Re: Naruto Manga 578 Discussion and 579 Predictions
Well, well... Naruto Chapter 578: A Weakness of Despair!! certainly made me smile; Kishimoto made me fall in love with the cover page. It's so 'effing cute! I suppose it's supposed to be an ad for Rock Lee's new spin-off series, neh? I'm excited to see the cuteness of that, too, although I can't remember when it's coming out. I'll have to get around to looking that up...
But anyway! The coverpage. It's ironic that Kishi would advertise Rock Lee's series this week and put that sort of message on the front page. True, the war is really starting to heat up and reach it's climax with such important battles happening, but when I think of chibis I don't think "Epic!" or "Hardcore!" I just think "Cuteeeeeee~~~~!!!" Doing something like that was like trying to use a plushie to demonstrate manliness; what? Yeah. But I did like the coverpage. The layout is great, I think. It shows the three big battles, including Naruto and company against Tobi even though that fight currently isn't one of the main focus points on the manga. I always like pictures where two groups who are against each other are opposing each other even on the page/screen. Here it was, obviously, salvation versus corruption, essentially. The people who are trying to save the world against the people who are trying to take it over in each picture. And what I liked even more is that, when you look at the cover page in a whole, it's easy to group everyone on the left together as the "good guys" and everyone on the right together as the "bad guys" because that's just how Kishi did it. And he put Sasuke on the left with Itachi since they've officially teamed up as of this chapter, but I also tend to think that that can be considered a bit of foreshadowing on Kishi's part. The transformation of Sasuke's heart is slowly speeding up, it's velocity increasing. And I like it. But that's just a thought of mine.
Now to the actual chapter! Although I must tell you... Tobi, Tsunade, and Sasuke. The three chibis I liked the most in each panel on the coverpage. Just saying.
Page 1. Oh, Sasuke. I would've thought that that was Orochimaru, too. But Sasuke was so surprised about it; I loved his reaction. But he realizes soon after, thankfully.
Panels 1-4 on Page 3 I don't have much to say about. I just see them for what they are; dialogue panels to help get the scene flowing. But Panel 5. I knew what Itachi was going to say, as I'm sure many people did, after Kabuto said that stuff about the jutsu not having weaknesses and etc. I knew Itachi would say something cool like that, although I do believe he's said that before, has he not? I can't remember.
Panel 7 on Page 3, the panel of Itachi with his eyes shadowed over, really gets me. Kabuto has just said that perhaps Itachi's impatience to stop him will cause something that can be stopped from being stopped and, also, it may cause something that wouldn't typically happen to occur, as well. I think this, clearly, got to Itachi. I don't know what he was actually going for, but his hands really look like he was going to make a seal and then stopped, neh? I wonder...?
Madara on Page 3. I just "love" his arrogance. Except, oh wait, I don't. I kind of liked Madara last chapter, but I don't know about this one. I liked his line in that panel, sure enough, because it ended up making me laugh. Tsunade isn't the most amazing shinobi ever, but she is one of the three Sannins and, even against Uchiha Madara, she wouldn't go down just from that.
I love Page 4, where Tsunade gets rid of the thing stabbing her and Madara is surprised. Just saying. Even after she flew backwards, repelled away from him, she ended up surprising a bit with the way her technique was working. That moment didn't last long, though, and there isn't much else about the Kage fight at all that really made me squeal this week, unfortunately. I don't like Madara's face in the sixth panel on Page 7; I guess that's something to say.
Now, I do like when Madara pulled those clones into the fight. "It's 5 vs 1..." Oh, yes it is. And honestly, kudos to you, Madara. You were pretty cool there.
I know Kishi did this to emphasize the 5 vs 1 thing, but when I first read the new chapter each Wednesday morning it's typically early in the morning and I can't comprehend things as well as I typically would. First reading this chapter I remember thinking, "Why is Kishi wasting all these panels to show the clones against each Kage...?" and I was irritated. Now, however, I see, of course. And I like what Kishi did there, as I already said.
