Naruto Shippuden Episode 265 - An Old Nemesis Returns - Review / Thoughts

The review you are going to see now for Shippuden episode 265 is going to be a bit different than what I was going to type out originally. Why you ask? Because I actually took some time to think about what happened, and realised just how many things in this episode were wrong or annoying.

I'll start with the least annoying part - the flashbacks. Ok, we all knew they would be using them and that, as always, the Anime team would stretch them out even longer just to fill in some time. What could be worse than longer than needed flashbacks? Answer: Flashbacks that mess with original canon material.

For you see, flashbacks tend to get on the nerves of fans at the best of times, but unfortunately the studio will also decide for some reason to actually take a lot of liberties with said flashbacks, and alter or change some events in a way that either doesn't make sense or else cheapens the original part. Today we are faced with the latter.

Remember how Zabuza was so badly injured after his fight with Kakashi that he had to ask to be brought over to rest by Haku at the end of his life? Well in this one no such thing happened, instead he just walks over and falls down next to Haku of his own accord. Also, it completely missed out having to pull the blades out of himself, plus the part where he killed Gato for disrespecting Haku. It showed Naruto's speech to Zabuza, but then it just showed Zabuza killing a few nameless guys instead.

What else was annoying? The god awful animation and art throughout the episode. Now normally I am not one to complain, but seriously, it looks so bad I can't help but bring it up. Kabuto probably got screwed up the worst, compare him to other episodes and they look nothing alike, it's as if the team in charge of this episode were trying to draw him from memory and a brief description, and as a result he came out of it looking terrible.

Oh, and special mention to the fact that for god knows what reason, they decided to give Haku lipstick in this episode. Yes, you read that right, THEY GAVE HAKU LIPSTICK. We all know the way people got confused about whether Haku was a boy or girl, that was the point at the time, but of course we know he's a boy. Why the people in charge of this episode decided then to make him wear lipstick is just beyond me, not just in the flashbacks, but throughout the episode he is seen wearing it. I haven't facepalmed so many consecutive times during a Naruto episode for a very long time.

The other poor thing about the episode is the soundtrack. Now I like both the original's and Shippuden's soundtrack, and when used right it can really add to the emotion and atmosphere. Unfortunately though the choices here were pretty bad, it was ruined by the wrong song choices at the wrong time, and misusing the awesome theme from the Minato and Kushina episodes was the thing that really stuck with me.

To begin with this review was going to be different as I said, I was going to say how it was nothing special but nothing bad all the same. After really thinking about it though (and for the reasons above), I honestly can't say that anymore, and saying anything other than this being a very poor effort from the Anime team would be a lie. So an episode basically full of flashbacks, poor music choices, and awful animation and art. I guess this is what happens when you send your best teams to go and work on the upcoming movie.

Bleach Chapter 494 - The Closing Chapter Part One - Review / Thoughts

Oh damn, when Kubo said about all the major stuff that was going to happen and how Soul Society was never going to be the same, he really wasn't trolling this time. 1000 deaths in 7 minutes, who says Kubo doesn't kill off any characters?

I was so surprised by what happened in this chapter I kind of went through it in a daze, I knew things were going to get serious now the invasion had started, but damn, never did I think the first named casualty would come so soon.

Of course for those of you who have read the chapter (or have seen the pic above) will know, I am referring to Kira. No way was I expecting someone like him to die, especially so early. I always thought Kira was a decent character, I didn't love him but I certainly didn't hate him, but I am not going to lie, what happened to him here just blew me away.

While reading the chapter (and for a while after) I was just stunned more than anything else, 1000 deaths in Soul Society in only 7 minutes, and one of them being Kira?! Now it's had the chance to set in, I actually feel really sad about what happened to Kira. No kind of epic battle, no backstory, just bam! one hit and he had a whole blown through him before he could even swing his sword in the Quincy's direction.

