Tag Archives: Manga

The Villagers in Naruto are BIGOTS

So in Anime fashion, we’ve reached another set of filler episodes (which I KINDA don’t get since the manga is done and has been done HOWEVER, I don’t complain about fillers. I want the show to last forever. I’m desperate. I’ll take a 30 episode filler about Neji or Itachi, I don’t care I don’t care I don’t care).

Spoiler Alert:

infinite

These current fillers focus on Madara’s Infinite Tsukuyomi and what each character is dreaming. We’ve already seen Tenzo’s, Killer B, and TenTen (Neji is alive and all touchy feely with her I LIVE!). Now we seem to be the dream of Tsuande. It’s an alternate universe (based of Jiraya’s stories) where Minato is still the Fourth Hokage, Kushina is still alive, and Naruto has grown up with both of his parents. However, he is still the Jinchuriki, and is still a hyperactive, loudmouth brat with a slap and tickle with kunai frenemy relationship with Sasuke (as well as his crush on Sakura). Their friendship is more begrudging respect, and it even shows the affection (although hardboiled and rough around the edges) that Sasuke has for Naruto. Everything is the same, except a step to the right, in what you would think would have bee the ideal world for Naruto.

Except that line of thinking is wrong.

Guess what’s still the EXACT EXACT EXACT the same, tho? The village prejudice. This prejudice has even sneaked its way into the ranks of the Konoha 11, causing Shikamaru and Choji, of all people, to distance themselves from Naruto.Outside of my great horror that Shikamaru and Choji of all people have adopted this position, it allowed me to see one thing.

The villagers, on a whole, are not worth shit.

In the very first episode of this dream, we see, as mentioned, an energetic, ambitious Naruto. He runs along the roof with a huge smile on his face, excited with the possibility that his next mission will be a S-ranked one. Nothing about Naruto presents as a threat. He has never lost control of Karuma, there has been no an attack on the village WITH Naruto as a Jinchuuriki. He’s never hurt anyone.

Regardless of that, guess who’s still a prejudice packed of idiots?

That’s right. The villagers.

As Naruto runs, a group of ladies are watching him, one who uses an obvious slur to denote Naruto’s Jinchuuriki status, and is only stopped from continuing by another in the group who reminds her that Naruto is still “The Young Lord”, son of the Hokage. Her mean words begrudgingly come to a stop.

Naruto then stops by a mask shop to purchase a fox mask, one similar to an ANBU mask, because who knows what path Naruto would have taken if the Akatsuki and the War hadn’t have come along. His sudden appearance scares the shop owner. And as Naruto is trying to purchase the mask, the shop owner tries to give it to him for free as the Hokage would scold him for making him pay. Naruto insists that he has to pay (because he is a sweet boy) but sees he doesn’t have the money so he promises to return to buy the mask. This seems like a sweet gesture and evidence that Naruto was raised to have manners and respect the villagers. They can’t see that, however. As soon as Naruto leaves, the shop owner tells his wife to throw salt and that if Naruto wasn’t “The Young Lord” they would have ran him out of the village years ago.

Note: Throwing Salt Over Your Left Shoulder Was Often Done To Get Rid Of Bad Luck. The Thought Is That The Devil, That Tricky Son Of A Bitch, Was Standing Behind You, Obviously Always On Your Left Side, And That The Salt Would Land In His Eyes, And Thus Distract Him From Causing Any Real Mischief.

I hate the villagers. Not only in Konoha, but in every village there is a Jinchurikki. They are scardy cat gross people.

Let’s break down the word and definition of Jinchuriki for you. Jinchūriki (人柱力, Literally meaning: Power of Human Sacrifice) are humans that have tailed beastssealed within them. They exhibit extraordinary powers due to the immense chakra reserves they possess. (via http://naruto.wikia.com/)

jinchuuriki

The words Power, Human, Sacrifice should mean something to these people. It means something to me!

