maoam

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I’m done for! You take command and continue the mission!

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FULL THROTTLE - Congrats on season 2!

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drawing my favorite jojo villains part 1: Kira Yoshikage

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I forgot where it is (here on tumblr) but that photo of a pride parade with the big narusasu cloth/sign/whatever it was, was drawn by someone who ships SS too 💀

This is not some shade to imply you should stop sharing the picture, I'm just always amazed when I come across these people because how do you even ship both narusasu and SS?

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Got this message, chuckled tbh. Naruhina shippers a bit obsessed with me (idk why) but that's okay.

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You know, I started to think that the Uchiha apologists are even worse than Sakura/SS fandom. They love to play revolutionary, saying the Uchihas did not wrong and Konoha is fascist and blah blah blah... Some of them even distorcing the relantionship between Sasuke and Naruto completely, saying that Naruto is not different than Sakura. I know that Konoha is far from perfect but the Uchihas are not that inocent, but I guess that the Uchiha fandom only see what they want to see. In certain way they aren't different from Sakura/SS fandom.

Sorry for any mistake, English is not my first language.

The Uchiha didn't do anything wrong as a collective, so using the word "Uchiha apologist" is weird. They were oppressed by Konoha and planned a coup. Now if one wants to be Itachi/Obito/Sasuke/Madara apologist that's different.

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You know, this apparent resurgence of SN/NS discourse is so silly to me; like, guys, it's 2025, we can let go of this heteronormative way of shipping! We can acknowledge that Naruto is meant to be the more "masculine" of the pair while not automatically assuming who'd be penetrating who (I'd find it interesting to see Naruto explore being penetrated, given how repressed and reactionary he is at even a hint of gayness being focused on him); seriously, maybe shippers should take a look at porn that's made by and for non-het men, there are beefy bottoms EVERYWHERE (hell, they should also watch some het porn where the guy gets pegged). It's fine if you have a preference for certain sexual configurations in ships, but please, can we stop assigning "roles" based on masculinity and feminity? 😅

What if Kishi one day comes out and tells us they're both into frottage/mutual masturbation rather than buttsex? The whole fandom is surely gonna collapse.

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Bear with me on this one:

“It wasn’t meaningless, we became bestfriends.”

I want to psychologically analyze Naruto and Sasuke and their love even at that young age.

First of all, we have to take into account what fighting means to them as ninjas.

Naruto has always yearned for Sasuke’s acknowledgement. There were many reasons as to why he took notice of Sasuke over anyone else.

- Sasuke was popular with the girls and seemingly perfect at everything. He excelled in both physical and mental abilities. Where Naruto was more of the dunce with a good, strong spirit.

- *More importantly, Sasuke was alone - like Naruto.

Right there we have a connection already. But as children how do they develop this feeling?

For Sasuke, he knows well what bonds and family are. Considering out of the two he was the one to actually have a family. I do believe somewhere inside, (which he admits to later in chapter 72 of the manga) he always noticed Naruto, even if at first it was out of annoyance of his wild nature. He does later say, and I paraphrase:

“I couldn’t keep my eyes off you”

“I always knew you were alone. We were two lonely kids starved for loved”

“I too felt your pain.”

This shows us that Sasuke was always aware of Naruto. But the dramatic toll of his PTSD kept his from feeling safe in forming that new bond.

Now, Naruto, never having a family or bonds as a child, left him the lesser of the two when it came to knowledge of emotion. He felt much more compelled to desperately hold onto that bond; for somewhat the same reason Sasuke was intensely trying to let it go.

And so naturally rivalry began to grow. A typical psychological response for children and even adults. Admiration can be twisted into jealousy, which becomes a competition, which becomes a bond.

To continue. Flashing to Chunin Exams-

“You’re one of the ones I want to fight the most.”

That meant a lot. Not just to Naruto himself, but in the ninja world they live in. By Sasuke telling this to Naruto, he has made clear that he sees Naruto as someone with potential, someone equal to him, someone worth fighting with.

To Naruto, who has always seen Sasuke as this annoyingly good at everything “teme” he was literally finally being acknowledged by the boy he had coveted as a rival since day one. Moving on. I just want to briefly add that Sasuke and Naruto’s first fight at the Valley was the moment I personally saw romantic inclinations in Sasuke.

Naruto, like I said being desperate to hold onto that bond, having gone on missions and grown to care for Sasuke - refused to let that go. For that same fervent need to passionately keep himself tied to Sasuke - Sasuke’s conviction was just as strong to let it go.

And yet, Sasuke could not kill him. Defying all the rules and laws he had set up for himself. Breaking the promise to kill him who is closest to him. For both power and his philosophy.

The way he stares down at Naruto’s unconscious body. Is a testimony to his heartache at what path he his following.

He’s literally staring at the first boy he ever grew to care for after the terror of losing everything.

And he was letting it go. That was tough and only once he is walking away does he claim he is simply refusing to do things Itatchi’s way.