I have to commend Kubo for having the balls to do it, and he is showing Kishimoto how a war should be written. With Naruto there have been no deaths of any notable characters throughout the whole war arc, and it's been going on for a while now. Come on, a war arc without any deaths? That's just absolutely ridiculous.

Kubo on the other hand has killed off unknown (fodder) characters, and already one named character, and he has had far less time to do so. I am not saying war in Manga should be 100% about characters dying, but if there are no deaths on either side it not only looks stupid but also shows that the author lacks the courage to get rid of a character who has any sort of fanbase.

Tite Kubo has been on fire in this arc, I honestly can't fault him for anything he has chosen to do thus far, whereas with Naruto it seems extremely dragged out with nothing much of note taking place. This is not me just using this post to have a go at Kishimoto, but instead just trying to explain why I feel Bleach is handling things 1000 times better than Naruto is, and why I have a lot of respect for Kubo at this present time.

Bleach is getting darker, more serious, and all round more epic with every passing week. Kubo has shown that he is willing to kill characters off and also how bloody and brutal war can be. I get the feeling Kira will be the first of many casualties for Soul Society, and at this present time I don't know how they are going to have any hope of challenging the Quincy.

But what I can say without a doubt is that this chapter was shocking, but very good at the same time. I can't recommend this arc strongly enough for Bleach fans, and I can see people looking back in years to come and realising just how damn good Tite Kubo was during this arc.

Naruto Chapter 588 - Bearing the Shadow - Review / Thoughts

If the recent Naruto chapters have been a disappointment, 588 sure as heck isn't! After a lot of drawn out chapters recently, things finally begin to pick up again here, and unsurprisingly this comes from none other than Madara Uchiha.

This chapter was just brilliant, it's been a while since I have been able to say that, but as always Madara makes his appearance count and makes Naruto become interesting and exciting once again. What with the way the chapter started, I thought this was just going to wrap up Sasuke and Itachi, but instead it went off course pretty quickly in to the chapter. While I am on the subject of Itachi and Sasuke, I just want to quickly go over it.

Now before anyone accuses me of bashing Itachi or being one of his haters, I should say that Itachi has been in my top 3 characters in the series ever since his debut, but of late he is beginning to get on my nerves.

The way he just basically refuses to try and help Sasuke and instead says he will leave it to Naruto is just such a dick move on his part. I understand he probably thinks that since he should have never come back from the dead, he should try and leave things as they were, but come on, he has seen how Sasuke has turned out, and yet he won't do a thing about it himself.

For all the things Sasuke has done and been criticised for (right back to when he first alligned himself with Orochimaru), people often forget that it was down to Itachi (and Danzo of course who forced through the whole thing) why he became so dark and his mind so twisted and filled with rage. I was actually glad Sasuke called Itachi out on it in this chapter, because he is right with what he is saying, and to me it just seems like Itachi knows he did wrong, but refuses to try and put anything right, instead just leaving it up to Naruto to do the work for him.

I also disliked how he said a couple of times about how he had no bonds or ties to the world anymore. I mean come on, really? You're just going to stand there and say that in front of your little brother who idolises you and who would probably do anything for you? That was a huge dick move on Itachi's part too, it was such a cold and heartless thing to say. And despite his claims, I think that Itachi would definitely be able to help / change Sasuke, and that he wouldn't need Naruto at all. While of course Naruto now has been all but confirmed to be the one to change him, I see no reason why the person Sasuke loves and respects more than anyone else in the world wouldn't be able to, and I just see it as Itachi trying to dodge his responsibility.

Anyway, enough of my mini rant about Itachi.

The Madara stuff in this chapter was just epic. I was surprised the Kage were able to deal with the clones, but damn, Madara has become serious at long last and now things are about to get interesting. A perfect form of Susanoo? Yes please! I don't know what makes it perfect (and by essence makes the others imperfect), but I honestly can't wait to see just what it's capable of, and how on earth anyone is going to be able to stop a serious and pissed off Madara Uchiha.