Now, granted there have been a few, such as Gaara, who have been uncontrollable Jinchuuriki. (Gaara’s bloodlust was born from the prejudice his village (and family) had shown him. He was a bright a loving child before that malevolence and probably, if he had been built up with love, he could have battled Shakaku in a better manner, rather than letting his poison his mind.) Because the Tailed Beast are associated with wild uncontrollably power, it makes sense for people to be wary and maybe fearful of that power.

HOWEVER…

It’s terrible to hate someone for something they had no control in becoming. There aren’t many Jinchuurikis who CHOSE to be Jinchuurikis. Normally the ones who chose to be this are generally evil or misguided (Hello Madara and Obito!). So for those, where this was forced on them, usually as babies or small children, for a village of adults to treat a child this way is ridiculous.

But is it really ridiculous…as in abnormal?  Naruto, at its center, is a story of prejudice, preconceived or taught. Most of the characters were introduced to prejudice early on and it helped shaped the way they were raised. Naruto and the other Jinchuurikis, Sasuke and the Uchiha betrayal. Kakashi and his father’s suicide. On the other end of that, you have people who were introduced to prejudice and let it guide them; a young Neji comes to mind.

What irritates me about this is the way the characters who are the subject to this discrimination decide (and eventually fulfill) this unspoken requirement to gain the favor of the village or as Naruto says “Make the village acknowledge me. (Think about how heartbreaking that is for a moment. That a child has to—okay, I’m getting distracted.)

cryingnaruto

The only fault I’ve ever found with Naruto, besides NEJI FUCKING DYING (and ruining a ship I’d been planning like an arranged marriage since they were kids. NejiTen FIVE EVER!) is this one fact:

The underlying message here is this: It’s not the village who has to improve, it’s Naruto. It’s not the village who has to become better, be filled with better people, do fucking better…it’s Naruto. Naruto has to train with abandon, be a beacon of hope and tireless optimism for himself and those around him, have the ethical stamina of a saint, almost die, and save the village, and it’s only then, only then, after he puts his life on the line for a village that has hated him since he was BORN, do they finally acknowledge him.

narutoein

Do you understand my anger?

Understand what I’m saying. The village never ever ever got over their prejudice for Naruto as a Jinchuuriki. It only became a secondary factor because he saved them.  That’s the condition. What Kishimoto is telling us is the ONLY way the villagers accepted Naruto is basically because…they had to. They are somewhat decent people, you don’t outwardly hate your savior. You can still be scared, resentful, full of hate…but you can’t do it out in the open now.

This message ties into so many other facets of life. People, every day, are hated for things they cannot control, whether it be the color of their skin, their sexuality, what gender they identify with, what language they speak. Kishimoto is letting you in on a secret. People will hate you for those things and there is nothing you can do to get through to them, no matter how sweet, kind, noble, ethical, upstanding or righteous you are. People will still hate you. And sometimes for that hate to be set aside, you have to damn near throw yourself on a sword for them to acknowledge you.

And I hate that it had to happen to Naruto. It shown in a way that makes you cry (because boy did I cry at the end of the Pein arc), it’s supposed to make you feel all warm and bubbly, but when you start peeling back the layers, you see…

hokage

Nothing really changed. The hate remained. Naruto went on to be one of the Heros of The War and eventually Hokage, which changed him in the eyes of the youth (as exhibited in Naruto the Last). But it only reinforced one thing. Naruto, in the end, STILL had to prove himself, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he wasn’t “the devil” to gain the love of the villagers. It is my opinion that even AFTER the Pein arc, that making him Hokage would have been out of the question. With his victory during the Fifth Shinobi War, he reinforced the notion that in order to be accepted, he had to excel leagues in front of his peers.

The villagers are terrible people.

 

 

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IMG_20151226_150942  Jade is an author, blogger with ToySldrs and BankaiAndChill, as well a vlogger on Youtube. Check her out on her channel at Bankai and Chill.

