Torxe

Even though these kids shouldn't exist, I find myself liking their designs. I especially like how serious Sarada looks.

She definitely would have been the perfect SasuKarin offspring.

I still want to know the REAL end to Naruto though.

I hate it.

 

But not just because the design is boring and uninspired. It's more than that.... The feeling it imparts is isolation.

 

This is not a happy, feel-good cover. It says nothing about Naruto finally meeting his goals. It says nothing about his happiness. It says nothing about his love of his team (or Sasuke). It does not tell a story about the character (Naruto).

 

Look at every other cover up until now. They are dynamic, involve multiple characters and are almost always engaging the audience. And if they're not, then the characters are fighting each other. But in almost every one, Naruto is looking at the reader.

 

Like the ending — where the Naruto we knew disappears while Sasuke is narrating, only to return in the epilogue as a hardened Hokage, with the hopefulness and boundless enthusiasm of his youth washed away by the burdens of adulthood — this cover reflects a Naruto that is alone in his responsibility for the village. This is his life now. And the fact that he doesn't engage the audience is a very strong statement of how much he has changed. 

 

A good image tells a story, without having to use any words or cutlines or cues to inform the viewer. The viewer "reads" the image. 

 

But there is no true story to read in this image. This is the end. Naruto has turned his back on the viewer. We can't know if he's happy or sad. Stressed or angry. We know nothing about the person he was before. We only know that he is the title that's on his back. And that he is alone in his responsibility of the village.

 

Think of the alternative way that the visual story of Naruto as Hokage could be told by simply having Naruto turn around:

 

- Naruto leaning against the balcony rail, smiling at the viewer, with the Hokage hat and cloak flung over his shoulder in a jaunty manner. The message here is that even though he's alone, he's happy and he's succeeded in his goal. He is making direct eye contact with the viewer, his number one fan, the only one who has truly been with him since the beginning. The message is "I did it! We did it!"

 

Or an alternative image of a more dynamic nature:

 

- Naruto leaning against the balcony rail, smiling at the viewer, the Hokage hat and cloak flung over his shoulder, and behind him is the whole village, with the rookies and Kakashi, Tsunade, etc. looking up at him smiling and cheering and holding signs saying congratulations. The message is that he's finally met his goal and the village is acknowledging him. 

 

So that's just with him standing there. But the cover could also show Naruto as Hokage in any other way:

 

- Naruto laughing with Tsunade at the Hokage desk, but now he's in the seat.

 

- Naruto with the hat on, leaning his arm on the next youngest Naruto, and then the next, with the whole line of Naruto's looking up at the oldest, the Hokage who's finally achieved his goal

 

- Naruto with the other Hokages, standing around him smiling, while Naruto is in the center in brightest color being acknowledged by them.

 

So yeah.... If you think of all the choices that Kishimoto could have made for a dynamic, rousing sentimental ending...this cover — Naruto alone with his back turned to the viewer — is not it.

 

My honest opinion is that the cover reflects more about Kishimoto's feelings than it does about Naruto reaching his goals or being the last volume of the series.

 

I think Kishimoto was ready to be finished. So he drew the quickest, easiest, most non-sentimental cover he could. He portrayed Naruto as turning his back on his fans and his youthful adventures and giving himself up to his life and duty. (The show's over. The doors are closing, everybody out.)

 

I think Kishimoto wrote the end to Naruto with himself in mind. Naruto is jaded and tired, putting his work responsibilities above everything else. He is so tremendously OOC, it's like you're not even reading the same character. I think Kishimoto started his time writing Naruto as youthful and hopeful, but now he's 20 years older and tired of it, and sees how different life is now instead of when he was just starting out. He's jaded. 

 

There are two take-aways from this cover: First is that Naruto is standing watch over his village. Second is that he's turned his back on everything else. 

 

It's not a positive message.

 

So I can't help but think that somehow it reflects Kishimoto's feelings at the end of the series. He's turning his back too. He's ready to be done with it.

 

Yes, the cover shows Naruto as Hokage, but there were lots of different, more positive ways to show that. The image could have imparted a range of emotions such as humor or achievement or nostalgia or camaraderie. But instead the only emotion that is shown is closure.