That's what I like about Madara, his strength is just off the charts insane and he is not afraid to show off that power. Whenever he is involved, the chapter becomes amazing. Of course the 5 Kage deserve credit too because they have been pulling off some awesome moves as well and have kept things interesting, but the other thing I like about the Madara chapters is the unpredictable nature of them. Nobody would have guessed about there being a perfect Susanoo, and who could have guessed that it would end up being Onoki giving Madara the most trouble, and even being the person Madara has singled out as the person he needs to take out first?

I can't see anyone being unhappy about this chapter, the 5 Kage vs Madara fight continues to get better and better and is a welcome change of pace from the recent Itachi, Sasuke and Kabuto stuff, and we have almost seen the end of the Itachi and Sasuke business (although it wouldn't surprise me if Sasuke ended up attacking Itachi so that he can't stop Edo Tensei, but that's a different matter). Overall a fantastic chapter that more than makes up for the lack of quality of the past few, and has left me once again desperately wanting to see what happens next.

Naruto Shippuden Episode 264 - Secrets of the Reanimation Jutsu - Review / Thoughts

With Shippuden episode 264, it's very much split in to two halves, one which deals with Naruto training with Killer Bee, and the other dealing with Kabuto explaining Edo Tensei to Madara / Tobi.

As I said above, this episode is kind of split in two, and as such, my view is pretty 50 / 50 on it too. Naruto's  failed attempt at taking on the form of the Kyuubi was a pretty funny moment, and it was nice to see the humour of it remained in the Anime version. I also like the kind of rap theme they have made for Killer Bee, as it's not completely serious but it's not really goofy either, and it makes a perfect fit for the kind of guy Bee is.

Though that aside, I admit I found the long explanation about the Kyuubi chakra boring, and I am not a fan of Naruto's training sessions as a whole, so it comes as no real surprise I didn't enjoy those particular sections of the episode.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed the second half that focused on Tobi and Kabuto. I am actually really pleased with this, as it finally laid to rest all the rumours and speculation of who was in the 3rd coffin back when Orochimaru fought the 3rd Hokage. Yes, it was going to be Minato, but Sarutobi didn't stop it, it just failed because Minato's soul was sealed in the reaper.

But I digress, it also of course went to show how Edo Tensei worked and how it could be stopped. It was pretty damn cool seeing Madara being so ruthless in just snapping the neck of Danzo's former assistant, and then getting Kabuto to use Edo Tensei on the remaining live person to turn him in to a vessel for the dead man. It was really cruel and pretty sadistic, but that was really good as it goes to show how ruthless the villains actually are.

Kabuto's relationship with Madara is also pretty interesting, as we know Madara himself was blackmailed in to accepting in the first place, and it's still clear to see there is no trust whatsoever in their partnership. Now he knows the secrets of Edo Tensei, plus having shown he won't tolerate Kabuto's greed or arrogance in this episode, we could well end up seeing the two falling out before long, and the possibilities that would come from that would be great to see.

Overall this was a pretty good episode, though I mainly say that for the Kabuto and Madara parts, as I wasn't a fan of Naruto's training. If however you are one of the people who enjoy the Naruto and Bee segments, this would be a brilliant episode for you.

Next week unfortunately it looks like we may be in for a lot of flashbacks. I won't say what they are about even though they were in the preview, but I just hope the Anime team doesn't use it as an excuse to pad out almost an entire episode with them like they did a few times during the Kage Summit arc.

Bleach Chapter 493 - Light of Happiness - Review / Thoughts

Damn, Bleach 493 sure knows how to deliver and have you wanting more pages! Yes, this week we get a taste of just how ridiculously strong Kirge is, plus the start of Buckbeard's invasion of Soul Society, what's not to like?

