Naruto: Shippuden - General Discussion

[Lantern7]

Is it messed up that I want to nitpick? During the original series, I figured that Kakashi got the Sharrigan from an Uchiha, but I would've guessed it was a medical procedure. Here, we got a girl who was roughly Sakura's age perfroming an eye transplant, and both patients lived through it. Well, Obito lived long enough to die soon after. Seriously, where is Rin these days? And don't tell me she's with Inu Yasha's brother and the green gnome with the gnarly staff.

[Sandman87]

Hey, nit-picking is at least partly why we're here.

There will be more Rin later on...much much later on.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Sandman87

[Lantern7]

This week: more ninja Skypeing with the Akatsuki. Two Leaf squads take off to "detain" Itachi. And the Hebe gang stock up on provisions. I took out a sourcebook from the library a few times, so I knew about the ninja cats and Cat Granny. Still funny, though.

[Sandman87]

The Akatsuki hold a little confab where they bring each other up to date with events involving the Leaf and Hebi. Turns out that Deidara has grudges against...well, everyone. Kisama is impatient and wants to go directly to Nine-Tails, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Tobi annoys everyone. As usual.

Hebi stops in at an old Uchiha armory to take care of things logistical. Suigetsu annoys the ninja-cats who help take care of the place. Karin complains a lot. Jugo channels his inner Carol Burnett, making himself some clothes out of the drapes.

Naruto eats some ramen.

[Lantern7]

In the latest episode, we get lots of misdirection. And Kakashi's ninja hounds. I want more of Pakkun and his buddies. Are they regulars in Rock Lee's anime? Like how the one teamed with Naruto/Yamato/Hinata didn't say anything. His name is probably Japanese for "Pluto."

The big reveal is that Kabuto has grafted Orochimaru parts to himself, mostly because he felt at home with Ol' Snakey. I'd say he needs to get laid, but that's a solution for too many problems in this series. Especially with Sasuke. He'll take care of that when Itachi is slain at his feet, and not a second before.

[Sandman87]

I like the way that Smithers...er, Kabuto thinks that it's a good thing that he has to exert his will constantly to keep Orochimaru's parts from taking him over. "Yay! I'm constantly in danger!" I wonder if he got all of O-chan's techniques as part of the deal.

Gotta love Deidara's subtle approach to things: Hit it with an explosion! Nice to see that Sasuke learned a snakey summoning trick or two from Orochimaru.

I find it kind of interesting that all of the major characters learn how to summon exactly one kind of intelligent supernatural critter. There's gotta be someone out there who can conjure up an entire zoo's worth of creatures.

[Terrafamilia]

I can't wait till Tobi shows what he can do. You know he can't be a total dip if he managed to become one of the Akatsuki (and I've been spoiled by reading up on him in the Narutopedia).

[Sandman87]

After the carpet bombing that Deidara hit him with at the end of the Three-Tails arc, it would be reasonable to assume that he's completely indestructible. Then again, it was a wacky comedy scene, so it probably doesn't count.

Deidara and Sasuke fight. And fight. And fight some more. Boom! Zap! Flying Deidara! Leaping Sasuke! Burrowing Tobi! Finally, Deidara unleashes his super-gigantic bulimia art. Next week: The Attack of the Fifty Foot Deidara.

[lathspel]

Catching up after vacation, but the good news is I got to watch three in a row so I spotted some things.  

We're all wearing cloaks now, I guess because the animator got a little worried about the crowd scene we're about to have. 

The end title animation is the same but Toonami is airing different clips of the same song over it - nice!

I like that we revisited the art dispute between Deidara and the Puppetmaster, although calling your attack super deformed seemed a bit much.

Also seems like Deidara has a spades thing for Itachi, if I can make a Homestuck relationship reference.

Terrafamilia - I hate the Narutopedia page for Tobi since its immediately and irrevocably spoilery.  Just don't even search if you don't know, because that reveal has got to be amazing. 

[Lantern7]

You think Sasuke would even leave a lair if he knew how ridiculous his Cursed Mark Mode made him look? I mean, he winds up with insane power, but he looks so dumb. At least Naruto's Nine-Tailed cloak freakouts make sense on some artistic level.

I'm guessing that attaching new limbs is part of the Akatsuki health plan. Also: Tobi can see a lot out of a tiny hole.

[lathspel]

I forgot to mention how Kakuzu apparently fixed Deidara before going off to get killed by Naruto and squad.  Another nice callback built into this arc. 