But his physical display of tenderness at watching Naruto before leaving begs us to dig deeper into Sasuke’s psychology. It’s not as simple as just following his own path. That’s an excuse to cover the truth that the power he will achieve at killing Naruto isn’t worth it.

::fast forward::

“I wanted to be smart like you. Cool like you.”

Naruto says in episode 215, if I’m not mistaken.

“The truth is I was jealous.” He continued.

Of course we don’t see til later that Sasuke felt not just similarly but nearly exactly the same as Naruto had all along.

Which is especially* why after that scene Sasuke is more intent than ever before to kill Naruto. It literally astounds me people can skip the psychological factors that come into play at that scene.

“I must kill Naruto.”

The conviction is terrifying and yes, fucked up. But perfectly plausible.

Naruto had just admitted to Sasuke - what a huge part of him he is. Confessing his admiration, his determination to stop him, even at the cost of his own life.

To Sasuke, what more frightening and infuriating than to have the very same boy you have been trying to sever bonds with, reveal that he has too been sharing the same connection and bond all along?

And is just as convicted enough to self sacrifice for it just like Sasuke was in the Land of Waves Arc.

So naturally, it becomes vital for Sasuke to kill Naruto himself. At least in his ideology.

He has already made his own truth. Which is sever all bonds and ultimate power is reached.

The loss of his profound bond with Itatchi and his clan and the suffering that ensued - instilled that self preservation method and it is only conducive- if he is alone.

Creating no opportunity for such pain to exist again.

So it d o e s make absolute sense that Sasuke sees it necessary to remove Naruto completely.

To somewhat begin a conclusion.

- Naruto letting himself get beat up, with no regard to himself and no resentment for the one throwing their fists.

= absolute resolution. He just learned Sasuke joined the very group which killed Gaara for awhile, killed Jiraya, and is after him. Does Naruto waver? Not in the slightest.

Is this healthy and romantic? No. But it’s also a life of a ninja. Sasuke is still his bond. A ninja is self sacrifice. So while in our world, that would be concerning and indeed it is - I do sense unconditional love. I think it’s bewildering not to.

At the valley in the Final Fight. There is just so much going on, I don’t know where to begin.

I’ll paraphrase to the best of my meager abilities.

In essence, Naruto and Sasuke’s will take their final stand.

As promised, Naruto is convicted to die with Sasuke. But at one point —-

“So you’ve finally decided to kill me?” I love that Sasuke asks this, because it shows how much he’s been waiting for it. That moment. That final threshold he had to break to finally make Naruto concede. Much like Hashirama did with Madara.

But of course, the difference in Naruto is Naruto’s passion. Naruto is completely, irrationally, and madly devoted to Sasuke.

In the end, Sasuke always loses his cool.

“Why do you go so far for me?”

“Over and over and over and over again.”

“Just disappear already and take our** bond with you.”

If anyone knows what self loathing is like. You understand, almost heart-wrenchingly well what Sasuke is saying:

Sasuke has a very self destructive persona now, after killing his brother and learning the truth - on top of an already damaged psyche from witnessing the massacre of his clan. Sasuke doesn’t want love. He not only feels unworthy but it goes against the self proclaimed law.

The self proclaimed law being, sever all bonds, live on as Itatchi did - a life of self sacrifice, to live in darkness and solace, maintaining order by inheriting the role of all evil.

“Itatchi’s only mistake was he kept me alive.”

“I won’t make that mistake.”

= Yes I’ am set on killing you. Which also = you are the only thing standing between me and my crusade into that lonely, fucked up world I seemingly think I deserve = you are the most important person to me.

He even devoted the killing of Naruto an honor enough to dedicate to his brother. (Episode 478) Yes, fucked up. But remember - ninja world - separate from ours and Itatchi being the one he revered the most, this means everything.

Alas, in the end Sasuke asks a g a i n why Naruto goes so far…

“Everyone cut ties with me, but you never did,”

Sasuke is literally searching for an actual honest confession. He knows what a friend is. He just doesn’t see how friend covers the level of devotion Naruto has consistently displayed.

“When I see you carrying all that pain… It just …hurts”

Sasuke understands. Again, being the more aware of emotions and their respective categories in relationships, he probably knows it’s more than just a friendship.

I think the level of passion and devotion is more equivalent to that of “soul mates”

You can see it as platonic. (Which is hecka strange)

I see it as a wild, romantic, frenzied, illogical, passionate, overwhelming, all consuming love.

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Just a teacher leading his students to be the new generation of sorcerers ✨

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🛸✨Lost?👽✨

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Nico Robin 🌸

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how're you all doin'??

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heart stamps

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I don't get Asa/Den because there is really nothing special about it. Asa is just one girl to him. Even Denji's small "romance" with Rize made more sense because they're kind of "not taking this shit seriously" type of people. Asa isn't the same though.