Kirge's powers seem extremely overpowered and hax, though in essence it's just like a stronger version of Ishida's final attack against Mayuri back in the SS arc (though of course there is no loss of powers for Kirge when using his, hence my view on it being ridiculously good). The way he was tearing through everything - including taking down Ayon in seconds - was just amazing, basically Appaci, Mila-Rose, Sun-Sun, Chad and Orihime were all screwed until Ichigo arrived at the last minute in Bankai form to save them.

Ichigo vs Kirge should be nothing short of epic, and then of course you also have Buckbeard's invasion of Soul Society. The way he just appeared inside of the barrier they had put up without anyone noticing was just brilliant, and now with him there the war will officially get under way. Considering how strong Kirge is, I don't know how on earth Soul Society are going to be able to resist, especially considering it stands to reason that Buckbeard is going to be significantly stronger than Kirge.

This was a pretty awesome chapter I have to say. While I wouldn't say it was the best chapter Kubo ever put out, I would definitely give it a 4 out of 5 for Kirge's badass takedown of Ayon and for the epic way Buckbeard just appeared in Soul Society. Kubo has been consistently delivering during this arc, and this is easily his best work since Turn Back the Pendulum, so I have even higher hopes for this fantastic arc as it continues.

Bleach is topping Naruto every week now and that shows no signs of changing. For anyone who gave up after being disappointed by the Fullbring arc, I urge you to read Bleach again, as this could well end up being Kubo's finest work. Awesome chapter, and things look even better for next week, bring on the next chapter Kubo!

Naruto Chapter 587 - At 9.... - Review / Thoughts

As another week and another chapter of Naruto passes by, we are still left waiting for the end of Edo Tensei. Yes, that's right, despite setting things up last week, chapter 587 still doesn't deal with Kabuto's technique.

Instead we get a nice long explanation of what Izanami does, and how it was used by past members of the Uchiha clan. I can certainly see why it would annoy someone considering how much of the chapter was taken up by it, and tbh I wasn't exactly thrilled either. The explanation was fine and even kind of cool, but it did drag on far too long.

The chapter also goes to show how flawed Sasuke's thinking is. To him, Itachi is perfect and can do no wrong, this despite Itachi admitting he is a very flawed person. It does make more sense as to why Sasuke became so enraged over his death and why he has such a grudge against Konoha, as it is bad enough losing your brother in such a way, but if you truly believe that he was perfect and could do no wrong as well, then it only makes the pill even more bitter to swallow.

As expected, of course there is a way for Kabuto to end the Izanami as well, and to be honest I can definitely see that happening very soon. I still don't buy in to the idea of Edo Madara being forced to disappear, as it would be an extremely cheap way to get rid of him and a lot of fans would be left feeling cheated, and I don't think Kishi will let that happen in such an important part of the story.

I thought this chapter was ok, if not padded out with information that could and should have taken about half the amount of pages to get through. If someone hated this chapter for being slow paced and boring I couldn't really fault them, but personally I just felt it was ok, but certainly nothing special. Hopefully Kishi can turn things around next week after the recent dip in form.

Naruto Shippuden Episode 263 - Sai and Shin - Review / Thoughts

Episode 263 of Shippuden did something I am very happy about, something I have been hoping for and something I hope shall continue. What is this I am talking about? Adding filler, but actual good filler.

For those who don't read the Manga, none of the flashbacks involving Sai and Shin actually happened in it. Shin was obviously talking with Sai while Sasori and Deidara were being dealt with, but it was pretty much all off panel. I won't spoil anything for you of course if you're an Anime only watcher, but there are certainly many times coming up where adding portions of filler like this again would be extremely welcome, and it's what me and many other readers are hoping for.

The best part is that it was done well, the music choices were good and it did a great job of portraying how Sai feels. In the Manga nothing was really elaborated on, it was simply that Shin is Sai's brother and that's why he doesn't want to fight. The Anime actually did well in giving Shin a proper backstory, and also even how he died.

