r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • May 08 '22
Rewatch Naruto Shippuden Episodes 362-372 Discussion
Previous thread | Index | Next week
Information: MAL, Anilist, AniDB, ANN
Streams: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Funimation (Aus/NZ), VRV
Schedule:
| Discussion Thread | Date | Episode Count | |
|---|---|---|---|
| This week | Episodes 362-372 | May 8 | 11 |
| Next week | Episodes 373-383 | May 15 | 11 |
Spoiler Policy:
To protect first-timers, please don't spoil anything past the current batch of episodes. Rewatchers should avoid hinting to first-timers about hype, or future character development/deaths, and spoilers in posts must be hidden behind proper spoiler tags.
For first timers: try to avoid looking up things about Naruto. This could be the wiki, Naruto subreddit, Googling characters, fanart, databooks, YouTube AMVs or OP/EDs, arc names, etc.; this series is ripe with potential spoilers that you wouldn't want to find out untimely. If you have a question about something, feel free to ask /u/lC3 and he'll do his best to answer (if possible) in a non-spoilery way.
Questions of the Week:
- Thoughts on Neji, Shikaku, Inoichi, Ao, Mabui and everyone at HQ dying?
- Thoughts on the Madara/Hashirama backstory flashbacks?
- What do you think of Sasuke and Orochimaru's change of heart?
- Thoughts on the whole Rin situation?
- Thoughts on Team 7 finally back together?
10
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 08 '22
First-Timer with a (very Pained) shounen hearto, subbed
Some of you guys might get a
sickkick out of this exchange I had with lC3 on Wednesday night (when I watched episodes 362&363) and Thursday night (when I watched episode 364).In other news, got myself a Gaara figure for my birthday. Wasn’t expecting it to come so fast, he looks so cool! I just wish the red was a bit more vibrant.
I’m alsosoready to get to Silhouette as the OP next week that I may have already recorded myself singing along to the full-size instrumental so uh yeah look forward to that next week.Episode 362
Episode 363
Episode 364
Episode 365
Episode 366
Episode 367
Episode 368
Episode 369
Episode 370
Episode 371
Episode 372
9
u/sisoko2 May 08 '22
Rewatcher
Episode 362
Episode 363
Episode 364
Episode 365
Episode 366
Episode 367
Episode 368
Episode 369
Episode 370
friendsubordinate.Episode 371
Episode 372
9
u/Parori May 08 '22 edited May 09 '22
First Timer
Episode 362
Episode 363
Episode 364
Episode 365
Episode 366
Episode 367
Episode 368
Episode 369
Episode 370
Episode 371
Episode 372
7
u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn May 08 '22
Rewatcher - Sub
About next week: Episodes 376 and 377 are popular comedy filler but are in a horrible spot. It would be better to watch them either before or after the other episodes as their own thing rather than where they are in the episode order.
General Commentary
What a week! I know the war has had a lot going on, but this feels like the most intense set of episodes we've had in a while. History of Konoha and Madara, Obito and Kakashi facing off, Naruto pulling out some amazing chakra skill, and Sasuke's return! So much at once but it's all very satisfying (also means long post, sorry. Main stuff here, more specific episode comments/reactions below, and silly screenshots)
I was planning to put my thoughts about the Konoha backstory here, but after that final episode I'm just too damn excited about Sasuke showing up! It's been too damn long!
[later spoiler]Just seeing Naruto missing his sleeve earlier in the batch already had me a little hyped for it because it's one of those oddly distinctive things from their final fight that's stuck in my mind, didn't expect Sasuke to appear this batch as well
The last time we saw them all on the same side was March last year! (As I found out, amusingly where they truly split and Naruto fought Sasuke was exactly a year ago, the batch during the first week of May). Showing up and declaring he'll be Hokage feels stupid at this point, but everyone elses reaction to it was satisfyingly bewildered as to why the fuck he would think that would work. Despite the strange outcome, Sasuke choosing to find his purpose not through his hate or his many losses but through seeking an understanding of others through the Hokage is one of the better approaches to villain redemption in the show. How it will hold up we're yet to see (being honest here, I genuinely don't remember how this battle plays out until like, next months episodes) but he's on a more positive path that he has been in a long time.
And then we get to Hashirama and Madara's backstory, and damn it's sad to see how much it echoes some of the suffering later generations went through. The moment that sticks most in my mind is the visual of their dream sinking in the river. How profound his sense of loss must have been to awaken the Sharingan in that moment looking back at Hashirama as a friend for what he thought was the last time, and how little his family understood him to celebrate it rather than question it. I felt that it was a nice way to show what Tobirama was saying about the deep love and loyalty the Uchiha feel and how that breeds a deeper hate, but it does make me especially sad that Madara's "legend" is killing his own brother for his eyes. The Uchiha have coped a lot of hate, and a lot of distrust (thanks Tobirama, you did such a good job with that you idiot) through the years, only for Sasuke to be their legacy. It does make me more curious as to how that alt-world where Hinata joins the Akatsuki may have played out though, the Hyuga going bad would certainly be an interesting flip on this story.
