Anime Naruto!

[haruno_sakura]

Yes, Naruto can get a tad bit annoying, but I personally believe he get's much better as the series progresses...And at this point in the anime and manga, I'd have to say that personality-wise, I do like Naruto a little more than I like Sasuke just because Sasuke has done a ton of things to piss me off, which you'll see when you get deeper into the anime ^^;; He kinda has gotten on my bad side in the manga already, so that affects how I see him in the anime, I think, but I still think he's adorable LOL.

PiroMunkie, it's funny how you say, "This anime is about [i]him[/i]0_o" because [spoiler]there's a running joke in the anime that they mention several times. People always say to Naruto, "You're the type of person that can never be a main character in a story."[/spoiler] I think it'll become apparent later on why the show is called Naruto and not Sasuke LOL...the anime only gets better, IMHO. ^_^

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Hittokiri Zero [/i]
[B]Despite all the good things i've heard about Naruto after watching the first few minutes of the first episode I just closed the window XD. So my question to all you is why should I give Naruto a second chance x___X... And is it more than a DBZ like action-packed extraveganza? [/B][/QUOTE]

Gasp, to a Naruto-freak like me, that's pure blasphemy LOL. Anyway, I agree with Dan that the character development is far more complicated and the plot is completely intense. Just watching the first few minutes of the first episode and making such a harsh judgement is really presumptuous. The storyline and characters are so intriguing as the anime progresses that it's hard to stop watching. The fighting scenes are so much more than just action. Emotions are brought out and philosophical debates emerge from opposing sides. For example, with the givens of one's life, how can one say to another that their beliefs are right or wrong when their lifestyles are completely different from one another? Beliefs and morals are questioned so that the fighting scenes aren't just physical battles but mental ones as well. How can that not be riveting? To judge based on the first few minutes of the first episode is to really miss out on this awesome anime.

~haruno_sakura

[SasukeUchiha]

[quote]Despite all the good things i've heard about Naruto after watching the first few minutes of the first episode I just closed the window XD. So my question to all you is why should I give Naruto a second chance x___X... And is it more than a DBZ like action-packed extraveganza?[/quote]

If you dont appreciate it, then do not watch it. You have to stick with it for a few episodes to appreciate it. You can not really judge any anime by its first episode. I do not think someone should have to talk you into watching an anime. We all have our personal tastes. In my opinion Dragonball Z lacked in many aspects, but that is just my personal view. The complexities that are found in Naruto do not begin to develop for a while, I would say the main difference between Dragonall and Naruto is that Naruto is not based soley on the fighting, there is a very strong storyline and the fighting is almost secondary. Character development is also much more prevalant in Naruto than Dragonball, which is another reason many people find this anime so addictive.

[quote]I just started drawing a picture of Zaku Abumi today and it is lookin' great, if I must say so. Be sure to check it out on myO when it's finished. [/quote]

I can not wait to see it, make sure you PM me or somethign eltting me know when your done.

[PiroMunkie]

[size=1]Currently in the seventh episode, I would say it is definitely more than a "DBZ like action-packed extravaganza." Naruto seems chock full of thickening plot and character development. The fighting intertwined within it is just eye-candy, and very good eye-candy at that. With the various "jutsu" techniques involved, you are never quite sure what you are seeing or if you are in fact seeing anything that is really there. o_O Unlike DBZ, you cannot see a lot of things coming until they actually happen, or at least the moment right before it happens. The only way you would be able to predict something is if you pay attention to all the extremely subtle hints dropped along the way. When that certain event happens, I, personally, just sit there like, "Wow ... o-o That is pretty friggin' cool."

The one main thing I do not like about Naruto - and not even about Naruto itself, it goes with any anime show - is the episodes are too damn short, lol. Twenty minutes goes by so quickly, and I am always wanting more.


