#DONT TALK TO ME ABOUT NARUTO

[reginamillls]

I get loving a side character I do so I like to view them as like a lil treat

the main characters are your dinner, they're the main course if you will and you need to eat dinner every day

you don't need a dessert after every dinner though

so when a side character does come up, it's a fun surprise, and you end up getting your lil treat at the end of dinner

[bababaka]

Yall need to interact with fanfiction author's more.

So. After the ddos attack on ao3.

I was encouraged to write more comments and make my love known to fanfic writers.

I dont really like commenting. Because im a bit shy and soooo lazy.

Now though. I am writing more comments. And dude. This is so heartwarming. Ya'll need to treat writers better. They are doing the lord's work.

Take for an example, couple of days prior, i was searching for something interesting to read, and found an oneshot quite compelling.

I read it. At the end of it, i was blown away by how good it was. It promised me something and it went beyond my expectations. But then i saw a crime, zero fucking comments!

At that moment, i wasn't feeling up to writing a comment. Because, normally i like to write huge paragraphs. But because im lazy i decided to be brief.

Next day, the author answered that the comment lift their mood for the whole day.

That warmed my heart.

Duuuuuuuude! Write comments! Suport the writers of the fics you like! No need to be something super elaborate. Just give your thoughts. Freak out. Ramble. Ask something. Make theories. Compliment. Make a joke about how you wished to give kudos every chapter but ao3 sucks(not true bby) and won't let you.

Truly. Just. Comment. It can make someone's day. And that is part of the apeal of writing fics. Interacting with people.

Just give love to fanfic writers yall. They deserve this and so much more.

[brighteuphony]

@kohnnors-blog

@thatsalamanderguy

YES. COME TO THE DARK SIDE. (We bully hot men here :))

[asacchi]

i still like them very much

[stackslip]

the difference between bleach and a lot of 90s/2000s shounen is that it had elements of truly excellent, subtle writing and compelling female characters who had interesting relationships between one another, which is what makes its downfall into the worlds most boring typical battle shounen that much more of a tragedy

[juricore]

girl yaoi girl yaoi you guys dont get it. rei and kaoru could literally do sasunaru

[orcelito]

I've been working on Finally finishing Naruto Shippuden (after being a Naruto fan for nearly 15 years), & I just finished episode 420. And I have some THOUGHTS about the "Naruto is the reincarnation of Ashura" thing. This started as just me rambling for my normal liveblog posting, but I had a LOT of thoughts about this actually, so I am presenting them to u all Now.

So. Naruto meeting the Sage of Six Paths! Cool!!! I'm finally learning about Naruto being the reincarnation of Ashura, which... honestly is not a choice that I like very much. Narratively speaking, I mean. The Point of Naruto's journey was that he was the underdog, the bottom of his class, the orphan that everyone hated and made fun of. Through hard work and perseverance, he managed to drag himself from being a complete social outcast to someone generally really loved and respected. That's compelling!!! It means a lot!!!

But then the show is like. "Oh...actually, he's the son of the fourth hokage. And Also, he's the reincarnation of the son of the literal creator of ninshuu aka the precursor of modern ninjutsu." I mind him being Minato's son less as a narrative choice (for reasons I will get into shortly), but making him Ashura's reincarnation?? I've got Several things that bug me about that.

So First, for him being Minato's son. It's not like that's ever Actually given him any sort of status (since most people don't know), & Minato was also kind of just a random guy?? Just incredibly skilled, enough so to become the 4th hokage. And then there's also Kushina, descended from a very successful and very Feared clan that ended up almost entirely killed bc of that fear. Naruto being an Uzumaki means great power, huge chakra reserves (not even including the extra chakra he gets from Kurama), & some innate skills (that Naruto mostly didn't inherit, but one can play pretend sometimes). BUT ALSO, they were almost entirely killed off. He's a survivor of his clan's genocide that happened well before he was even born, and he doesn't even REALIZE it yet. So even though being Minato's son means he's the son of a very influential person, it doesn't give him the same leverage as being a Senju or Uchiha would. And the clan he Does belong to bc of Kushina does not give him status either, bc they're almost all fuckin Dead. And we know that Minato is a Namikaze, but as for what that actually *means*.... it's basically nonexistent. There is no mention of a Namikaze clan. Minato was just a prodigy in his own right.

SO.... All that is to say that while appending Naruto's orphan story with a "well, Actually, his parents were very powerful and well respected" does discount it a little bit, it's still not Especially unique in terms of what other people in their world may experience (there are other descendants of current and/or former kage + Many other powerful clans running around) OR in the benefits that it gives him (essentially nothing, outside of his physical strength and the inheritance of Kurama himself)(which inheriting Kurama did grant him access to IMMENSE power, but it also was the source of So Much of his suffering growing up, so I think it balances out).

