Thank goodness that's over with.

[laverinth.livejournal.com]

For those of you who were waiting for the filler to be over before you started watching the anime again - it's over. We now return you to our regularly scheduled Akatsuki.

There were a lot of annoying things about this arc, but I'm really only going to discuss a couple. The others I will jot down in a list for you to laugh/growl at, because obviously I couldn't not mention them completely.

Ignoring (for now) the fact that:
- the filler had its own arc long enough to need its own opening
- it wasn't terribly well written
- the characterization was poor
- it tried to use plot elements that actual canon still hasn't revealed much about (Danzo, etc)
- one of the main characters was shafted for an OC (though Sai may have ultimately been the lucky one)
- said OC was really just a Sasuke/Gaara clone
- the filler villains managed to cause trouble to the village on equal par with Orochimaru (which is insulting to both the village and said main baddie) AND copy his resurrection technique without the apparent sacrifice of anyone else (because they're far too clever for that)
- it took half the village to take out zombies that disappeared in a hit
- no one in the village can strategize without the help of Shikamaru, apparently (see above)
- Akamaru spent the arc at about half the size he should have been (animation issue?)
- the Gaara mindscape device was reused, and poorly (this pissed me off more than just about everything listed)
- they couldn't even be original in the way Sora and Naruto were bandaged at the end

...IGNORING ALL THAT...

There's the whole issue with the two "kings". This makes me wonder if at any point in time our new villains actually discussed the matter of taking out the Hokage/ninja village with the country's feudal lord. Because you'd think, if they had, said feudal lord might have had something to say about it - such as the fact that removing Konoha would put the Fire Country at an extreme disadvantage against, oh, every other nation. There was a reason the countries originally hired ninja clans to fight for them. What were they going to do, protect the country themselves? They'd be like the only ninja left. If filler has taught us anything, it's that regular military type troops don't stand a chance against even low-level ninja - if the countries even have armies of another sort.

Not much planning ahead there, I say.

Next, let's move on to the Kyuubi clone. So... they "gathered up the Kyuubi's chakra." Wtf did they do, run around after the battle with magic chakra nets open or something? I wasn't aware that chakra just hung in the air like steam. Even giving them the benefit of the doubt with that, are they saying they were able to recreate the actual demon within Sora? Because that would be the only explanation for why Sora would lose control like that to it. Naruto takes that form when he loses it because the actual Kyuubi is breaking free. There's another mind in there dictating things. It's not just the chakra doing it.

If they'd managed to truly clone the Kyuubi... that's a big freakin' deal. Firstly, I don't think the real Kyuubi would be happy about being cloned and would put up more of a struggle than the usual "Let me out, kid. You know you wanna!" Also, it wouldn't be something that could just be dispelled from Sora and vanish into thin air. What, Naruto has the ability to remove the tailed beasts from people now? No, it couldn't be a real clone, and the fact that it isn't makes Sora's losing control to it in the manner he did illogical.

And what the hell were those spikes?? Apparently being unnaturally infused with the Kyuubi's chakra causes weird spiky growths. Remember this, kids. Kyuubi chakra is bad for the skin.


Well, with that off my chest I feel a bit better. Feel free to rant along with me if you want.

And if you liked this filler arc... Well, pay me/us no mind.

Comments

[jasmine-signet.livejournal.com]

Oh god, I agree. This filler was absolute fucking crap. T-T

The Sora/Naruto sap was nauseating. And this is coming from a yaoi fangirl. T-T

The main thing that annoyed me, though, was the appalling characterisation. Shikamaru's amazing, strategizing mind? ...yeah. Not so strategizing. You call pointing and telling people to attack one after another unique genius? GRRRRR. Tsunade deciding to come out only after she saw huge apparent reincarnation of Kyuubi's magnified head? ...NO. NO. FAIL.

And the fake!Kyuubi! OH. Don't get me started. >[ *anger*

But... OMFG I NEARLY DIED OF HAPPINESS WHEN I SAW THAT THREE BLADED SWORD THING, OHYESIDID. CANON STRIKES BACK! =DDD

[laverinth.livejournal.com]

Ugh, that was some nauseating sap. Stupid to the point of voiding out any seriousness of it because I was laughing and saying "WTF?" too much.

Shikamaru is the village's brain, you know. The moment he became a chuunin, everyone else was like "Phew! Now I don't have to think anymore."

[taliesin-cariad.livejournal.com]

Er, I mostly skipped this arc, though I'm sure it was just as terrible as you described but I am glad about one small thing: at least I finally got a glimpse of Genma ;__;

[laverinth.livejournal.com]

Hahaha. XD Yeah. Part of the reason I even watch the filler is to get more screencaps of characters. I got several new icons for one of my RP journals this way.