So I really would not judge Naruto by the first episode. The first few episodes are merely setting things up such as the characters to be involved and what their roles are. I would say by the 4th or 5th episode, the snowball really starts rolling.[/size]

[Hittokiri Zero]

[quote]The fighting scenes are so much more than just action. Emotions are brought out and philosophical debates emerge from opposing sides. For example, with the givens of one's life, how can one say to another that their beliefs are right or wrong when their lifestyles are completely different from one another? [/quote]

Meep meep? Sounds likea Kenshin wannabe j/k. I guess I could have been a little to harsh on Naruto and not really watching more than the first episode but I guess right now while i'm in this phase of my anime watching i'm not looking for alot of Comedy and atleast from what I got from the first part of the first episode I saw it was just that a little too comedic -_O. Oh well as soon as I get friggen Bittorrent working again i'll download one of those episode packs >____>. Now my other question, do the fights in Naruto tend to drag on or what? -_o? That's another thing that kind of bothers me when fights drag on too much x____X.

An Piro I hear ya =O 20 minutes is way too short ='|.

[Dan Rugh]

The fights usually last one or two episodes, Hittokiri. Also, if you're worried about too much comedy, it tones down once the story gets going. Remember, you're still in the introduction episodes.

[SasukeUchiha]

If Naruto was anything like Kenshin I definitly owuld not have started a thread about it.

Naruto although funny is actually pretty serious. I am glad you are downloading it because then you can say you actually watched it and that you disliked it because... or liked it because...

[haruno_sakura]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by PiroMunkie [/i]
[B][size=1]
The one main thing I do not like about Naruto - and not even about Naruto itself, it goes with any anime show - is the episodes are too damn short, lol. Twenty minutes goes by so quickly, and I am always wanting more.
[/size] [/B][/QUOTE]

Ah even when they do their one hour specials (in actuality, about 45 minutes without the commercial breaks), it's still not long enough!! LOL.

And H.Zero, as for the fights dragging on, most of them actually don't go as long as they do in DBZ, but there are certain moments that do tend to go on forever, as is the case in the Haku/Zabuza Arc, but it doesn't make it any less engaging. If comedy isn't your thing, the anime has a ton of serious, slightly angsty parts once you enter the Haku/Zabuza Arc, and whatever comedy that does happen to appear actually balances out with the angst, so the show goes through a whole spectrum of emotions.

It definitely isn't a Rurouni Kenshin wannabe. Not at all. I'm a huge Kenshin fan as well, and the content for each of these shows are completely different so they can't exactly be compared to one another.

~haruno_sakura

[Hinata]

[COLOR=indigo][SIZE=1][B]

Naruto, Naruto, Naruto!!!

A show that I can finally post about since I've seen the first 4 episodes and I'm going to see more very soon. Whoo Hoo!

But so far the show is awesome and I love the graphics, but that Naruto has some crazy problems. Especially the [spoiler] Sexy no Jutsu techinque in which he turns into a naked and very cute woman[/spoiler] HA HA!!!

I wish I could do that. Hehe... but so far I am loving the show and the story line is going good so far. I like it visually as well. Its easy to watch and I adore it!!

I WANT MORE NARUTO!!! [/B][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[SasukeUchiha]

Lol, welcome to our obcession. Isnt it terrible how it sucks you in. lol I am finally getting episodes 60-63 but its gonna take like forever because of my stupid 56k

[haruno_sakura]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by sweetreyes [/i]
[B][COLOR=indigo][SIZE=1][B]

Naruto, Naruto, Naruto!!!

A show that I can finally post about since I've seen the first 4 episodes and I'm going to see more very soon. Whoo Hoo!

But so far the show is awesome and I love the graphics, but that Naruto has some crazy problems. Especially the [spoiler] Sexy no Jutsu techinque in which he turns into a naked and very cute woman[/spoiler] HA HA!!!

I wish I could do that. Hehe... but so far I am loving the show and the story line is going good so far. I like it visually as well. Its easy to watch and I adore it!!