New Attack on Titan Live Action Trailer

Preface. For some of you who aren’t all that familiar with Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) I’ll give you a little briefer. In some nondescript German..European town of some sort, a 50 foot wall has been built around it. There are actually three, the outer one being Maria (that’s the one you’l see that big ass Titan hovering over with the hot ass breath), the middle Rose and the inner most one that protects the King, Sina.

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The reason this wall exist is because for some unknown unexplained reason (there is a reason BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO READ TO FIND OUT) these humanoid monsters ranging from “Wow, that’s tall,” to “WOW THAT’S PRETTY DAMN TALL” to “WOW WHAT THE FUCK,” showed up and began eating humans (without a real need, they have no stomachs.)

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So, that’s about all the information you need (other than the first episode of the Anime is terrifying and irrevocably sad.)

WITH THAT BEING SAID, Japan (God Bless You, Japan) has decided that Shingeki no Kyojin needed not only a movie, but a live action movie that will be offered in 4D (I didn’t even know that was a real thing in regards to movies. Again, God Bless, Japan.)

And dat-da-dadaaaaaaa! Here is the latest trailer for it.

And here is a nice translation provided to us by the good people over at Anime News Network:

Narrator: Over 100 years ago…

Narrator: Most of humanity was consumed by the Titans who suddenly appeared.

Text: Titans who suddenly appeared, consuming humanity

Narrator: Civilization collapsed.

Narrator: The survivors of the war with these Titans erected giant walls three layers deep and kept the peace.

Narrator: But today, our invulnerable security no longer exists.

Text: The colossal live-action film adaptation project

Text: Creator: Hajime Isayama

Voice: The rumors were true.

Voice: They’re immortal.

Text: Director: Shinji Higuchi

Text: Special Effects Director: Katsuro Onoue

Kubal: Why don’t we take back the plundered city? To carry out this honorable operation, we offer our hearts!

All: We offer our hearts!

Mikasa: The world is cruel

Text: Why did the Titans appear…?

Voice: I want to know the truth about this world!

Voice: If we fail, humanity is doomed.

Voice: A Titans attacked Titans

Mikasa: Eren…

Text: Why does humanity fight…?

Voice: Let’s go!

Voice: We’re humanity’s last hope!

Voice: I’ve never experienced anything like this!

Text: Challenge fate!

Mikasa: We promised, right?

Eren: Mikasa!

Voice & Text: Attack on Titan

Text: Is this world cruel?

Mikasa: We were together, always.

Text: Attack begins 8/1!!

Text: Part II 9/19

Shingeki No Kyojin: Attack on Titan Introduction

So for the last few years basically two anime/manga have dominated conversations amongst other anime/manga fans and even those who are particularly interested in them but by proxy KNOW a fan and have been bombarded with the latest chapter updated and so on and so on. Those two have been Naruto Shippuden and Bleach. There have been others such as One Piece, Fairy Tail and the most recent, yet weirdly popular free!, the anime that was single handedly brought into conception by the rabid fangirls of Tumblr after seeing a commercial that features the now stars of the anime. Of course there is Korra, which is not an Anime but the show manages to evoke those same burning feelings, so it counts. But even so, when a Bleach or Naruto chapter is released, YOU KNOW IT.

In that vein, I don’t think in current times that there will another anime that will topple either of these empires, especially considering how successful Naruto is both in Japan and worldwide, HOWEVER there is one that has recently emerged that is so wildly popular that eventually, in my opinion, will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the two colossal (my god, that is a pun, isn’t it?) manga series.

What anime/manga am I talking about?

 

 

Excuse me for a moment while I lose my absolute shit.

freakout

 

Not excited yet? Okay.

movietraielrJust understand the caliber of the average to above average fan of Shingeki No Kyojin and freak the hell out.

Still not there? Okay, that fine. Let me actually introduce the series to you.

 

Shingeki no Kyojin is a manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama in 2009. It’s not very deep; we’ve only got 25 episodes, however the manga is on it’s 11th volume. It’s gained notoriety and has amassed cult-like following from all over the globe (I am, too, a worshipper at the Church of Shinjeki, Hallelu!)

Which, on a very very shallow level, actually confuses me because it’s SAD AS ALL FUCKS.