[kantayra.livejournal.com]

The thing that pissed me most off about the "two kings" bit was: Suppose you did decide there should only be one ruler per country. That's at least a reasonably logical position. But why on earth would you pick the Daimyo over the Hokage? o.O If you wanted the Fire Country to be powerful, wouldn't you pick the most powerful leader? And the Hokage is clearly the more powerful of the two.

It just baffles me. If Generic-Filler-Villain had been trying to assassinate the Daimyo so that the Hokage would become the de facto military leader of the state, it would almost have made sense. Or even trying to install a more militaristic Hokage. But killing what basically amounts to the entire military of the Fire Country? Someone on the writing staff is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. o.O

Ah, well. It's filler. What should I have expected? It's such frustrating because there's no reason the filler has to be this bad.

[laverinth.livejournal.com]

Exactly! And then would he have just turned over all power to the Daimyo? No, he'd probably want to act as the mind behind everything. I guess it makes sense if you look at it that way - him essentially becoming the leader of the Fire Country, but it would still put them at a huge disadvantage. Kazuma isn't exactly Hokage level material.

[flyingmintbunny.livejournal.com]

This craptastic arc with Sora has been just maddening--badfic going canon, sort of. They were already pushing it with everyone having problems mirroring Naruto's, but at least prior to this, with most of those characters, at least a slight motivation was given to like them--not only did I never see any reason to like/sympathize with Sora, I was intensely bored with him and saw no motivation to even pay attention whenever he came onscreen.

And like you, the lifting-everything-that-was-Gaara's pissed me off as well. The thing I liked most about the series was that it was acknowledged the amount of damage isolation/neglect/ignoring a person could do, and if they're just going to recycle that without even trying to change it enough to make it a different story for another character...ah, hell, I don't even have the words to bitch enough about this.

Total agreement with everything else. Such a waste, this arc.

[libraire.livejournal.com]

This is why I didn't watch. >_>

[zamkenobi.livejournal.com]

No, not even badfic. I doubt fanfics would try to make a fake Kyuubi, even the crappiest writers know that's bullshit. They would at least try to make a 10-tailed bijuu before pulling that mess.

And so far the OMG I'M SO ALONE idea has been recycled through not only almost every filler arc to date but also every movie. Okay, maybe not so identical to Gaara's story as in this filler arc, but it still feels like I'm listening to a broken record. It's getting old. Can we have a filler character that Naruto doesn't sympathize with for a change? It would probably scare me half to death.

[zamkenobi.livejournal.com]

I pretty much stopped watching a few episodes ago but kept reading everyone's comments for the lulz. When people started saying that Sora was a cloned kyuubi....it just wasn't even funny anymore D:

[flyingmintbunny.livejournal.com]

...I only watched the movies Lee was in, so I can't speak for the others, but now I'm even less motivated to bother watching them.

Copying the Kyuubi...yeah, that is distinctly too non-sparkly/special-snowflake for most badfic writers. Never a good sign, when you'd rather be reading badfic than following "canon." Even if it was filler.

Good God, you don't think Sora is going to be squeezed into all the future flackback sequences the next time they do the "blah blah blah I'm evil because I got ignored!" schtick? I'm sort of hoping everyone will pretend none of this happened.

[eltiteretista.livejournal.com]

I skipped the whole thing, I do that with all fillers, they're not worth my brainspace (Curry of Life....*shudder*)

but did you say we get some Gen-Gen in that arc somewhere? yay!

if you don't mind my asking, which episode? ^_^

[tryxkittie.livejournal.com]

What? There was filler?

I blacked out for four months.

[mcelligots-pool.livejournal.com]

LOL! No wonder Shikamaru's never enthusiastic about his job, he's got to handle all the old chuunin and jounin like they're in a nursing home XD

(Also, OMG your icon 8D)

[umino.livejournal.com]

I had a question... and I ask because I am forgetful about things XD... but wouldn't Akatsuki have heard about the pseudo-kyuubi and have wanted to capture him? Or did they only want to capture the original bijuu? Also, by this time in the manga, wasn't Sakura the only one that had seen Naruto and the kyuubi? I could of sworn that whenever Kabuto showed up(after he went crazy and had Orochimaru's body parts on him) he was sorta of hinting about the kyuubi in front of Hinata. So it was just a shock/weird for Naruto to have gone into Kyuubi Mode™ and have everyone see him change. Also, I didn't like how they just blunty revealed that Asuma was the Third's son. There was no mystery/suspense? like there was in the manga. I just woke up so I'm not all here but please feel free to correct me :D.