I WANT MORE NARUTO!!! [/B][/SIZE][/COLOR] [/B][/QUOTE]

If that Sexy no Jutsu gets you excited, his other moves will just make you pee in your pants LOL but I guess you've got about 60 something or so episodes before you get to see his really kick *** moves! AHHHH.

As for more speculation, we know that Konohamaru-kun is Sandaime's grandson, but who exactly is Konohamaru-kun's dad? After rereading some of the manga [spoiler]Orochimaru calls the 3rd Hokage Sarutobi-sensei, and Asuma, the Jounin leader of the InoShikaCho group, has the exact same last name. Just wondering if he could be Konohamaru's father...or uncle maybe?[/spoiler]LOL, that's probably just me over-analyzing.

~haruno_sakura

[SasukeUchiha]

Yeah definitly over analysing. Thats definitly not the case or it owuld have played intot he show already when they introduced all characters.

[PiroMunkie]

[size=1]I have seen 24 of the episodes now, currently in the Chuunin exams. At this point it seems the story is a lot more about Sasuke than it is about Naruto. All Naruto has going for him is his constant urge to compete with Sasuke and keep drooling over Sakura, lol.

That is fine with me, though. Sasuke is still my favorite, and Gaara of the Desert is up their with him as well. Even though I have not seen much of him yet, he still seems really cool, especially from pictures I have seen of him. That whole eyeliner look works for him, too, heh.

I find Rock Lee kind of annoying, though. o_O



Heh, and as for Haku, [spoiler]I still cannot think of him as a boy.[/spoiler][/size]

[Dan Rugh]

Piro, I didn't like Rock Lee very much either until I saw him fight in episode 50, like I said earlier in this thread. [spoiler]Also, his fight in the forest helped a little, too, when he's talking about being a "beautiful beast" to Sakura. lol [/spoiler] But [i]the[/i] best things about Lee is that when he blows kisses to Sakura, the hearts come out of his eyes. Hilarious.

[size=1][i]Edit: I changed a few things so you could still read it without really giving stuff away.[/i][/size]

When I'm talking about Haku, I still always [spoiler]say she[/spoiler] for some reason. heh

[SasukeUchiha]

Yeah, Finish the Chuunin exams and then come tell us who you like. Lol. The Chuunin exams will probably raise the likeability of most of the characters you dislike now.

[haruno_sakura]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by PiroMunkie [/i]
[B][size=1]
I find Rock Lee kind of annoying, though. o_O
[/spoiler][/size] [/B][/QUOTE]

AWW, I absolutely adore Rock Lee! He may seem annoying at first, but in the next few episodes, you'll see that he's really a great guy, and when you get to the Chuunin prelims, you really can't help but cheer for him! ^^;; I honestly like him so much more than I like Sasuke, just because Rock Lee has a lot against him and he works harder than most to be good at what he does. Also, he's just too cute around Sakura, too ^^;;

~haruno_sakura

[SasukeUchiha]

OMG, I am up to episode 65!!!! I think these episodes are amazing!! Now if my stupid 56k will download the hour special I can die happy. Ugh someone must discuss this with me or my head may explode.

[spoiler] What did you all think of that whole Neiji situation, That fight was freakin awsome. I was almost cheering outloud for naruto, then afterwards when Neiji recieved the letter from his father, and you see his eyes go from that mean look to the soft look. I was like....whoa. He didnt look like the same Neiji, he looked like a little boy![/spoiler]

And Then!

The episode I got wouldnt work for the second fight, so I havent seen that yet sadly. Neway.....

[spoiler] I was watiing and waiting and waiting for Sasuke to appear, then he Finally does, And he looks like crap...They better fix up that art in the next episodes, because that hair just wanst working, he looked like crap. Neway, I really want to see the fight thats coming up, and know what the sand nation is up 2.!![/spoiler]

I could probably go on ranting but ill stop there lol. So what you all think. Oh and if you put nething from the special let me know so I dont read it. ^^

[haruno_sakura]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by SasukeUchiha [/i]
[B]OMG, I am up to episode 65!!!! I think these episodes are amazing!! Now if my stupid 56k will download the hour special I can die happy. Ugh someone must discuss this with me or my head may explode.

