beast

I have been watching Naruto, not the newest one, but the older episodes. It seems like in one episode the characters will hit a huge high point and then the next few episodes they are back to their old selves and not too much stronger. I have heard other people criticize the show for this and was wondering what your thoughts are on it.

I think it is a problem with the script because while it is cool to have them summon a lot of power if they kept it up then they wouldn't have much to improve upon I quess. And they want to drag the series out as long as it makes money. What are your thoughts.

Utena Tenjo

I honestly stopped watching Naruto for this reason. No one really ever improves for the better. They don't even improve their physical strength realistically. I mean, I'm talking mainly about the older episodes(I don't know about Shipudden.) For example Sakura, you think she might change after the incident with Haku. No. Maybe the Forbidden Forrest? No. Maybe when she sees Rock Lee pass out from training? No. Maybe when Naruto saves her ass from Gaara? No.
She talks about changing, she even says she will. But blah blah blah, she goes back to whining. I've heard she's less annoying in Shipudden, and I hope so. Most characters need to prove their worth. But she's not the only one. Even when they changed Gaara's personality, he was a waay more interesting character as being evil. He goes good and what happens? He dies like three times.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the best thing that came out of Naruto is their psychological profiles, and the most interesting characters always get the trash can. For instance, Kakashi is a very interesting character, but during all this time we focus on Sasuke. One flashback for Kakashi, yet Sasuke's story was beaten to death. (by the way, compare Sasuke to Vampire Knight's Zero. Same story, but at least Zero's reactions are more...realistic. He is shaken and distant, yet he has some friends who he does deeply treasure, and feels himself a burden on them. His initial feeling was that he wanted to Shizuka to die, and for him to die with her. A pretty realistic feeling. Sasuke has devoted life to kill Itachi, yet after that what? WTF.)

Bottomline: Kisimoto is a total sellout in my eyes. He began out as a inspiring manga artist that may have talent, with an interesting character driven story and now what? He has his money, and we have hundreds of episodes of blah.

Screw that, I'm putting Death Note or Utena back in the DVD player.

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Hassun

The power levels in Naruto are pretty horrible. But it actually hits an all-time low in the Hidan and Kakuzu arch. Which is not the earlier chapters/episodes.

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LenMiyata

Grumble Grumble Grumble
Now I wonder if the episodes you refer too are part of the main manga story, or are they one of the infamous 'filler' episodes...

The original 'Naruto' series committed the common sin of catching up with the original manga that its story is based on, hence leading to the 'filler' episodes, stalling for time until more of the Manga gets published. And with 'fillers' they can't do anything that changes the characters, for fear of conflicts with the future unpublished manga story...

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