[Sandman87]

On Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 7:31 PM, Lantern7 said:

I'm guessing that attaching new limbs is part of the Akatsuki health plan.

More like "was part of the health plan" now that Kakuzu is dead. No more magical limb-stitching.

On Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 7:31 PM, Lantern7 said:

Also: Tobi can see a lot out of a tiny hole.

Seems to me there's a lot of people who look at the world through their tiny hole. (rim-shot)

[Lantern7]

While I'm thinking about it . . . if Deidara's arms are transplants, where would the hand-mouths come from? Or would I be better off not knowing?

[Sandman87]

Given the level of evil that the "irredeemable" bad guys usually have on this show, as opposed to the bad guys who turn good after Naruto "befriends" them into unconsciousness, I'd expect that Deidara did something (in)appropriately horrifying. Murdering his younger siblings for their mouths, for example.

[lathspel]

I like how Deidara went out like vaudeville-style Daffy Duck.  Hopefully none of Team Naruto were within 5 Km or so. 

if I were Sasuke, I'd be more worried that I'm all in, while still knowing nothing about Tobi's powers.  

[Sandman87]

Does anyone else find it ironic that Sasori was the one who said that Deidara looked like someone who would die young during the flashback? What with him being the first of the Akatsuki to get killed?

Deidara first took on Itachi, and got his ass handed to him. Then he took on Kakashi, and got his ass handed to him. You'd think he could have figured out by now that going up against Sharingan users is a bad idea.

Amusing that he had another mouth on his chest. As if three weren't enough. I guess I should be thankful that the extra mouths don't talk, otherwise we would have gotten four times as many declarations that "art is an explosion!" out of him. Speaking of which, he could probably have said the word "art" a few hundred more times in this episode if he had really tried.

[Terrafamilia]

Remember, kids, true art requires commitment!

[Lantern7]

We're never going to find out the deal with the hand-mouths, are we? At least we got an explanation related to the thing he wore on his left eye . . . he was trying to combat the Sharingan. Because, like Sandman87 point out, that worked out so well for him in the past.

How are micro-bombs art? I reckon Deidara had more in common with Marvin the Martian, with the love of earth-shaking kabooms.

ETA: Was the latest episode the first we saw of Sasuke's snake-wing? That's even creepier than the one he got blown off last week. Nobody near as nice as Nico Robin's stopgap wings.

[Terrafamilia]

This week, Sasuke gets some much needed shut-eye while his team gathers around to stare longingly at him while he sleeps.

[Sandman87]

Sasuke survives the Deidara Nuke by abusing the giant summoned creature that he learned to conjure up from Orochimaru. All the leaf village searchers see the explosion, and we get six or seven variations on "what the hell is that?" Team Sasuke (aka Hebi) retires to the hideout for some first aid and minor squabbling.

Meanwhile, the Akatsuki learn about Deidara's death, and Sasuke's apparent death, via Skype-jutsu from the creepy split-personality venus flytrap guy, and react in various ways. "Poor Deidara!" say some, "Poor Sasuke!" say others. "Are we forgetting something?" says Kisame. Oh yeah, that Tobi guy. Too bad, so sad. Then the meeting breaks up. After the meeting, Pain confers with his secret boss...Tobi! But Tobi isn't Tobi; he's Obito Uchiha! You know, the kid who gave his eye to Kakashi. And now we know why we got a puzzling flashback to Kakashi's youth a few episodes ago.

[lathspel]

Sweet, I am now mostly unspoilered on this show!  Nice reveal at the end.

Interesting that no one thought "Hey, maybe it's raining because Deidara just blasted a ton of dust into the stratosphere."

[lathspel]

Sandman87, I think he claimed to be Madara at the end of this one, unless I misheard it. 

[Sandman87]

Madera then. Thank you. I heard "Uchiha" from the guy with just one eye hole in his mask and assumed it was Obito. I guess the Kakashi flashback was to lay groundwork for Madera not wanting his clan's Sharingan being used by an outsider then.

 

ETA: On further reflection, the fact that there's another surviving Uchiha has got to mess with Sasuke's motivation if he ever finds out. His whole deal is getting revenge on Itachi for killing off everyone else in the clan, except that now it turns out that one of those "everyone"s has survived. And I bet Itachi might have something to say about it too if he finds out.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Sandman87

[Lantern7]

Got spoiled about Tobi ages ago. I like the voice work. Was it originally two different actors, or just one playing the roles of butt monkey and ultimate leader?