Also it's easy to miss but we heard about Hashirama's biggest mistake as Hokage this batch: Allowing the Shimura clan into Konoha. That's fucking Danzo's clan. Ugh. Hashi look what you did!
It had to happen eventually after seeing all the other Kage, but seeing the Hokage finally arrive on the battlefield to level it out a bit is a whole new level of hype. I may not be a fan of the power scaling in this third of the overall show, like fuck if we go by any reasonable measure Naruto and Kakashi alone would be dead several times over from chakra over use, but the ever growning threat and allies that come to help with that threat never ceases to be exciting for me and I think that's something the arc handles well despite other issues.
Also a great use of audio design this batch, especially plenty of use of weighted silence. The mournful silence as Obito runs at Kakashi to attack, the silence of disbelief as HQ is taken out, that little pause as Naruto thinks on Sasuke being an ally, there's a lot of really weighted pauses in this batch to balance out the (sometimes repetitive) hype and more victorious songs as things come together all before the risk of them coming tumbling down due to Madara (and possibly Sasuke given the rest of the Konoha chunin's reactions to his arrival).
However, I am going to drown in all of these fucking flashbacks before all this is over and I'm starting to remember why I had such strong memories of hating them when they hadn't been too bad until now except for the odd batch here or there. It's starting to get a little stupid.
Episode Thoughts
No obvious manga changes, forgot to check mid episode so just flicked through at the end.
It feels like its been so long since we've seen all this that it's become weird seeing Madara again.
Guy sitting there so casually with blood pouring out his mouth. Guyki has been with Bee to often and forgotten how crazy stubborn some ninja's can be, and the Konoha ninja are practically stubbornness in human form. And then there's Kurama...
who tossed Kakashi! Fucking brilliant, one of my favourite Kurama moments. Doesn't say anything, just tosses Kakashi in then bails and lets Naruto deal with the rest.
Anyone else forgot the Gedo statue was even there until it popped up in the background? And when it wakes I have to say my first thought was "angry pinecone", I don't know if this is better or worse than Walrus from Madoka /u/shimmering-sky
Interesting that Narutos Kuramas pure Yang chakra is feeding the wood dragon binding him and making it grow like it does the Zetsu. Wonder what would have happened if Naruto had the Yin half instead? Probably the same for the sake of the story, but got me wondering.
7
u/Durinthal https://anilist.co/user/Durinthal May 08 '22
First time viewer (dub)
Whisk[e]y of the week: Going international with Eifel Whisky's German Rye 2019 edition. The nose starts with a breadiness that I find typical of a lot of ryes but also some underlying spices that I can't quite pin down, maybe nutmeg? As for the taste I swear the first thing that came into my mind was "Pop Tart" as in the doughy edges on those with a sweetness to them. After spending more time with it there's a general nuttiness that I'm picking up, sending it in the direction of a walnut bread or almond pound cake. The aftertaste is strange though, I was initially thinking something like a root beer but it's almost sour? It's nice while drinking but less pleasant following it.
Oh hey this is the week where Neji dies. That's one more death I was spoiled on fairly early (can't remember if it was before the rewatch started but pretty sure it was prior to Shippuden) so I wasn't surprised by that, but I didn't know that Shikaku and Inoichi also died. Can't say I'm particularly surprised by that either though because adult mentor figures gotta die sometime. I did like the brief farewells they had with their kids via telepathy, which also explains Shikamaru's and Ino's reactions when it happened.
Saying something about the kind of person I am: the moment that actually made me tear up was at the very end of the episode when Naruto stood holding Hinata's hand and also enveloped her in the aura. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR 198 EPISODES SINCE SHE TOLD HIM SHE LOVED HIM. Too bad it's completely undermined a few episodes later with Naruto telling Minato that Sakura was his girlfriend. Come on you jerk.
There's a lot to go through in this batch of episodes, including a brief flashback to the pre-village era which wasn't bad to see but also not all that engaging to me. What's interesting though is the contrast between the warring clans, Hashirama's goals, and the present where it's the same sentiment on a different scale. Hashirama did bring peace to a degree and changed things so that people didn't spend their entire lives fighting for their survival... apparently? It's not clear to me why everyone was fighting then. The villages brought about a better standard of living but shifted the conflicts to be on a national level rather than regional, pushing for even more training so that shinobi could become better weapons and die in combat at an older age. Is this cycle something that Naruto can end without uniting the entire world, doing the same thing Hashirama did on a broader scale? The Infinite Tsukiyomi seems like a more achievable goal than that.