The fights themselves would have no doubt felt very disappointing, as despite Sasori being so strong and an Akatsuki member, to end up not even having a proper exit the second time around is sure to piss off his fans. I remember being annoyed by it back when I read the chapter in the Manga, but of course knowing it was coming lessened the blow for me.

As I said, the parts with Sai and Shin were really nicely done, especially as they are purely Anime content. While probably not technically classed as canon, since it doesn't screw around with the facts that have been established, I welcome such additions as it really builds on the characters and emotions.

This was a pretty good episode overall, and the parts with Sai and Shin (aside from hitting home once again just how much I despise Danzo) more than made up for the disappointment at the lack of proper fights. The war will get better I can assure you of that, but if someone really disliked the episode / content for what happened with what should have been the two battles, I wouldn't be surprised nor would I blame them.

Bleach Chapter 492 - Balancer's Justice - Review / Thoughts

Bleach has been on really good form throughout this arc, and for the most part chapter 492 continues that. However, it's still not perfect, as unfortunately it also got a little bogged down unnecessarily.

I am of course referring to Shino and Yuki, the two new characters who were introduced in this arc. Aside from being pretty dislikeable in the first place, interjecting them in to what was otherwise a strong chapter is hardly going to win them many fans, especially as the role they played was pointless for anyone who has been reading or watching Bleach all these years.

Ayon was (pardon the phrase) a beast. He just went on a huge fecking rampage and pulverised Kirge in to the ground. Seriously, he just really went to work on him, punching and smashing him literally in to the ground. It was so intense that Orihime was visibly shocked and acted like it was so gruesome she couldn't believe her eyes, and even Chad commented on how what Ayon was doing was just overkill.

What's really impressive is the fact Kirge somehow managed to not only survive the incredible beating he took (heck, Apacci comments on how amazing it is that he even remained in one piece), but also stabbed Appaci right through the chest. He then got up and shrugged it off like it was nothing, and that was as impressive as heck. It was always likely he was going to win that particular battle, but damn, if that kind of beating doesn't stop him, I really don't know what will.

The battle between Kirge and Ayon was brilliant, and if the whole chapter had been that, then I would have been commmenting on how good it was. Unfortnately though, as I said earlier, it was bogged down by the unnecessary appearance of Shino and Yuki, whose only purpose in this chapter was to give us a recap of why the Quincy and Shinigami are constantly fighting each other. We saw all of this years ago back when we were finding out more about Ishida, so to throw this crap in amongst an awesome fight was nothing more than a waste of everyone's time.

Overall I will still say it's a good chapter purely based on the Kirge vs Ayon stuff, but there is no denying that the Shino and Yuki part was pointless and awful. My advice is to skip their parts as it will tell you nothing you didn't already know, and if you focus purely on the fight, this is a brilliant chapter.

Naruto Chapter 586 - Izanami Activates - Review / Thoughts

So, in Naruto 586, after all the weeks of building up to it, Izanami has finally been revealed, but was it as epic as people were predicting?

In short, no it wasn't. There were a lot of predictions made about Izanami, from rewinding time to (my own guess) altering the future, but it turned out to be something different altogether.

To be perfectly honest, as well as being extremely underwhelming, because of the very nature of the technique, it ensured that a lot of time would be wasted and that the chapter would become rather boring. If you haven't read the chapter yet, then I can tell you that the technique seems to be an especially strong Genjutsu that traps the person in a loop of repeating the same event over and over again, while in reality, they are just standing completely still and unaware of anything.

By doing this, several pages were literally just the same panels over and over again just so that the nature of the technique could be shown. Obviously to some extent it was going to have to be done, but to waste so many panels seems criminal, especially after all the weeks of slow paced flashbacks and the hyping of the technique.

I would have been far happier with either version of the fan predictions in all honesty, as it just turning out to be a stronger Genjutsu seems really lame and a huge letdown. Most people assumed that with all the build up and hype that something epic would happen when it was finally used, but I suspect most people will feel disappointed by what it actually turned out to be.

