In Kishimoto's case, I'd find it a better defense if it weren't for the fact that this story is full of dark and tragic characters who have had to deal with rather thorny moral issues. Itachi is exhibit A for this. All these thorny issues are in the development and presented to the audience, so it's weak to say that well this is a manga target at 13-16 so all problems must have simple solutions. It's fine on the front end and with many side characters, but not for any of Naruto's resolution?
I find it baffling that this is offered as a legitimate excuse.
Don't get me wrong, I agree with you entirely. But if the pressure of the editors are ultimately the cause of this mess-up, well, the magazine can burn for all I care. Hell, OP is entirely guilty of this. There are lots of dark themes in it, but only Superman solutions come up. Which is why I'm thoroughly uninterested in it. Bleach is the only manga so far that is actually aware of stuff like this, and tries to give a meaningful and realistic take on it.
I will agree with you that it is absolutely baffling if the whole reason why the manga has been going on like this is because Jump is forcing their philosophy of a magazine geared towards the 13-16yrs old audience on a manga that is clearly not suitable for that audience. It just doesn't make sense when the facts speak otherwise (that the current majority of the audience of the magazine is 17+). Total Fridge Logic there.
@Nate, a resounding yes to the whole post. But most especially this gem:
It's a bit like a magician setting up an elaborate trick that you can't wait to see how he pulls off, only to have the magician point to the back of the room and yell "Is that a baby wolf cub?" When everyone turns back, the trick is pulled off, but the "magic" is gone.
Kishimoto constructs some really interesting situations for his characters, but he doesn't follow through in letting them be tested and come out as heroic in truly horrible scenarios. Kishimoto patches together redemptions (Nagato, Itachi) or simply doesn't allow the character to do something too horrific (Naruto) or too unredeemable (Sasuke).
Another great quote recently was from KnS a few days ago:
Perfectly put. Naruto is truly willing to give up everything for Sasuke who doesn't want Naruto's help nor would appreciate Naruto's loss of his own goals in giving it. You're right - Naruto does all the work.
One last thing - there has been a lot of talk about Obito's redemption and why he should be given another chance, but the very biggest thing that flies in the face of redemption is the fact that he has asked for none. He does not want to be redeemed, he does not care about the people he has killed, from those closest to him to those way on down the line. He has no sense of loss or regret or...anything. All emotional stability, his drive for accomplishing his one moon's eye plan and his subsequent motive for killing anyone who stands in the way of that plan is his selfish desire for Rin.
Not once has he ever expressed an inkling of remorse for what he's done, for personally being the reason people of all nations lost their own "Rins." For me, I can't even begin to think of his redemption until he shows some acknowledgement of what he's done, and accepts whatever fate has in store for him.
I don't know which potential ending is going to tick me off more: that the Obito makes some small sacrifice, something that could never hope to equal the amount of damage he has caused in the shinobi world, and yet still get a "happy ending" with Rin waiting for him across several fan-pandering manga panels. Or the very real possibility that Obito hits a reset button like Pain did, enacting a large sacrifice and brings back the dead, the strong, etc. etc.
For me, there is not a satisfactory storyline to Obito's arc that doesn't end with Obito paying for what's he's done.
Honestly, I would've preferred that Kakashi had popped out earlier in that tug-of-war with Obito and pull off a double suicide with him using the Shiki Fuujin. I think that would've been the ultimate punishment: He gets none of what he wants. The moon's eye plan, redemption through death, living, nothing at all. But instead, Kakashi would get what he wants; to die for all the things he indirectly caused and to be with his friend for all eternity inside the death god's belly. A sickening, tragic twist. I care more about Kakashi than Obito, so seeing him finally die happy is the least I could ask for.
It's the same with pokemon too. While they have a large amount of younger kids who follow the games, the majority of their fans consist of older kids ranging from 13+. A lot of college students still buy the new games and the fanbase is slowly getting older. I really hope the editors aren't boxing Kishi in a corner, and if they are he should take the Naruto license and write/draw for another company. Naruto has too many mature themes, ideas, and characters to end like a kids show.
Sadly, I believe this is all true. If Kishi's being such a doormat, then all I can say is, all my respect for him has gone flying out the window.
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