I don't hate Denji or anything, but I still don't get why people are pretending there is some deep reason for him being a horndog. He has said it like dozen times that he just wants to have sex with lots of women. And the reason why Yoru "assaults" him and why Makima was the way she was was because Fujimoto has a dominatrix fetish. Even as a young boy he liked the girl who bullied him. He's not good at concealing his fetishes and I'm just baffled by the amount of videos on deep themes about abuse in Chainsaw man.

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What popular anime genres you don't like?

Hmm I don't know, ecchi? I'm not familiar with mecha anime so I'm not sure whether I'll like it or not. Idol anime is another that doesn't really feel like my kind of thing, but then again I found Oshi no Ko okay.

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Most likely! I wasn't really sure what to make of the difference in their wrists, I just noticed Sasuke's looks a bit more slender or graceful. But it does show once again Kishimoto puts a lot of detail in his drawings (unlike people saying he doesn't know what he's doing).

I mentioned earlier Kishimoto using body language used in Japanese theatre, so I gathered some pictures to show what I mean.

I have to mention Naruto’s master Jiraiya, whose design, antics and speech are all based on Kabuki. Jiraiya’s rough, broad and bombastic way of speech and body language is a style used in kabuki for masculine, heroic characters. These type of characters take a lot of space and use flamboyant and exaggerated, even aggressive body language.

I have seen a claim that Naruto is the “opposite of traditionally masculine” because he’s flamboyant while Sasuke is traditionally masculine. Sorry but that’s not what Kishimoto was going for:

He draws Naruto in a similar manner to Jiraiya whenever he wants to bring “Kabuki” into Naruto’s character. Notice the crude facial expressions, the face paint and the same, reoccuring hand move.

Jiraiya and Naruto’s sage mode “makeup” is also a nod to the exaggerated face paint used by these hero characters in Kabuki plays. Which is why it makes perfect sense Naruto is wearing the intimidating “hero makeup” when arriving as a hero to save everyone.

So what about Sasuke? Sasuke’s look is more soft, fluid and not exaggerated (including facial expressions). I don’t bother with too many individual pictures so that this doesn’t become too long but Kishimoto spends time portraying Sasuke as poised and graceful in comparison to Naruto’s brash and exaggerated appearance.

Here as well you can see Naruto’s body language being the same type of brash and exaggerated, taking a lot of space, while Sasuke is calm and beautiful and expressionless. . Sasuke is the yin to Naruto’s yang.

But nowhere is Kishimoto’s intention more evident than in this illustration he drew in 2018.  Here they are complete opposites. Sasuke’s stance is graceful and closed, his back is straighter and his shoulders are down. Naruto’s is more assertive and open (arrogant). Sasuke is delicate looking, feminine (has some makeup), his build is slightly smaller than Naruto’s (look at the wrists). Sasuke uses the back of his hand to hold back the sleeve, unlike Naruto. Sasuke’s face is smaller and more slender than Naruto’s while Naruto’s features are squarer and not polished. Even the patterns and colors of the kimonos follow. Sasuke’s blue and white symbolise calmness and passivity, Naruto’s colors and patterns symbolise aggression and war (notice the lighting and thunder clouds). The sheer attention to detail!

I don’t think this illustration is much talked in western spaces (?) but in jpn fandom this was definitely noticed and there was some talk about Sasuke’s “feminine aura” when this was released, and that Kishimoto always draws him so beautiful. The contrast between the two of them is interesting, and in my honest opinion ignoring Sasuke’s traditional beauty and grace, as well as Naruto’s brashness, is missing a part of their characters and their relationship.

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Hey Maoam I don’t know if you have TikTok but I sometimes see this person on TikTok on any sns video I find. They reply to comments to anyone that says something nice about sns video. The picture that I showed is what they always reply to anyone to says lovely things about sns. Not surprised that they are sasusaku and gaanaru shipper and is one of those sasusaku shippers that tries to proof that sns is pedo incest. I don’t hate gaanaru but the way some people only ship(specifically sasusaku shippers) it is to keep Naruto away from sasuke or use it as a tool against sns. It’s not the best to go on their page because it’s a waste of time.

This person seems to be bored out of their mind. Imagine pretending to ship a ship and on top of it trying to bring down a ship the whole story hinges on. I'd suggest to just ignore these weirdos, you can't reason with them.

Also I love how we make these detailed essays with evidence and reference pointing out all the romantic writing (and sometimes even sexual) of Naruto and Sasuke and then these people's response is to say they are brothers. Okay, what are brothers who have romantic and sexual writing? Incest. Why are they reading an incest story since even the mere idea offends them? Because last time I checked, the romantic undertones between two characters do not disappear if you say they're related. Take the case with Uranus/Neptune in Sailor Moon. The English dub changed them to cousins because they wanted to avoid the lesbian relationship. However, obviously they didn't change the looks, the body language, the music, the things they did for one another, so it just came off as romantic regardless of the cousin change. I didn't watch Sailor Moon as a kid, but my friend who watched the English dub as a kid, said she just thought they were two cousins who were in love. Lmao.