Madara on Page 11, and I think it's because of the translation errors, confused me a bit. I can kind of catch the jist of what he's saying, but because of the translation I can't tell if he's saying, "Will it be better if I go a little easier on you?" in a mocking way or, "Don't you wish I'd stuck with just my Susanoo, without the clones?" And... Oh, wait. Wait, wait. I get it now. The first thing doesn't even make sense, does it? I get it. Nevermind. Well... I'll keep this part of my review, anyway.
Yadda ya... Yadda ya...
God, Kishi, you know how to make me curious. The war: what did Kabuto say to Sasuke about it? There's obviously many things he could have said, such as how it came to be and Tobi's goal, maybe, as he explained it. But what he says makes me wonder if he was just spitting out lies in that period of time we didn't get to see. He called Itachi a nuisance to them both; it makes me wonder what lame attempt he made to turn Sasuke against Itachi. And, with that, it makes me wonder as to whether or not part of what Kabuto said may've been about Itachi himself, although I don't think that's right. I'm sure Kishi would have gone on with that or shown hints of it in the following events after Kabuto said that.
Sasuke's first panel on Page 12. Reminds me why I'm liking this new him so much. And when Kabuto asks whose side he's on... I love his answer. Totessss. Although I found it interesting that he just threw shuriken. Kishi doesn't pull many simple moves like that these days, for any reason. But Itachi countered the attack, regardless, because he didn't need Sasuke killing Kabuto, or else the Edo Tensei could never be stopped.
I understand Sasuke getting a bit angry here. But what got me was what he said. "He's the same as Orochimaru... so he's also my enemy!" Since when, during their time together, was Orochimaru actually an enemy? Sasuke was studying under him... Didn't like him, sure, but enemy? I can only think he was talking about Orochimaru trying to take his body. I really don't know here.
Page 14. Oh, Kishimoto had to turn it into one of those moments, eh? One of those times where a character stands there and tells the enemy his plan right out in the open. I wonder what he's actually planning: both Itachi and Kishi. I like Sasuke's face when Itachi says something about talking to him later, though. You know Sasuke wants that horribly.
The bad translation kind of kills Itachi on Page 15, at least for me. Guuu~
Kabuto also looks like some Orochimort hybrid on Page 15; a cross between Orochimaru and Voldemort from Harry Potter. I mean, really, does he not?
What Sasuke says on Page 15... that really just gets me. I love it so much. Even though I'm no Uchiha Sasuke himself, it gave me a nostalgic feeling. As kids, as we've seen in flashbacks, Itachi sometimes promised Sasuke things. "Later, later." and "Next time, Sasuke." Here Sasuke is making a reference to that and asking his brother to promise him - there will be a later. I also like what Itachi says, about how before he had that sort of character, but now he's died before and been brought back and he won't be like that anymore. Maybe he considers doing that in the past a mistake, no matter what his reasons were at the time. I really like the Uchiha Brother's dialogue there and their panel on Page 16.
Kabuto on Page 16, aside from the fact it gives me an eerie image of Orochimaru, I dislike. I'm fairly sure no one has left anyone alone. Itachi has branched himself off from everyone right now, yes, because of his mission. But you can definitely say he has allies. And Sasuke... he has Naruto out there, does he not? That's a friend; I don't care what anyone says. Hell, I'm betting you that, on the inside, for the sake of not having an emotional encumbrance, although now he kind of has Itachi. Kabuto's a fool.
"Joint fight of fate!" Yes... because this is destiny.
Some quotes I liked, now that I'm done with the review itself:
"Well then... whom should I target next?" Uchiha Madara, Page 3.
"Are you trying to kill me with my own jutsu?" Uchiha Madara, Page 6.
"I don't think you get the point." Uchiha Sasuke, Page 12*
"I followed Itachi because I want to talk to him." Uchiha Sasuke, Page 12.
"Any jutsu has a weakness." Uchiha Itachi, Page 14.
"...Itachi. You always used to tell me "Later, later," and in the end it was just lies. At least this one time... keep your promise!" Uchiha Sasuke, Pages 15-16.
"Your nature stays the same until you die... but I did die once... I will keep it." Uchiha Itachi, Page 16.
Well then! I'm done.
My Rating for Chapter 578: 5/5.