This chapter was the weakest in a long time, and I honestly can't say I enjoyed it. Far too many repeat panels and the underwhelming reveal of Izanami made for a very poor chapter overall, and has left me with a sense of utter disappointment. I am hoping Kishi shows us or does something special next week to make up for this, but as of now, this just feels like wasted potential.

What Is / What Will Itachi's Izanami Do or Be? (Theory)

Itachi's Izanami - What will happen when he uses it / what will it do?  Of course this is a question Naruto fans have been asking and trying to figure out since the first chapter it was mentioned, and in what's a first for me and my site, I am going to discuss my own idea of what I think it may be.

As I said, I haven't done anything like this before either here or on my old site, but I thought it might be interesting putting out my theory for others to see and debate about. And who knows, depending on how popular / how interested people are in this, I may make future prediction posts too.

Now then, on to the theory itself.

Since the OVA came out showing the fight between Madara and Hashirama Senju at the VotE, a lot of people singled out one scene in particular where they say it shows Madara supposedly rewinding time using his EMS to send back Shuriken that were aimed at him. Where this ties in to things is that a lot of people have been using this to fuel the idea that maybe Izanami is going to be that same technique and that Itachi will be able to rewind time with it too, but I disagree with that.

When you think about it, it really wouldn't fit in or make much sense, especially when you think about what Izanagi already does. With Izanagi, that's almost like a rewind time technique in of itself. I know technically it doesn't rewind time, but it still does save a person's life by taking back an action that is about to (or already happened). If Izanami was just rewinding time, then I still couldn't see it being able to go that far back, and if it were only a few minutes or seconds, it would be far too similar to Izanagi.

Itachi himself said  "If Izanagi changes fate, then Izanami decides it."  which of course was deliberately very vague. However, I think that, rather than rewinding time, Izanami will let Itachi change the future. It seems far more plausible, plus the "deciding fate" comment for Itachi would fit in much better. I don't know exactly what Itachi would do (though probably going to the future and placing Kabuto under Genjutsu or forcing him to stop Edo Tensei or something).

We also know how Kishimoto loves using Japanese mythology in his work, and indeed, Izanagi was a god in that too. In the story, Izanami was the wife of Izanagi, and was a goddess of both creation and death. I won't go in to a long speech about it as I don't want to bore you, but perhaps interesting is that at one stage, an angry Izanami swore to her husband (Izanagi) that she would kill 1,000 men per day, to which Izanagi replied that he would simply create 1,500 men to make up for it. Funnily enough, Izanami died giving birth to someone named Kagutsuchi, which of course is one of Sasuke's fire techniques, so it's clear Kishi likes linking the Uchiha with these gods (having now done so with Amaterasu, Izanagi, Izanami and Tsukuyomi to name a few).

More to the point, although she was known for both creation and death, since Izanagi essentially gave life to the person who was about to die, it enhances the possibility that Izanami will do something to end someone's life. Indeed, it would also fit in well with the comment about deciding fate, as what could be more decisive than ending someone's life? The only problem is that Itachi has repeatedly said that he can't afford to kill Kabuto, so we know he isn't going to use Izanami to actually kill him.

Maybe what he means by deciding fate is that, rather than killing Kabuto and deciding his fate, Izanami will instead let him decide the fate of the Edo Tensei, with him maybe getting the chance to seal them all away himself with his Totsuka Sword?

Of course that's just an idea, and I am just trying to make sense of Itachi's vague comments and the possibility of Kishi again taking the outline (or at least inspiration) from Japanese mythology once more.

While I don't know how or what he will do with Izanami, I am fairly confident in my prediction that it will involve going in to the future at the very least.

In any case, feel free to leave your own thoughts below on what you think it could be, or of course, if you disagree with my theory, then also feel free to leave a comment!












