6 replies to this topic

[MagusKyros]

A lot of people go to the databooks to get some information, extract them, and then argue the hell out of them with other people (i.e. shippers).

This leads to some people rejecting the databooks for various reasons (contradicting), but I believe people may be viewing the databooks in the wrong way.

Remember it is Kishimoto who is writing the databooks, so it has to be taken canon. He is, after all, the creator of Naruto.

I think the biggest mistake people make is reading the databooks with a preconceived idea of how things are or how they should be. People need to remember that Kishimoto has his own ideas how things should be, regardless of if you think it makes sense or not.

The concepts and information in the databooks is how HE views each and every information. Kishimoto is telling us, through the databooks, how HE wanted to portray a certain person or scenario.

In other words, take the databooks objectively.

With that in mind, you can argue how he could have done something a bit differently, but remember, just as how you may think that this other way is better, another person may not agree with you. You must take things objectively.

[Kyuudaime]

Well, I've never read one, but that still doesn't mean that someone can't contradict their self in it.

I mean, just for a crappy example, if Kishimoto said "Blue is my favorite color" and then later stated "I hate blue" then I'd have to question his point of view.

But, what do I know? I've never read one.

Edited by Kurosaki Ichigo, 19 January 2009 - 07:27 PM.

[Derock]

Well, I've never read one, but that still doesn't mean that someone can't contradict their self in it.

I mean, just for a crappy example, if Kishimoto said "Blue is my favorite color" and then later stated "I hate blue" then I'd have to question his point of view.

But, what do I know? I've never read one.

Or, it tend to be a mistranslation.

You have to realize that fans are translating from the official RAW of the databooks and they do make mistakes. I rather read a official translation (though they probably put OLD-English words and grammar >_> )

[MagusKyros]

Well, I've never read one, but that still doesn't mean that someone can't contradict their self in it.

I mean, just for a crappy example, if Kishimoto said "Blue is my favorite color" and then later stated "I hate blue" then I'd have to question his point of view.

But, what do I know? I've never read one.

That's what I'm saying the databooks are for. While the anime shows something, Kishimoto may have tried to say something else. I mean, it's not like Kishimoto is going to insert an authors note after ever chapter of the manga to explain the significance of what happened. That's what the databooks are for.

Authors can contradict themselves, but I'd rather take databooks over my own understanding of the manga. Simply because the author has some freedom in it.

Edited by MagusKyros, 19 January 2009 - 09:52 PM.

[Nate River]

That's what I'm saying the databooks are for. While the anime shows something, Kishimoto may have tried to say something else. I mean, it's not like Kishimoto is going to insert an authors note after ever chapter of the manga to explain the significance of what happened. That's what the databooks are for.

Authors can contradict themselves, but I'd rather take databooks over my own understanding of the manga. Simply because the author has some freedom in it.

I never put a lot of stock in them, at least when going foward. They are a snapshot at the time they are written (not necessarily published if the time difference is significant) and aren't going to spoil much going foward for obvious reasons.

In other words, they are an interpration of things as they are. If, in the future, events ooccur that are not consistent with it, I don't see it as Kishimoto directly contradicting himself because the databooks are probably never intended to say anything about future events.

That's why I always found it strange shippers would argue the hell out of them two to three years after its writing when the information is stale and says nothing about two to three years worth of chapters that have occured.

[iwant2bnaruto]

I never put a lot of stock in them, at least when going foward. They are a snapshot at the time they are written (not necessarily published if the time difference is significant) and aren't going to spoil much going foward for obvious reasons.

In other words, they are an interpration of things as they are. If, in the future, events ooccur that are not consistent with it, I don't see it as Kishimoto directly contradicting himself because the databooks are probably never intended to say anything about future events.

I think that is the key point you made there. The databooks are basically old information from when Kishi was outlining the plot of the story arcs. Case in point would be the latest databook that was released. It essentially had post time-skip information but was released just recently when part two has been ongoing for the last couple of years. It would be no surprise if there is information in the databook that may seem incorrect with what we now know to be canon. It would be silly if the databook had information on events that had yet to unfold in the actual story.

It occurs often with series that have a strong fandom and release some sort of "official reference publication" outside that of the normal story telling medium. The publication is released and all of a sudden due to one particular episode, chapter, or book, there is a contradiction within this official publication. The writers or authors simply developed their story to the point where the facts in a previous outline have merely changed.

I tend to find that the databooks are a convenient reference source for researching minute details of a developing story for fanfiction. Ultimately, the official source of information should always be main story telling medium.

Edited by iwant2bnaruto, 23 January 2009 - 05:42 PM.

[trivia212005]

Better known as Misinteppring the words.