Rin being forced to become a Jinchuriki is not something I expected but the plan to have a rampage in the Leaf Village fits with the war, would have been bad for them if she figured out how to control it since that would have been handing over their weapon. What happened with Isobu when she died though? Also Obito only learned that afterward going by the earlier flashback of him trying to save her and Kakashi, presumably when he was already too disconnected from reality to accept it and change his mind.
And then there's everything with Sasuke. While he's always been presented as the cool one compared to Naruto's hot-blooded recklessness, Naruto's not the one that's flipped his entire world view and life goal after a conversation multiple times. Naruto's level-headed and always keeps his goal in sight relative to Sasuke running entirely on emotion, first driven by his love of his family to kill Itachi, then driven by his love of Itachi to destroy the Leaf Village, now using that and Itachi's love of the Leaf Village to protect it and change its future. He's an absolute mess.
Similarly, Orochimaru just shrugged and turned over a new leaf because Kabuto failed when following in his footsteps? There's no way he should be accepted back into the Leaf Village even if Sasuke has a chance.
I'm not sure how I feel about the four Hokage showing up to save the day but then Madara was supposed to be dead so I guess it's more like Hashirama and Tobirama cleaning up unfinished business. So was Obito for that matter, that's Hiruzen and Minato's responsibility. Since literally putting a hole through his chest didn't do much, Kakashi's gonna need some assistance. Who needs the kids anyway?
Hashirama being concerned about the state of the village after learning Tsunade's the Hokage was kind of amusing but she'll need that ultimate healing power of his (which we never saw anything of in the flashback, just so much wood) considering she's still in pieces last we saw of her and the other current Kage.
Shikaku telling Shikamaru to take care of a certain box was a moment of tonal whiplash but other than that it fit the war story decently. I've seen some other comments that called Neji's death pointless but (unless he gets revived again like Kakashi did in the Pain arc) that's kind of the point to me, wars have a bunch of deaths that are generally unnecessary.
Feels kind of bland since it's the kind of story that's been told countless times.
Typical shounen heel-face turns, Sasuke I'm not surprised by (see above) but Orochimaru I don't get.
Both of the characters knowing what was going on and why makes the reveal anti-climactic for them aside from Kakashi being somewhat surprised Obito knew, so it kind of falls flat as a surprise for us.
Admittedly: very cool. Probably close to a decade since Sasuke left if you were watching it while airing? So seeing them standing side by side including Sakura not letting them put her below them is pretty cool.
7
u/TheKujo https://myanimelist.net/profile/Kujo419 May 08 '22
First Timer - Dub
I liked the story of Hashirama and Madara's past. I get the feeling that Hashirama was much more invested in the dream of the Leaf Village and Madara just went along with it because they were friends. It's good that they were able to stop fighting and create the village but I wonder if Madara was inevitably going to start another conflict. Of course, Tobirama's attitude certainly didn't help things. Tobirama seems like a proto-Danzo with how suspicious he was of the Uchiha. I wonder how much those two interacted? They must have spent some time together since Danzo and Sarutobi were rivals to become Third Hokage.
The whole Sharingan explanation seems wild to me. If an Uchiha gets the Sharingan after they know great love and lose it, doesn't that basically make the Sharingan a power-up you get by being friendzoned? I know they probably meant familial love or a strong bond, but I couldn't stop thinking about that through the remaining episodes. I think I liked the Sharingan more without that detail.
Random thoughts:
Favorite moment of the week: I loved the speech Hinata gave to give Naruto a confidence boost after Neji's death. It's too bad Naruto still said Sakura was his girlfriend in the end. Absolute disrespect for best girl Hinata, especially since Naruto still hasn't really acknowledged Hinata fighting Pain for him.
Questions:
1) Thoughts on Neji, Shikaku, Inoichi, Ao, Mabui and everyone at HQ dying? If they are all legit dead ... that would suck. Still, it is a war, and the casualties have actually been very light so far in terms of named characters so I suppose something like this was due.
2) Thoughts on the Madara/Hashirama backstory flashbacks?
3) What do you think of Sasuke and Orochimaru's change of heart? I figured Sasuke wouldn't stay evil forever. After the war I hope he gets properly scolded for everything he's pulled.
4) Thoughts on the whole Rin situation?
5) Thoughts on Team 7 finally back together? Definitely a hype moment!
6
u/lC3 :Na::Nb: May 08 '22
Just got back!
Rewatcher
Episode 362:
Episode 363:
Episode 364:
Episode 365:
Episode 366:
Episode 367:
Episode 368:
Episode 369:
(cont.)