Still liking the ninja hounds. Also like how the anime remembers that this show isn't called Sasuke Shippuden. And the lady with Pain is named Konan. Just another tidbit from the source book stuck in my head.

[Terrafamilia]

This week, Tsunade and Jiraiya go drinking in the middle of the day and then get a bit schmoopy.

Naruto encounters Itachi, who just wants a chat, and then declines to inform the rest of the team about it. Oh, Naruto, if the Hidden Leaf had television you'd know by now that doing that sort of thing usually comes back to bite you (assuming that Itachi didn't put the whammy on him and cause him to do that, or to even forget the meeting).

Karin regrets that she has to give up her surreptitiously acquired sweaty Sasuke souvenir shirt. Ew! 

[Sandman87]

This week: Karin is basically the female version of a panty-sniffer. Tsunade is a weepy drunk while she and Jiraiya have a few gallons of sake over lunch, and they have a heartfelt nostalgic discussion that sounds uncomfortably similar to the "tomorrow I'm retiring" conversation that dooms police officers in the movies. Then Jiraiya heads off on an extra-dangerous mission to locate the Akatsuki leader in the Hidden Rain village. Naruto is multiple kinds of stupid, including attacking Itachi when Itachi just wants to talk.

ETA: Sasuke has "the power of the Whitesnake"! Can't wait for his next album of bland '80s metal to come out.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Sandman87

[Lantern7]

The same thought about Whitesnake popped into my head. Now I got the image Karin grinding on a car hood. And she's basically Nicki Minjai in Lonely Island's "The Creep." Somebody make a joke about how the Rain Village is surrounded by Earth, Wind and Fire. At least that's how I remember it.

[lathspel]

This week - Jiraya flashback.  He spends a lot less time being pervy than you'd expect.  If anything, it was more of a gap year story, with only minor detours for women and drink.  

I think all the shinobi we saw were one offs, correct?  Even the baby puppet guy didn't seem like our Akatsuki friend.  

[Sandman87]

Interestingly, Jiraya's training up until the point where he left the Toad Village to travel the land was nearly identical to Naruto's, except for the part about not being a walking prison cell for a Godzilla-class monster. He even fell for the same snare trap during the "grab the bells" exercise. It was like watching flashbacks of the first couple of seasons of Naruto. I guess they figured we might not have gotten the memo yet that the new generation is just like the old one.

 

On Monday, September 12, 2016 at 7:14 PM, Lantern7 said:

Somebody make a joke about how the Rain Village is surrounded by Earth, Wind and Fire.

Sorry, but I'm not familiar enough on the EW&F songbook to come up with anything. Too bad it isn't surrounded by Blood, Sweat & Tears. I could work with that.

[Sandman87]

This week: More Jariya flashbacks, and we get a peek at Naruto's mother. She's very pale.

[lathspel]

Toad infiltration is a pretty neat skill.  But somehow Jiraya doesn't seem the "deep cover" sort.

[Sandman87]

Leave it to Jiraya to make hitting a hostess club the first thing he does when he rolls into town.

I kinda like the idea that he just happens to have a skill that specifically transforms a toad into a bar, complete with chairs and tables. It's just so random.

I'm a little curious what the awful pun was in the original Japanese that got redone as "flog you into frogs".

Quote

Toad infiltration is a pretty neat skill.  But somehow Jiraya doesn't seem the "deep cover" sort.

Yeah, between the clunky wooden clogs and the circus-tent color scheme he has going on...

Edited October 4, 2016 by Sandman87

[Lantern7]

The sourcebook and the Toonami Tumblr spoiled me about the toad tavern trap. Still funny to see in action, though.

What is the kanji on Jirayah's headband? And is there a reason why he never wears a Leaf Village band?

ETA: Hanzo was one of Jirayah's kids in the flashback arc, right? So was Konan, come to think of it.

[lathspel]

Nagato was one of Jiraya's kids (I assume he's Lord Pain) but the Sanin were fighting Hanzo.  I don't think he's one of Jiraya's. 

It took me a while to figure out this was not supposed to be the crippled Hidden Leaf Hanzo. 

[Lantern7]

Sorry. I get the names mixed up. I do know Hanzo used the term "Sonnin" to describe Jirayah, Tsunade and Orochimaru.

Meant to post during the flashback arc . . . nice to see the world of the talking animals. Funny that a guy can go there by complete accident (unless you listen to want the Toad Sage wants you to think). And if you have white hair, how do you know when you're getting old? Weird that Jirayah had that as a kid, while Tsunade and Orochimaru wound up looking young through differing jutsus.

