Naruto Shippuden Episode 270 - Golden Bonds - Review / Thoughts

So after the break last week, Shippuden returns with episode 270, but was it worth the extra wait?

To be honest, no, not really. I can't say it's a bad episode, but it's no better than average in all honesty. I did like the way all the nameless ninja worked together to try and delay Kinkaku, the attacks looked pretty cool and it did also allow for Darui to pull off a badass double Black Panther attack.

Though the way Kinkaku was defeated wasn't that great, and I could fully understand if someone got annoyed by it. At worst it's trolling, and at best it's very anti-climactic. The episode also had a few inconsistencies, just for an example, it should have been impossible for Darui to hold on to the legendary weapons as long as he did. Just in the last (canon) episode we were told how it was a massive drain on a person's chakra to use them, and rightfully Darui was exhausted.

This week though Darui held on to them throughout the entire fight and never came close to even passing out, let alone losing his life as we were told a person would. The Anime also wrongly claimed that the second Hokage was killed by Kinkaku, when in truth he died in a battle against 20 elite ninja from the cloud village, so he never died just against the one opponent (Kinkaku).

On the plus side though, the Ino-Shika-Cho thing was pretty cool and they did even add the odd bit of humour. Sure it can be argued they didn't deserve to win (as I mentioned earlier), but that aside, their team-up worked well and it was nice seeing some of the Konoha 11 getting a chance to properly participate in the war.

Also interesting of course is that it looks like they will be fighting against not only Kakuzu, but also their former sensei - Asuma. Making people fight against their own friends and relatives is an extremely cruel thing indeed, and it's one of the things that makes the Edo Tensei such a despicable technique. Though with that said, obviously it makes things a lot more interesting for us viewers/readers, so I am happy enough with it!

Overall this episode had some good moments, but it also had its' share of bad too, so I can't say it's really much better than average as a whole. It's still worth checking out though and is a decent way to spend 20+ minutes, just don't go expecting anything special.

*Next week is a filler episode as well "Road to Sakura" and so I may not bother watching or reviewing it, but if you really want me to, leave a comment below and let me know*

Naruto Shippuden Episode 269 - Forbidden Words - Review / Thoughts

After the past couple of lacklustre Shippuden episodes, you could be forgiven for thinking episode 269 would be the same. Thankfully though, as I predicted, once Ginkaku and Kinkaku got to fight things improved a lot.

Gone are the long, tedious (and frequently boring) explanations and talking, and in is a lot of fighting between the Gold and Silver brothers - Kinkaku and Ginkaku and Darui's team.

As I said in previous reviews, I was really looking forward to seeing the fight in the Anime, and it didn't disappoint. Darui once again showed that not only is he a badass, he is also extremely quick on his feet when it comes to battle. His strategy when he was about to be sealed was brilliant, and I really liked seeing him escape like that.

Both Samui and Atsui got sealed very quickly which is a bit of a shame, but I guess it was kind of necessary to show just how the legendary tools worked so that the viewer (and Darui) knew the rules and could have hopes of countering them.

Then of course the end, and OH MAN things just got serious. We know how deadly Naruto used to be when entering any kind of Kyuubi form, and while we don't know just how much power Kinkaku will have from his one, you can bet that it's going to take an awful lot to fight him. No doubt seeing someone other than Naruto in this form will seem strange, but it's also a pretty cool thing to have, plus it is sure to keep fans guessing as to just what is to come next.

Overall I really enjoyed this episode, and to be honest I can't really think of any major faults or problems to mention. Luckily after the past couple of poor episodes things have picked up again, my only gripe now is that for some reason next week is ANOTHER without a Naruto episode. That's twice in a very short space of time, and still without any sign of an hour long episode to make up for it.

Naruto Shippuden Episode 268 - Battleground! - Review / Thoughts

For fans hoping for an awesome episode full of awesome battles, prepare to be disappointed. I can tell you before I go any further that the only good thing in this episode was Darui who you see above.

After last week's episode dragging so horribly, there was at least the promise of something good this week judging from the preview, but sadly it was very misleading.

For the most part this episode dragged just as horribly as the one from last week, and was once again really dull and boring as a result. There were more long tedious explanations, and the only thing in terms of fighting was some incredibly generic stuff with fodder throwing kunai at the Zetsus, and also a bit of incredibly basic Taijutsu that didn't accomplish much if anything.

I did enjoy the meeting between Hizashi and Hiashi though admittedly, and I do wish they had more time. I did find it strange though that Choza was talking with Asuma (and I think) Dan and set it up like they were going to battle, only for Choza to just end up fighting with some Zetsus the next time that area is revisited.

