If Karin had really outlived her purpose, as you say, then she would've written off the story already in the 4 opportunities Kishimoto has had to do so. Instead, he not only brings her back but canonizes her Uzumaki heritage and gives her a power-up that - yet again - highlights how special Karin's chakra is.
Color me unimpressed. So she is an Uzumaki. So what? Still waiting on it to translate into something that looks like character development.
The manga is not over yet and she and Taka still have roles to play. You can dislike them as much as you want, but don't write them off when Kishi is obviously keeping them around for a reason.
And I shall, with much gusto.
As for the not writing them off...far, far past that point. In my opinion, there very inclusion is one of his biggest mistakes of the entire series. A group of characters in constant search for meaningful purpose.
Lastly, if he wanted to move away from the issue as fast as possible, he would have actually tried to make us forget about it. So, wouldn't you say that Karin bringing it up left and right defeats that purpose?
No. He's not taking it seriously and it's not even remotely a source of genuine conflict for the characters. He wouldn't be treating it the way he was if it was still a big deal for any of them. The "conflict" part of was taken care of in something like two panels.
Whether it's brought up in an humorous context or not doesn't matter in that regard. What matters is that it's still being brought up.
I disagree. See previous comment.
You are giving more weight to Karin's comic relief moments and her eccentricities than to her character as a whole. That side of Karin is a character trait; but it in no way encompasses her nor does it mean she has no character depth.
Saying that is to deliberately overlook moments like these:
Not at all. They are simply drowned out by all the problems with her character. Like attempting CPR on a dead body.
She is a character without depth and it's not just because of the comic relief. I understand the comic relief isn't everything she does. What I am saying if that the comic relief from the apology on is so offensive and unbearable that, for me, it is a permanent blight on her character. One that is so bad that I do not care what else there is. It does not matter to me. It can't undo it. It can make it better and she isn't important enough in the story that she will become a developed character that might at least allow me to compartmentalize it to the degree that I can say well she 's okay except for that crappy event. Hell, despite all the issues with Sasuke's characterization, at least his kitten gets taken seriously.
I've long since stopped taking the descent into darkness seriously. If Kishimoto isn't going, why should I?
I don't think what Kishimoto has done with her is defensible.
To name a few. Writing Karin off as a character without depth or just as a source of comic relief is making the same mistake the guards did in chapter 574; they let themselves be fooled by her and Kishi had her use that to her advantage.
See to me, you are making the mistake of engaging in a vain and never ending search for something that isn't there. If what you say is Kishimoto's attempt then it's a failure so far.
If Karin had really outlived her purpose, as you say, then she would've written off the story already in the 4 opportunities Kishimoto has had to do so. Instead, he not only brings her back but canonizes her Uzumaki heritage and gives her a power-up that - yet again - highlights how special Karin's chakra is. The manga is not over yet and she and Taka still have roles to play. You can dislike them as much as you want, but don't write them off when Kishi is obviously keeping them around for a reason.
Written out of the story? Heh. This is Kishimoto were talking about. She is not a villain, mook, or outside of Naruto's generation. The rookie nine with the exception of Team Shika have been a bunch of bystanders who have contributed almost nothing of substance since the Chuunin exams and, yet, they all (Neji, that unlucky bastard, excepted) live. I don't what Sai is doing anymore and his story ended...well after the second rescue Sasuke attempt. It's much the same with Karin. Her purpose was to chronicle the descent into darkness. Kinda of like a rain gauge. Or a speedometer. But at least in those cases I need the measuring device.
It was clear on the page, but it was basically the authors way of telling the audience where he stood at the time (even though his writing of Sasuke made it clear anyway). Don't even get me started and Suigetsu and Juugo. At least Karin had that much. Those two can't even muster that. I have no clue why any of them still follow him. The author doesn't bother to explain any of it.
Well that happened. Since then....? Well, I think we're still waiting on that. We haven't learned anything new (of substance) about her. She hasn't been used to demonstrate anything.
If she had been left to rot in the slammer the story would be unchanged (other than being better) in any meaingful way. Her reason for following him is via a weak ret-con her reason for continuing following him is a mystery. If it's because she still likes him...well, we've been over how I feel about that mess. And if it's that, I do not know why she does. KnS explanation is a good one....if he had been doing that.
so this is another thing we'll have to agree to disagree upon, I guess, since what has been a failure to you has been effective to me and vice-versa. Something that partly comes from our varying degrees of interest (or disinterest, in your case) on her character.
I believe there's more in store for them and that there's foreshadowing supporting it, so let's wait and see.
But to be fair, it's hard to compare Sakura and Kakashi's treatment to Taka's. As you said, Sakura and Kakashi have been here since the beginning; Sakura in particular we have seen grow up right in front of our very eyes. Taka is different because when they were introduced, they had already gone through the tragedies that shaped their lives and their personalities; more-over, while they were introduced in 2007, they have gone MIA from the manga for extended periods of time whenever Sasuke takes a break. So most of their development comes from the development of their bonds as a team; which again, while it isn't in your face as tends to be the case in the manga, it is there.