 

Naruto is alone. His duty is more important that goofing off for readers anymore. This is the end. Show's over. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.

Beautifully written, don't know what else to say. 

well I watched it and didn't notice any bad animating (then again the only time the animation was bad imo was that episode with pain getting his ass handed to him by kyuubi).

I don't think we've seen hinata in this episode at all. At one point Sakura was even thinking what Naruto would do in her situation.

All in all not a bad episode.

Even so SP still sucks

Read the chapter, I'm going to be honest and say that I was a bit scared because of the mentioning of angsty endings etc ^^.

It wasn't as bad as I feared ^^. 

Looking forward to the next chapter, and I really hope smthng like the afterglow doesn't happen IRL or if it does need to happen please let it not NOT affect me. 

I'd honestly be the most uncomfortable person alive (I might very well do an accident) otherwise.

I'll just wait for reviews/walkthroughs and see where and how it ends. I mean I know how the manga ended so I won't be spoiled.

If it ends in the NaruHina wankfest I'll politely (actually not so politely) refrain from buying it.

Otherwise I'll buy it. 

Going to be honest, I'd like to play Sakura with her new design tho. (guessing that could be a DLC for this game)

   

The movie got knocked back up to 2.9 and some people here want to get accounts on yahoo so they can downgrade the movie but for whatever reason aren't going through with it.

I managed to get an account

http://movies.yahoo....4/?c=1&sort=lrf

for the other people interested if you need to enter a postal code it actually checks if it exists ^^

wikipedia is your friend here fyi I live somewhere in Kyoto (not the smallest idea where that liest though, (that's a lie somewhere in Japan I imagine ^^))

also when they ask you to type the characters from the box (the captcha thingy) they mean the exact symbols not roman letters, again wikipedia is your friend here.

Then you can give up. I just don't want to. You're asking me how we can fight...well, for starters we don't just give in and say "there is nothing we can do about it." There is alot we can do about it and many things have changed due to fans bringing an outcry. Mass Effect 3, Evangelion, and so many more anime have gone throught rewrites, reboots, and canon redoes based on popular support.

It's not impossible, but when we start to give up and everyone just "falls in line." Then it really would be impossible.

That's the irony of it all. Saying it is impossible is what makes it impossible. it can be done, but enough fans and a loud enough voice needs to happen.

I'm willing to fight as well though, I'm not into writing large essays but I'm not too shy to let someone hear my voice.

Let me know when where and what I have to shout and the message will be delivered ^^.

Seriously though if you need help let me know. Not sure what you'd do though.

Start an online petition? that's been done so much that I cringe at the immaturity of it (but I would still sign though).

EDIT: I don't really have the time to keep up with this forum/thread so if it's really urgent send me a PM.

Posted "Thank You, Sakura-chan" on ff.net. It's the same chapter I posted here, so I apologize in advance that it's not new. But I decided to post the first segment in its own chapter, since it's completely in Naruto's pov. Next chapter will be up Sunday or Monday, and will switch to Sakura's pov. Just made more sense to keep them separate. Anyway, more to come!! 

 

edit: Just curious, what has been the response so far to the ending fics on ff.net? General support or lots of flames?

Didn't read it yet but I will soon, happy to have smthng to look forward too tonight.

I have the horrible feeling that SP might edit the CPR scene though.

haven't watched the series since the week the last 2 chapters released either.

Doubt I ever will watch the episodes again, though could be that I'll watch after the series is completely finished. Does anybody know if the amount of viewers has changed since chapter 700 was released?

Hi, I don't know if anyone has found this one yet (I only searched the topic on kotaku but you never know):

http://kotaku.com/ru...dium=Socialflow

This author is very skeptical about the validness of the 'leaks'.

Anyone with opinions/experience considering the quality/biasedness of this site?

*SIGH*

still can't get over this

For some reason after rereading the chapter (can't help but feel like I'm missing smthng) I found this way funnier then I should have:

image

tricksie I really hope you can shower us with some fanfics. :)

+1 need some narusaku fluff

I just realized,

 

 

....no bench scene....

 

 

okay, that's really a bummer.

Dmn hadn't even thought about that one yet :(

EDIT: this ending is sucking harder by the minute -.-