Darui was the best part of the episode though, for someone who doesn't say much and who until now hasn't done much, he sure is impressive and a very cool character. His Black Lightning looks so awesome, and the Anime team did a good job of showing his Black Panther technique here too. Darui really could be the surprise package of this war, and if he keeps up like this then there will always be something to look forward to in the coming episodes.

But as a whole this episode was once again pretty boring and frustrating, and I just wish that more action could be seen and a lot less talking which is slowing things down far too much. I have learned my lesson about trying to predict how good an episode will be just from an episode preview, so I will just say that when we do get to see Kinkaku and Ginkaku fight, as long as the Anime team don't screw up, it shall be a very good episode.

Naruto Shippuden Episode 267 - The Brilliant Military Advisor of the Hidden Leaf - Review / Thoughts

So after taking a break last week, Shippuden is back this week with episode 267, but has it been worth the extra wait?

To be perfectly honest, no it hasn't. This episode was extremely slow paced, and almost the whole thing was spent talking strategy.

Don't get me wrong, it's obvious that strategy is needed in a war, but there was certainly no need to have to show all the viewers this. It's not like anything major or surprising was planned out, all the needless details used would have been far better being off screen, as I doubt too many fans find spending 20 minutes hearing battle strategy all that entertaining.

I guess it was kind of entertaining hearing the conversation between the former Kage who had been revived with Edo Tensei, but aside from that, this episode was so slow and so boring you could be forgiven for mistaking it for filler. Quite honestly, it was like a canon filler episode pretty much.

I know it's setting up for next week, and the next episode does look like it could be pretty awesome, but that doesn't change the fact that getting through this episode is some task. It's not as if this episode is super horrible or terrible, it's just so unnecessarily slow that it drags terribly, leaving the viewer to keep watching in the hopes of just something, anything at all to actually happen, but it never does.

There's no way I could honestly recommend this episode to someone, if you're a diehard Naruto fan who must watch all the episodes then you might be ok with it, but for the most part you wouldn't be missing out in any way if you completely skipped this episode. My advice would be to maybe watch the part with the Edo Kage, and the (roughly) one minute scene with Kabuto right at the start of the episode, and then skip the rest. Hopefully next week shall make up for this rather lacklustre and disappointing episode.

Naruto Shippuden Episode 266 - The First and Last Opponent - Review / Thoughts

After last week's disappointing episode, I wasn't sure what to expect with Shippuden 266. Thankfully this week's episode was a major improvement over the last one, and as such was actually pretty good.

This episode covered 2 whole chapters worth of the Manga for those interested, and there was no kind of filler shown in the episode as far as I remember. We got to see the Seven Swordsmen showing off their skills and their individual blade techniques which was pretty awesome, plus of course Kakashi vs Zabuza and Haku was continued too.

That fight very closely mirrored the original fight between them, and I can see that's definitely going to be a love or hate type situation for a lot of people. I can't remember how I felt at the time of first reading it in the Manga as it's been quite a while, but I thought the idea of it being this way was actually quite a nice touch as it didn't drag things out unnecessarily, and it was also giving somewhat of a nod to the original Naruto series which is good for the long time fans of the show.

The episode itself was a major step up from last week too. The animation and characters actually looked fine throughout, and the music choices were pretty good as well. It was a little disappointing that Kakashi only used Raikiri considering all the techniques he has, but I guess that's to be expected nowadays.

One thing that does disappoint and annoy me though is what looks like a missed opportunity for the next episode. Kakashi got really pissed off at the end of this episode, and for me it was probably the best moment in it, and so of course we expect to see him kick some serious ass soon. Unfortunately judging by the episode preview though, they will be skipping the fight with the Seven Swordsmen once again.

For Anime only viewers, Kakashi and his squad vs the Swordsmen was skipped entirely after what you saw in this episode, and so me (and countless other fans) had assumed and desperately hoped that this would be included in the Anime instead. Naruto is always looking for filler episodes and ways to buy time, so it would only be logical to add a nice filler episode or two showing a pissed off Kakashi taking them on. If they do skip it I will be very unhappy, and unfortunately it does seem to be the case.

But back to this episode, overall while it had nothing special, it was still a pretty enjoyable episode all the same and well worth watching. The upcoming material should be pretty awesome as well depending on how the Anime team handle it, so there will hopefully be some good stuff ahead even if they skip Kakashi's rampage once again.

*Just a quick note: Naruto will not be on next week, as there is a Pokemon special on instead. The next episode of Shippuden will be shown in 2 weeks' time*

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.

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.

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.

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!