, a lot of the original main cast has been shafted, as they are clearly much weaker and less relevant to the new storyline than newer characters, such as Vegeta, Gohan, and Trunks.
Naruto's sequel is different. It's a continuation of the same story. Yes, there was a time skip, but the story is still all about Team Seven. There was no major changes between Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, other than the growth of the characters and the plot changing slightly (as now they're chasing after Sasuke instead of going on missions together and such.) At the start of Shippuden, Naruto is still introduced as the hero, Sakura is still introduced as the heroine, and Kakashi is still introduced their sensei. Their roles are still in tact.
My main point about this was that the titles don't change in the middle of the story. We're currently nearing the end of Shippuden. Changing around the main characters at this point in a story just doesn't happen in literature. Imagine if when Frodo made it to Mount Doom, Tolkien made Sam the ring bearer and had him run up the mountain and destroy the ring instead. Or if before the final battle in The Last Airbender, Korra suddenly showed up and was like, "Later, Aang. I've got a world to save." Things like this just don't happen in the middle of the story. In the sequel, anything is possible, but not smack dab in the middle of a series.
Shikamaru was the main focus in the Immortal Arc, but my point was, he didn't swipe the position "Hero of the Series" from Naruto. That still belongs to Naruto, and despite the attention and development that Shikamaru received, the plot was still all about Naruto and Team Seven chasing Sasuke. We're in a similar situation with Hinata, where she has received some development during the war, but that does not make her the heroine of the series. Like Shikamaru, she has no relevance to the plot. She has had some character development and some interactions with the hero, but that does not suddenly make her the heroine.
I don't see why the cover page can't count as proof of their roles. It's drawn by Kishimoto, included in the manga, and depicts all three of the main characters fighting together. Yes, it's annoying that it wasn't followed up by more Sakura development in the chapter, but the point is that it shows who Kishimoto considers as the main cast. Hinata is not included in that group, and the reason why is because she has no relevance to the plot. This is the main argument against Hinata being the heroine. To be a heroine, the character needs to be included in the main storyline. Hinata is not. She's played some minor roles here and there, but she has nothing to do with the main plot of the story. That storyline revolves around Team Seven - the team that she is not part of.
It doesn't matter if Kishimoto follows up on her development, or if she wins a one on one battle with a villain, or if NaruHina ends up being canon. At the end of the day, she will still be a side character. She will have more focus than the other side characters, but she will still be just that - a side character. Why? Because she literally has nothing to do with the plot of the story. She's not part of Team Seven, she's not one of the five most important people to Naruto, and she has no connection to Sasuke. All she has at the moment is love for the main character.
I feel like people think that if NaruSaku doesn't become canon, that means that Sakura is not the heroine. Or that if NaruHina gets a moment, Hinata suddenly has something over Sakura. There's more to being a heroine than becoming a couple with the hero. Even if Naruto gets with another girl, it doesn't mean that the new love interest will be the number one female of the series.
Sure, we haven't seen Sakura do much since the Alliance arrived, but there have only been a handful of chapters involving the Alliance so far. I'm confident that Kishimoto has something planned out for her, whether it's in this arc or in the one that follows it. The reason for that confidence is that he remembered to include her in nearly every chapter during the fight, and showed her in the color page fighting alongside Naruto in their struggle to save Sasuke. Kishimoto hasn't abandoned Sakura. Her time is coming. I guarantee you, by the end of the series, we will see more Sakura than Hinata because she's the one that's involved in the main story line. That's the role that Kishimoto gave her and I trust that he will give her the opportunity to prove herself to those that have lost faith in her.
Bolded: I never said that you aren't a true NaruSaku fan. You're putting words in my mouth and I don't appreciate it. Also, I never said that you, specifically, are being pessimistic. I was speaking in general terms. Regardless, whether you like it or not, I won't change my statement. Not only is it being pessimistic, but it's also belittling a character that has been a major part of this series since the beginning. It's absolutely irritating.
Edited by Slextrem, 18 March 2013 - 05:14 PM.
.....
This is what fans are coming too? 
and it CAN AND WILL BE TOPPED.
This topic is locked