The "reincarnation of Ashura, son of the Sage of Six Paths" thing tho... that one really kinda does. At that point, Naruto is no longer just the orphaned son of two respected shinobi & the current jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi (something special, but not entirely original, given that there are Other jinchuuriki who are descendants of powerful shinobi). He is now something that NO ONE ELSE ALIVE can be. It is saying that He, above Everyone Else, is special in this way. Outside of Sasuke lol, but I'll touch on that in a moment.

It just feels kinda cheap. It's cool I guess, but at this point it feels like we've completely lost the Plucky Orphan who works hard to overcome his circumstances plot. It's saying that he was Always one of a kind, he was Always destined to become Someone Special (or that he was, in fact, special the whole time). It removes the importance of his hard work in the equation. It makes it so that this is no longer something he earned for himself, but rather something that was a Given, since he is, of course, Ashura's reincarnation.

Cheap. It's cheap. And I don't like it.

Then we get into Sasuke being the reincarnation of Indra. Which I haven't gotten to that yet in the show, but I know from seeing it around. I do enjoy the sun and moon aesthetic between Naruto and Sasuke (so SO much, in fact), but. Making Sasuke the reincarnation of the Other son of the Sage of Six Paths is... frustrating? In several ways. There is of course the fact that Naruto and Sasuke have such extremely gay vibes (and Always Have), so making them the reincarnations of brothers so late in the story feels like an insult to anyone who reads their relationship in that way. Which to be fair, we do see Naruto mention at a few points that he thinks of Sasuke like a brother, but it's only a few points + feels like a kind of narrative cop-out. Sasuke himself said he doesn't think of Naruto in that way (though that could also be his self-denial speaking & it could change. Haven't gotten that far yet.), & I think there are much better choices for Naruto's "brother" figure (primarily Iruka, but people like Killer Bee and any of the other konoha 12 would be fitting too). Personally, it feels like Naruto was trying to put a name to his very strong feelings for Sasuke, & since he doesn't realize being gay is an option (since Kishimoto is clearly homophobic & made this ninja society to reflect that), he settled on Brother. But Sasuke is like "what the fuck? No, my only brother is Itachi." Instead, Sasuke has called Naruto his best friend. Which also doesn't fully encompass their relationship, but it's still closer than Brother.

So here we are, Kishimoto saying around 555 episodes into the plot (only 80 more to go) that they're actually the reincarnations of brothers. And not just any brothers. THE sons of the Sage of Six Paths. Incredibly influential, incredibly powerful, two sides of the same coin and very historically significant figures. Sasuke always had the "descended from an elite, yet disgraced clan" thing going for him, so in my opinion it doesn't hold the same kind of insult to his story that it does for Naruto. But it still feels like an insult to THEIR story.

Naruto and Sasuke were just two orphan boys. Their moms were best friends, but they didn't know that. They died when they were too young. But Naruto and Sasuke still gravitated towards one another. Understood each other like no one else. And got on each other's nerves like no one else. But that irritation stemmed from their genuine admiration of each other. They wanted to be able to beat each other. They became Rivals. And it was on their own terms. No one else pushed them together. Outside of them ending up on the same team, their entire relationship was fueled by their recognition of one another, Jealousy of one another, and the simple enjoyment of being around one another. They were the ones to decide the importance of their relationship. Sasuke recognizing Naruto as his closest friend & thus thinking he was the one he had to cut off to achieve power, and Naruto recognizing Sasuke as his first peer that acknowledged him, a precious bond he finally made, and thus someone he had to cling to FIERCELY. That was all them.

But here we are. They're a reincarnated set. The sun and the moon, but Officially. One could say soulmates in a way, in a non-romantic kind of context (considering the first iteration was a pair of brothers). While this is cool from a story standpoint, it really takes some significance away from their relationship to me. It makes it less of something they chose for themselves and more of a given. Pretty much just like Naruto being Ashura's reincarnation cheapens his own story, it cheapens their relationship too.

I dont want a story about two boys who were destined to be important to each other!!!! I want a story about two orphans who just happened to become important to one another thru a series of coincidences and personal choices. In that way, their relationship gains greater gravity bc it's born from their own hearts Alone. It's Naruto moving mountains for the sake of this boy he loves, and it's Sasuke finally coming back around bc of the force of Naruto's dedication. It means so much more than the implication that they were always meant to be a pair. So I really don't like this narrative choice.