[atom0001.livejournal.com]

I didn't hate this filler, but I didn't like it. I'd rather not complain about it because, well, where is that going to get me.

I mean if you absolutely hate fillers, I'd suggest you just don't watch it. I, for one, just enjoy Naruto overall and don't mind a shitty filler here and there. I agree it was stupid, but like said, don't like it, don't watch it.

With that said, I was just hoping that Tsunade would just get out and start busting some heads in. They made it seem like she was so helpless. I mean after she made short work of those ridiculous brothers in the Pre-TS fillers, I was anxious to see some more.

[ligtness.livejournal.com]

I've mostly been watching this arc from the sidelines, but even my uninvolved friends thought the Kyuubi-clone aspect of Sora was absolutely ridiculous. There was sap? I would say I don't want to know, but that would be a lie. It can't be that bad, can it? And even if it is, at least I'd get a good laugh out of it. Not even those zombies could hold my interest. If he's not killed this episode, which would be anticlimactic, I hope he gets a DRAMATIC DEATH!!1 for my own amusement.

So you're saying he had an examination of his wangsty, tragic past just like Gaara? LET'S GIVE THEM ORIGINALITY POINTS!

[teambenevolence.livejournal.com]

...What are the odds of millions of badfics with ZOMG KYUUBI CLONE Jinchuuriki now? :S

And like others have said, Sora is just the poor, crappy and unlikeable version of Gaara or Sasuke. Aw boo hoo, so he's the fake Kyuubi Jinchuuriki? So what? He's just another boring, generic filler character who has their life enriched by knowing Naruto.

[laverinth.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's right. And that's a very good point. I hadn't thought of that through everything else, but you're right. The writers are completely ignoring who should have seen what. (And it looks like Sakura will be seeing Sasuke's cursed form in the movie. :\ Not even right.)

[laverinth.livejournal.com]

Well, sometimes they sneak random bits of canon into the filler. For example - revealing the Sarutobi relation with Asuma and showing Kakuzu and Hidan at the end of the last episode. I also like to take screens for icons and whatnot when the animation isn't bad.

It's also not like a fanfic or something in that it's optional and on the side - it's stuck in the middle of the actual series and those that don't read the manga will consider it canon. Kid series or not, there's no excuse for some of that crap.

[atom0001.livejournal.com]

It is, indeed, a problem to see this and have people consider it to be a canon.

It is getting better, though. I prefer this filler to those of Part 1, much more and I'm okay with the way that added canon. Not my favorite way, but it seemed to work.

[sanee-ftw.livejournal.com]

I'd have to actually agree with you. There were plenty of things I didn't like about this arc, but Team 10 + more characters showing up + that one episode where everyone play-fought + the awesome opening almost made up for Sora-related badness.

Now I have to go watch this last filler just so I have a sense of continuity. At least we'll get to a really cool story arc (in my opinion) soon.

[amai-amaya.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm the minority, but I actually didn't mind the filler.

*waves* Same here, actually :> The Bount arc in Bleach was far worse and the Naruto fillers some time ago also made me wanna cry. I couldn't even make it through half of them. This time it was all right for fillers, I guess.

But yes, thank god it's over with and yay Hidan and Kakuzu <3 I have been desperately waiting for those two to show up ^^

[cherryfruit.livejournal.com]

That sounds hideous. Like, bad fanfic hideous. God, I'm glad I don't watch the anime...

[musogato.livejournal.com]

Ugh, the Gaara ripoffs pissed me off to no end. DX Even the stupid Kyuubi-clone idea didn't bug me as much. Gaara's dying and awakening scenes were so delicately done (and emotional, to me), to see it reused in such a lame way made me want to smash something. I never really liked or disliked Sora, but after that (and all of the trying-to-appeal-to-yaoi-fans scenes), I just wanted this whole thing to go away NEVER COME BACK. D< Tsunade just watching things from her office pissed me off as well. She is a kick-ass fighter and as Hokage, if there's something major going on in her village, she should be done there kicking ass with her shinobi.

I'm so glad this arc is over. I can't wait to see Nibi's battle.

[taliesin-cariad.livejournal.com]

The only reason I watched any of it was because an flister mentioned seeing Genma |D I know he shows up in episode 68, he might show up in some other episodes too, I haven't checked. But he was there when the enemy "attacked Konoha" >_>

[kantayra.livejournal.com]

but wouldn't Akatsuki have heard about the pseudo-kyuubi and have wanted to capture him?

