Alright then... so... I was going to wait until someone else made a thread for the episode, like, an official one, but no one ever did yesterday, so I'll give my little mini-review on Shippuuden Episode 252 here right now instead of waiting for something I'm now convinced won't be coming at all. Lol.
Anyway, I really liked this episode. Yes, it was very flashback heavy, but the flashbacks were all about Konan and anyone/everyone that has been associated with her in specific. One of the longest flashback sequences seemed to be the talk between Nagato and Naruto. To those who may complain about the flashbacks: at least there the bridge that connected Naruto and Nagato together was Jiraiya, whom we can all agree was amazing and is perfectly fine to see/hear about in flashbacks. At least, from where I stand.
Since this episode was so flashback heavy, there really isn't anything to discuss because there wasn't any new material for the anime itself aside from the very beginning, when Tobi appears before Konan, and the end, which was amazing. I love the way they animated Konan's technique in this episode, and the very end... WHOA. Watching the water open up like that, I reminded of, like, the Red Sea being parted in the Bible. I'm not very big on religion, but we all know that small part of it. During that last scene I, honestly, was so in awe over the animation, how great it looked, that for a moment I forgot I was watching Naruto and I had to remind myself. That was A+ animation, especially for an anime whose animation can differ and vary so greatly from week-to-week.
I am very fond of this episode; give it a 5/5 for the sake of the decent flashbacks and the end + animation. I also really liked the little Rock Lee Chronicles at the end or whatever, after the preview for Shippuuden Episode 253 next week. The little mini-plot was cute and I liked seeing Sasuke and Naruto in the same scene like that, as a fan of their bond, if only for a few seconds. Lee was awfully cute, too~ I would've thought Naruto was saying Lee, too, although that was obviously the point. Lol.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the next episode. And I'm hoping that, while I liked the flashbacks for Episode 252, that Episode 253 isn't so flashback filled.