[armadawathes]

new headcanon time! previously the redness of an uzumaki's hair was connected (or believed to be connected) to their special chakras and sealing prowess.

[neutralbrick]

not how he expected this to go

[im-still-watching-anime]

one piece is crazy fr like what do you mean you’re following up Everyone’s Dead™️ with Objectifying Women: The Arc™️

[beaux3000]

i hate that naruto is so popular because im deeply abnormal about it and i cant stand seeing people casually into it on the internet it affects me i start turning into an ape red clouds my vision i start ragged breathing i need to talk to you about sasuke

[diamondnokouzai]

i dont think centuria's writing is particularly revolutionary but it is nice to see a shounen manga that has any kind of political or moral backbone

[anubisthe1]

"Omg sakura haruno has so much potention!!"

Just go to ao3 babe, just go to the ff zone where others write her to be likeable. Dont talk to me about canon sakura when her biggest hater its her own author.

[moltensmusings]

Made a post a few months back annoyed at sasuke fans for insulting people if they don't like sasuke. And mentioning that I was annoyed sakura's whole development gets overwritten to get them together.

And a sasuke fan commented that "well he was her source of validation and she wouldn't developed if he hadn't left. Get better" like bro. You're proving my point. That said if you do this I'll just block you because it's clear you don't want to have a nuanced conversation about the flaws in the writing of naruto and how badly kishimoto consistently handles his women.

[psy-ay-ay]

I open the naruto tag and see a really cute comic about someone colliding into naruto and him accidentally kissing sasuke, being very naruto and sasuke about it but then reaching out their hands again and kissing again. It's cute. I try to insert different characters into the design of the person colliding into naruto. it could be kiba or maybe that guy who collided into naruto the first time he accidentally kissed sasuke at the academy. i think maybe people in the comments have better ideas than me and open the notes. First one reads 'I did not cheat on my wife, someone collided into me and i accidentally kissed this man'. I remember why I am not in the great yaoi fandom of naruto.

[akatsukirites]

She looks out the window beyond the tower's gaze. On towards the water– Caladan's never-ending seas. Violent and rippling. Soaking in the hour's rain only to funnel it back up into dark clouds. At least here, in the old quarters, the meta-glass sky canopy only allows the most suitable amount of rain. A superficial amount. Just enough so that the crops and plant-life may not drown. 

"You look lost in thought, my lady."

Konan scoffs under her breath, amber eyes searching below the depths for an answer to her worries.

"Please do not call me by such titles. I've long been a traitor of the Bene Gesserit."

Kisame runs a sharpening stone across his blade in rhythm with his own heart-beat. He finds that it's the only meditative practice that stuck with him after betraying the Sardaukar. He runs and runs and yet cannot find home no matter how long he suffers through this ocean planet. He seems content to call her as he will, though she's told him to quit calling her by her title for years.

"Do you worry for the young Atreides?"

"So you've heard the news?"

"Not much intel escapes these ears."

"You still keep old channels?"

"The servants are bored without their masters. Gossip is their only pastime." He flips the blade over. "You must give them tasks."

"I'll do no such thing."

Kisame shrugs, his thick neck preventing his shoulders from coming up too high. His expression says as much. 

"Why do you keep him in your thoughts?"

The sea churns with mystery. A planet with a billion-year history, and this one not always wet. What carcusses and broken steel towers lie beneath the waves? What nearly-forgotten conspiracies and sunken histories? There are answers in the caverns below the surface; yet guarded fiercely by strong currents. She could chart a boat– but then the secrets would go to the cursed Spacing Guild. She knows she cannot swim that strong.

Konan finally turns away from the window. Afternoon shadows fall across the room, leaving most of Kisame's form in obscurity. It is only with her training that she recognizes the tension of worry. "Do you know of the Kwizatch Haderach?"

"The Bene Gesserit prophet?" 

"The Order fears his coming."

"They think the young Atredies this prophet?"

"One cannot know what the Order thinks. But if the Reverend Mother judges him to be so, I can only imagine what horror she'll whisper to the Emperor."

"What better place for revenge than the– what did you call him?" he pauses, looking into Konan's sharp, expectant eyes. "The Kwizatch Haderach's home world?"

Konan turns back towards the ocean as Kisame gives her a report on what remains of their battalions and warcraft after the Harkonnens whipped Caladan with their hatred for the Atreides. Were it not for Kisame's timely orders, they'd all be slaves to those pigs. Though, they lost almost half their reserves in the process. It is a bittersweet victory. 

"And so you find the source of my true worries, my lord."

"It is foolish to rise against the Sardukar with what men we have left."

"There must be another way," she murmurs.

But what way is left for a household with no name?