I actually think that might be where they got the idea for this filler arc from. In the manga, one of the places Hidan and Kakuzu visit on rumors that there might be a bijuu there was the temple Sora came from, so I guess the filler arc was trying to flesh out a little of the backstory there? It was almost a noble goal and then...no.

[handmethesoap.livejournal.com]

Oh, the fillers are over? We're safe again? =D

This might be an odd question but, since I don't want to actually watch anymore BS than I have to, could you tell me if Kiba was featured in this arc at all? And if so, what episodes? (wants to screencap and is lazy)

[laverinth.livejournal.com]

Kiba was actually in a good several episodes of this arc, but I couldn't name the exact episodes. Anything after they bring Sora back to the village, I think. He's only got short little bits of screentime, but he's there. Like I mentioned above, Akamaru's proportions are all wrong, though.

[illeatchu.livejournal.com]

oh dear god it was terrable. i stoped watching after the zombies showed up. i was like "wooooooowwww." sometimes that show makes me want to run twords the nearest living thing and kill it.

[premium-shaday.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's Coaco Puffs those crackheads are cuckoo for. O.o

[premium-shaday.livejournal.com]

It's like, if Gaara, Naruto and Sasuke had ONE UTERUS betweent the three of them, and then they had a BIG ORGY, and had ONE BABY BETWEEN THE THREE OF THEM, that would be Sora.

The mind boggles.

[laverinth.livejournal.com]

That's true. They did give us some pure fanservice there, didn't they. XD

Here's hoping for a new opening soon, too.

[wonttalkforever.livejournal.com]

Ditto, when I saw Hidan break out his scythe thing I was like OH YES, FILLER AVERTED! lol

[taichikun14.livejournal.com]

TOTALLY AGEE T_T

Let's all pretend these past few episodes just never happened.

[kantayra.livejournal.com]

The truly amazing thing is that an orgy between Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara could produce something so mind-bogglingly boring. o.O Hot, gay orgies just aren't what they used to be!

[nefertieh.livejournal.com]

This feels like a year ago. Why is history repeating itself?!

So, like, has this filler arc ended this week, or did it end last week? Because I really don't want to load my harddrive with fillers. >_>

[laverinth.livejournal.com]

It ended this week. The introduction of Kakuzu and Hidan is at the very end of it, though. :\

It's not even necessary! They're over a hundred chapters behind the manga. There's no need to hold up for the sake of not overrunning it. -_-

[jasmine-signet.livejournal.com]

If I see Sora again I will throw up. T-T

[jasmine-signet.livejournal.com]

Really? This was actually the first filler I've wanted to spork my eyes out with.

-is ashamed to admit she liked a lot of the part 1 filler-

[nefertieh.livejournal.com]

The most logical thing is to add filler about other characters, that like, don't involve Naruto. >___> They obviously don't have the skill to write good fillers, unless it's total crack (101). ~___~

Thanks for the info. :P I hope they don't end up making a giant filler arc about two-tails before killing her off, though.

I hope I didn't just jinx it. @_@

[laverinth.livejournal.com]

Well at least a lot of the part 1 filler was stuff you could just ignore. This tried to butt in to important events. :|

[teambenevolence.livejournal.com]

lol yeah, you'd expect a bastard love child of those 3 to be made of epic win and awesome. Not to mention the most powerful ninja evar.

...So how the fuck did we end up with someone as lame-ass as Sora? 0_0

[the-mushuzuki.livejournal.com]

It also annoyed me that Sora was special enough to be unaffected by Yamato's Kyuubi wrangling technique.

The only good thing about the arc was that Kakashi was spared the humiliation of being in it at all and was away on some 'secret mission' the whole time.

Kakashi: "Filler? Wake me when it's over, guys."

[eltiteretista.livejournal.com]

LOL I'll check that one then, thanks ^^

[nonpareil-xx.livejournal.com]

Personally, I just hate the way that TV Tokyo goes about fillers.

I would rather have, say, more filler arcs that lasted around 4-5 episodes randomly interwoven into the series than... whatever the fuck this was.

I didn't watch it, but I checked Wikipedia and it seems that this fucking Sora arc lasted around 12-ish episodes.

That's just too fucking long for a filler arc, I'm sorry, especially one that seems so poorly written.

ALSOOOOOOO.

I would rather see a bunch of one-shot filler episodes instead of arcs. I can handle little arcs better than big ones, yes, but I would still rather a few humorous single-episode plots to tide me over between main storyline arcs. There were a few back in the original anime's fillers, and it's just easier to stomach them like that instead of having to come back and watch some story unfold week after week that you just don't give a shit about.