WARNING! Although this introduction's goal is to provide very basic information, a spoiler or two will seep through. You've been warned. 

The manga/anime follows three childhood friends Eren Jager, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlet. They live in the Shiganshina District, that is located within the outmost wall, Wall Maria. There are three walls, all at least 50 feet tall and serve as the first line of defense. These three walls are Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina. Everyone that is presumed to be alive, live inside these walls, and have created cities and kingdoms within.

 

About the Walls Pt1There’s a sect that worships these three “goddesses” but we won’t get into that because they are bloody annoying.

 

So why is it safe inside the walls as opposed to outside of them?

Well.

Because of these assholes.

 

 titan1titan2titan3

Who are they? Nobody fucking knows. All we know is that a centuries ago, they appeared from *waves hands wildly* SOMEWHERE, where they deem the human race (and ONLY the human race) their natural enemies and started to EAT THEM. Here’s the kicker. They don’t have a digestive system; this mass consuption of human beings isn’t for survival–they eat them because its’ the most entertaining way to dispose of them…us…whatever. So for the last century, after our ancestors failed to win this impromptu  war, humankind has bunkered themselves behind the walls of Rose, Maria and Sina to survive. For the last 50 years, they’ve experienced peace and prosperity inside the walls. Until, he showed up.

titancollApparently he’s 50 PLUS some extra feet tall, so…yeah, so sorry Wall Maria.

So who are our heros? I have an obligatory compulsion to say “WHOEVER SURVIVE UNTIL TOMORROW,” but that a) doesn’t give valiant honor to EVERYONE that dies and two) we do have our three protagonist.

Eren, Misaka and Armin are childhood friends that were present inside of the Shiganshina District the day the Titans attacked.

thethree

The story basically follows these three as they recover physically and most of all, emotionally from the attack on Wall Maria and the lost of thousands and thousands of people, including most of their families.

Now I don’t want you to think that we’ve got these defenseless humans with only three walls to protect them from these human-hobbling mindless creatures set on the destruction of all man-kind. There is a military force that acts as the protectors of mankind. They are separated into three divisions:

threeguards

The Stationary Guard act as your regular patrolmen; they are stationed in the various districts. For the last 50 years, I can imagine they’ve been serving the role as civilian police.

The Military Police are situated far inside of Wall Sina, and usually live a life of peace far more elevated than any other division. Only the top 10 percent of each training class are stationed under the Military Police.

Then we have the heart of action and sacrifice, the Scouting Legion. They travel outside of the walls to learn more about the Titans in hopes that there is a way to defeat them.

After the attack on Shiganshina, Eren, our main protagonist, vows to join the military. Mainly because it drives the plot and MOST IMPORTANTLY because he only has a range of emotions that are centered in anger and his default setting is…

kill

Misaka, who is Eren’s adoptive sister and has been charged with protecting him since they were little because honestly, the girl is a fucking beast and I’M SCARED OF HER, follows his footsteps (she follows ALL of his footsteps if we’re going to be honest) and joins the Military ranks as well. Their friends, timid and shy, but an incredible strategist, Armin, joins, vowing to never leave his friends again.

There are so many other characters that you get to learn and fall in love with and hate a little and there is this complex trail of trying  to understand but you can’t quite because you’re watching the anime and not the manga so you’re avoiding spoilers left and right but then you’re like me and you CAVE IN AND INHALE ALL THE CHAPTERS IN A NIGHT and then you cry because Jean and fucking Marco and people are dying and OH MY GOD is that…!!!….!!!!!

titansteam

So trust me when I say, you’ll start watching this and won’t be able to stop (watching and possibly not crying if you are prone to fictional character attachment like myself). Lots and lots of fighting, lots of angst, lots of secrets and lots of Ewin (because he all silent and smart and ruthless and FINE). You should watch it.

This has been an introduction.

OH YEAH, and did I mention that the two opening themes make you want to kick someone’s ass?

http://youtu.be/tJ4AL67e78c