*Now I know how these debates often turn in to insults and petty name calling, but please refrain from doing that as there really is no need. If you disagree, please at least be civil about it and post a reasoned argument for or against the other person's point.*

Naruto Shippuden Episode 262 - War Begins! - Review / Thoughts

A slightly late review of Shippuden episode 262, but oh well, better late than never I suppose!

I am happy to say that following on from last week, this was another good episode and a fine way to start the war arc. It's actually been a while since I read these chapters in the Manga, so it does feel pretty fresh to me which is nice. I also always had a feeling that the Anime could end up being more enjoyable than the Manga, and from what I do remember, so far this has been the case (well in my personal view anyway).

I like that these past couple of episodes have done a good job on capturing some of the feelings of a war, with everyone being forced to take everything seriously, and with the villains being willing to use any means necessary to win, including the dirty tactic of using former allies and / or relations against each other. I am really glad to see Sasori back actually, he is definitely one of my favourite characters introduced in Shippuden, and so this is a nice chance for him to get some more of the spotlight for a while.

Him and Deidara, despite their artistic differences, actually make a pretty good team. Deidara's clay bombs are a great weapon, and I loved the way Sasori was controlling live people using his puppet strings to make them attack their own comrades. Also with them of course was Sai's brother - Shin. We know little about him, but it does look like in the next episode we will get some backstory on both him and Sai which I am looking forward to, especially as Sai has unfortunately taken a backseat throughout most of the story.

The war is going to be extremely difficult both physically and emotionally for members of the Shinobi Alliance, and Sai being made to face his brother is surely only the beginning. The dead vs the living in a war that will decide the fate of everyone was always going to be interesting, and thus far that's what it has been.

This episode set things up nicely and helped set the tone for what the war is going to be like, and along with some great music choices, it was also paced well and did just enough not to frustrate people with a lack of action, while at the same time leaving you desperate for the next episode to see just what happens next.

One last thing I want to suggest is that you don't watch the episode preview, as it's easy to see an annoying spoiler in it, so definitely avoid watching that if you haven't already read the Manga. But yes, overall a great episode, and I am definitely looking forward to the next one!

Naruto Shippuden Episode 261 - For My Friend - Review / Thoughts

So, my first Shippuden review for this site, and thankfully now with the series returning to canon I can have something good to say for the first time in a month!

The recent filler arc was just terrible (well actually, the very first of the 4 fillers was ok, but the other 3 were terrible). Myself (and many others) have been waiting for the canon to return though, and this episode was a nice way to bring things back.

In the last canon episode, we basically got to see Kabuto and Tobi preparing and heading out for war, so it's a nice return for the series as this one focuses on the Shinobi alliance's preparations. Not an awful lot happened content wise, but what did happen was very good.

Gaara did a fantastic job of rallying the troops, and to me showed why he will make an excellent leader of the alliance. Gaara had no problems admitting his flaws, but for the sake of his friend Naruto, and for the sake of stopping the Akatsuki from taking over the world, he asks for the help of all the Shinobi from every village.

Despite some villagers still bearing grudges against each other for various actions their respective villages did to one another, Gaara's heartfelt speech soon lifted the spirits of everyone in attendance, and got the anger to cease so that they could be united to stop Tobi and Kabuto. Gaara even promised that they could have his head at the end of the war if they are not satisfied, and it was amazing for Gaara to be showing so much maturity at such a young age.

A lot of people were questioning whether Gaara was the right person for the job, as in most cases it seems the fans would have preferred Kakashi to be the one in charge. Despite being a huge Kakashi fan though, after this episode I think it will silence a lot of Gaara's critics, or at the very least let them possibly rethink their stance on him.

Although short, it was also nice to see Tobi and Kabuto again, especially as Kabuto has started sending out his various Edo Tensei to the battlefield. There are definitely some awesome moments and fights coming up, and as a Manga reader I am also hoping certain things are expanded upon and added to the Anime. In any case, this episode was really good, and I certainly can't wait for next week when the war shall really begin!