[spoiler] What did you all think of that whole Neiji situation, That fight was freakin awsome. I was almost cheering outloud for naruto, then afterwards when Neiji recieved the letter from his father, and you see his eyes go from that mean look to the soft look. I was like....whoa. He didnt look like the same Neiji, he looked like a little boy![/spoiler]

And Then!

The episode I got wouldnt work for the second fight, so I havent seen that yet sadly. Neway.....

[spoiler] I was watiing and waiting and waiting for Sasuke to appear, then he Finally does, And he looks like crap...They better fix up that art in the next episodes, because that hair just wanst working, he looked like crap. Neway, I really want to see the fight thats coming up, and know what the sand nation is up 2.!![/spoiler]

I could probably go on ranting but ill stop there lol. So what you all think. Oh and if you put nething from the special let me know so I dont read it. ^^ [/B][/QUOTE]

Yes, the [spoiler]Neji vs Naruto fight was too great!!! Even when I read the manga, I wasn't sure who was going to win, and when Neji got up from his hole first and we see Naruto lying unmoving, I was about to cry because I wanted Naruto to win so badly. Of course, when Naruto surprises us all and emerges from the dirt to knock Neji out, I couldn't help but cheer outloud for him!!! Naruto really has a way of inspiring people, as corny as that may sound LOL.

And when they show Neji reading the scroll from his father, I actually started to really cry. To actually see such a drastic change occur in his mentality was too moving, which is why Neji is one of my ultimate favorite characters and which was why I was defending him much earlier on in this thread LOL. Although his past doesn't justify his previous cruelty toward Hinata, at least he realizes his faults and he definitely will prove that much later on.

And the episode I think you're missing is the Shikamaru vs Temari fight, another good one LOL. I know you don't like him very much Sasuke-kun, but Shika-kun really is a great guy and I can't say much more until you get to see more of him...[/spoiler].

As for Sasuke's new look, [spoiler] they do fix him up in 66-67 LOL. I have to totally agree that he looked like utter crap in 65, and it almost ruined his return for me because he didn't look at all like the Sasuke-kun we know LOL. I'm really glad they didn't ruin teh hotness LOL. [/spoiler]Anyway the hour special definitely will not disappoint!!!

~haruno_sakura

[SasukeUchiha]

Sakura-chan does the special [spoiler] show what the sand nation is up 2 [/spoiler] Just a Yes or a no would do.

Another thing I am wondering is [spoiler] What happens to those people that do not pass the Chuunin exam? I am not looking for spoilers but I mainly wnat to know if Team 7 ect. Wills till be training together or what happens, I really do not want to see them seperated. [/spoiler]

[haruno_sakura]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by SasukeUchiha [/i]
[B]Sakura-chan does the special [spoiler] show what the sand nation is up 2 [/spoiler] Just a Yes or a no would do.

Another thing I am wondering is [spoiler] What happens to those people that do not pass the Chuunin exam? I am not looking for spoilers but I mainly wnat to know if Team 7 ect. Wills till be training together or what happens, I really do not want to see them seperated. [/spoiler] [/B][/QUOTE]

Well, Sasuke-kun, the one hour special [spoiler]shows a little glimpse of the Sand shinobi doing stuff in the woods around the gates of Konohagakure. I guess you don't want to hear more than that?[/spoiler].

I actually don't get what happens if someone on a team passes a Chuunin exam while the others on his/her team don't.

...Heh, I don't want to spoil it for you, but there are more important things to focus on besides who becomes a chuunin and who doesn't, even though...GAh forget it, I won't say LOL.