[Sandman87]

3 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

What is the kanji on Jirayah's headband?

I looked it up: abura, meaning "oil." It has something to do with the Toads.

[lathspel]

I see we got the toad oil tie-in this week.  Jiraya's other powers include hair Jutsu - did the toads teach him that too?

I have a sneaking suspicion this whole arc is just so we can give Naruto the key to his own lock, isn't it?

[Sandman87]

18 hours ago, lathspel said:

Jiraya's other powers include hair Jutsu - did the toads teach him that too?

I'm going to call that his Medusa Jutsu.

[lathspel]

I'm starting to worry that Jiraya is going to bite it before realizing that Naruto is the real child of the Force.  

All those tubes - what do they make in the Hidden Rain village anyway?

[Sandman87]

Maybe they make tubes? Whatever they're for, they gave the episode a sci-fi-ish feel, kind of like parts of Akira.

Pain's summoned dogs remind me of the classic slime monsters from every adventure video game ever. Kill them, and they multiply.

Sage Mode looks more like Karl Malden Mode, or maybe Jimmy Durante Mode.

It's interesting that whenever a bad guy on this show summons a critter, it just automatically does whatever the bad guy wants. Whenever a good guy summons something, a conversation always ensues where they say hello, discuss the situation, and then agree on some course of action.

[Sandman87]

This week: Jiraya fights the three Pains. By the end of the episode they've become six Pains and Jiraya has an injured arm. Ruh-roh Raggy! In the process of fighting he figures out that each of them can see what any of the others sees, making "divide and conquer" the best option.

[Lantern7]

I'm thinking about getting a sketch of Jirayah with the shoulder toads. He wouldn't be in Sage Mode. Also, I might pay extra to have the toad tavern drawn into the background. "ALL YOU CAN DRINK FOR 500 RYO!!!"

Man, Pain is a pain. And he's not even the most powerful Akatsuki. Never thought Orochimaru would be right about anything, but Jirayah should've killed him and his friends.

[Lantern7]

In case you missed it, Jirayah went to the big lily pad in the sky. Or maybe he's in a place where he knows an invisibility jutsu, and the afterlife is wall-to-wall hot springs. Given that he was hard-headed, I can believe that he would never have considered Naruto to be The Prophesied Child That Will Change The World, even though he named the kid.

[lathspel]

I missed that Pain were all Shinobi that Jiraya had faced before.   So the blonde one isn't fully assimilated yet?

It was a good exit scene, Frog Sensei.  Nicely done. 

[Sandman87]

What will Kakashi do for reading material now that there won't be any more sequels to Make-Out Paradise??

[Lantern7]

I'm thinking Kakashi has probably prepared for this day, and has bought every scrap of notes from Jirayah under an assumed name.

[Sandman87]

Naruto & friends chase after Sasuke some more while wearing hotel bath towels tied around their necks. They look like kids playing "Superman."

Sasuke heads for a meeting with Itachi. Kisame keeps the Sasukettes entertained outside in the meantime. The meeting is inconclusive.

Meanwhile, Tobi meets up with Naruto & co, and they play Whack-A-Mole. Or maybe Wacky-Mole would be a better description. Tobi annoys everyone immensely while being untouchable and pretending rather unconvincingly to be frightened. He's like the shinobi Ambush Bug.

[lathspel]

I love that Shippuden is filling in some of the big blanks in the story, like Itachi and Sasuke's history.  (I know it was told in Naruto but I'm assuming it was never shown; I've only seen what's been aired on Toonami).

Part of me is hoping Itachi did it for some greater good, but even so, killing his entire clan seems irredeemable.  There's no way this is the end of Itachi.  

Part of me also wonders how he gets those face grooves so consistent and deep, even as a younger shinobi.  Does he iron them, or what?

[Sandman87]

It seems unnatural that there was a time when Sasuke wasn't all angsty and snide. That was quite a case of hero worship he had going with his brother. Probably part of why he hates him so much now.

From the episode it looks as if the Uchihas had an entire neighborhood of the Leaf village all to themselves.

We'll have to wait until next week (or later) to find out how Suigetsu's tussle with Kisame is going.

 

8 hours ago, lathspel said:

There's no way this is the end of Itachi.

I dunno, they did an entire episode focusing on him with lots of flashbacks. That's always a bad sign for character longevity

[lathspel]

Genjutsu duels are so annoying - every time "oh, that one wasn't real either".

I'm guessing Kekashi will be the key eventually, since he also has an Uchiha eye.