I just saw Episode 68 last night, and it completely took my breathe away. Even though I knew what was going to happen, actually watching it unfold was still as exciting as reading the manga, or even more so! My experience in watching the anime has given me a higher level of excitement that was missing when I read the manga.

That said, has anyone else seen episode 68? I think it's about time we [spoiler]get to see the adults fight a little more. We've only really seen the kids do their cool movies and such, with little glimpses of adults fighting, ie. Kakashi vs Zabuza, Anko vs Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, or Hayate fighting that Sand guy, but we never ever really get to see them do much else except observe! I think it's exciting to see what the Jounin of Konoha can really do!

I also can't wait to see the showdown between Sandaime and Orochimaru! It's definitely going to kick major booty, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the anime is going to pull off Orochimaru's jutsu in which he...blargh! It feels wrong to even mention it in a spoiler tag.

Anyway, I'm really glad the war between Konoha and Sand/Sound has finally commensed! It means getting closer to seeing Uchiha Itachi! *faints* [/spoiler].

~haruno_sakura

[Dan Rugh]

Well, I'm not gonna bother reading all of those spoilers because, obviously, I don't want to spoil the rest of the Chuunin Exams for myself. :) So, I'll start some new conversation, I suppose.

Hmmmmm...... thinking..... Ok, let's talk about the Chuunin entrants. Out of the three first-year Konoha teams, I like Kakashi's team the best over all, but my favorite individuals are Kiba, Sasuke, and Shikamaru. Of course, Kakashi is the best sensei. lol

I also think Neji is a really cool/creepy character and I haven't really seen him do much yet except for [spoiler]basically trying to kill Hinata.[/spoiler] Lee is a fun character and he adds a comical part to Naruto. I love how dedicated he is. For Tenten, well, what really is there to sayabout her? lol

Everyone knows that my favorite Chuunin Exam entrant team is the Sound Ninja team. Zaku and Dosu are awesome characters and I hope they are in the series more after the exams. Don't get killed! ::crosses fingers::

Another team that I like for some reason, although they have a VERY small role are the Rain Ninjas consisting of Oboro, Mubi, and Kagari. They were the Genjutsu users if you don't remember. I guess I like how they have those respirator thingies and the covered eyes. [spoiler]Too bad they got killed. :([/spoiler]

Who can forget the Sand Ninjas? Gaara is just so crazy that it's hard not to like him. It's great that his older brother and sister are terrified of him.

I'm kinda wanting to know more about those Grass Ninjas that [spoiler]Orochimaru killed and stole there faces.[/spoiler] The one that I think is a girl has her name on a card that Anko has, but I can't read Japanese. I'm weird about things like this... have to know as much as possible. haha

Your opinions on the teams?

[Kagari]

Howdy everyone. I'm not new to otaku by any means, but I am new to the boards. I'm obviously a big fan of Naruto (just got done watching ep 69) Just wanted to alert everyone of my presense. Let's keep this thread alive :P.

[Dan Rugh]

Well, Kagari, it's good to see you in this thread. To keep the discussion going and keep the thread alive, you need to add something. For instance, who's your favorite character, what do you think of a certain event in the show, etc. Don't forget to use the spoiler tag because not everyone here has seen up to 69.

[haruno_sakura]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Dan Rugh [/i]
[B]Your opinions on the teams? [/B][/QUOTE]

My favorite team would actually have to be the InoShikaChou team just because I really love their teamwork as seen in the Chuunin Exams. And who doesn't love Shikamaru?! He's just so darn smart, though he could care less about anything except how pretty clouds are LOL! Shikamaru is just so awesome ^_^

And I love Chouji! His appetite is just so endearing; I love how nothing seems to bother him much as long as he has food to cheer him up afterwards lol ^_^ and the way he wears the Konoha headband on his head is so adorable. It looks like upside-down underwear! ^_^

As for Ino, her confidence in herself is what I like best haha, and her jutsu is so cool! [spoiler]I would love to have the ability to do a mind transfer, though the only downside to it would be the vulnerablity your body once you leave it. I actually think she would have been able to defeat Sakura if Sakura hadn't had Inner Sakura in her mind haha[/spoiler]. As much as I think Ino is cool, I totally don't see how much of a rival she is against Sakura for Sasuke's love puwahaha. Then again, I'm a full Ino x Shikamaru, and Sasuke x Sakura supporter, so I'm probably being biased haha.

But as much as I love the InoShikaChou group, my ultimate favorite team is Team Seven, hands down. I think it's mostly because the anime and manga focus on them all the time that it's hard not to like any of them, even though they each have their own little annoying habits, haha.

Anyway, Kagari, welcome to the Boards and to the Naruto thread! Glad you could join us!!! What episodes have you caught up to, and if you read the manga, what part are you on?

Has anyone seen Episode 69? These episodes seriously need to be longer, like maybe an hour-long, haha! 20 minutes isn't enough to satisfy my Naruto addiction!!!

~haruno_sakura

[SasukeUchiha]

[quote]And who doesn't love Shikamaru?![/quote]

That would be me. I think his attitude sucks, unless it changes as the show goes on, I have no interest in him at all.

And Sakura-chan, if you havent noticed the whole crush aspect of Sakura/Ino with Sasuke is not really relevant anymore. [spoiler] It seems Sakura is taking more of a liking to Lee lately instead of Sasuke, But thats not said thats just my guess. She seems to have more of a motherly worry about Sasuke now, to the point that she seems to care about Naruto and Sasuke about the same [/spoiler]

My favorite team...well I do not really have one. I like the hinata/Kiba/Shino team minus the Shino Part. But I also like Team 7 alot. I cant stand the Ino/Choji/Shika team. I find them annoying. lol. I am sure I will get an earful for saying that. I also like neji alot ::cries:: See my problem with picking a team.

Anyway, I would talk about episode 69, but there is barely anyone there, so I wont go into large spoilers. If someone wants to talk about it other than Haruno_Sakura I would gladly go into it though.

[haruno_sakura]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by SasukeUchiha [/i]
[B]I cant stand the Ino/Choji/Shika team. I find them annoying. lol. I am sure I will get an earful for saying that.[/spoiler]
[/B][/QUOTE]

Ah, Sasuke-kun, yes you will get an earful for speaking such words of blasphemy to your wifey haha.

First, I would love to defend my beloved Shikamaru, though I can't! There are so many things that I'd love to talk about in concerns with Shika-kun, but I can't say much without revealing what happens in the future, and I know you hate it when I do spoilers, so you must wait to see more of Shikamaru's brilliance, haha. You may think his jutsu isn't all that great, but he really is quite the smart one, and what I love most about Shikamaru is the way he can plan and predict movements way in advance. This brilliance of his will be put to great use, though I cannot say more than that without putting a spoiler tag. You may not think highly of him now, but once you see what happens next, you may think differently of him...

As I recall, you used to hate Neji because of what he did to Hinata, but after seeing another side of him when [spoiler]he fought against Naruto in the final Chuunin exams and revealed his past[/spoiler], he's one of your fave characters now ^^;; Hopefully, the same will be said for Shikamaru. He's really awesome, and I think his worthiness will be proved in the upcoming episodes. I love how they developed his character in the manga, so hopefully they'll successfully show how cool he really is in the anime.

Anyone else in agreement with me? Or anyone feeling the same way as Sasuke-kun? I'd love to hear anything concerning my favorite lazy shinobi!

As for Sakura's feelings for Sasuke...they're definitely [i]not[/i] motherly. Hahaha, once again I point to the manga, particularly Volume 21 Chapter 181. After reading that, there's absolutely no way Sakura feels just 'motherly' toward him, and it will be revealed in the anime soon enough.

I do agree that the whole crush rivalry thing between Sakura and Ino isn't really relavant anymore, but it's clearly the basis for their attitudes toward one another, which was why I alluded to it. It makes it fun to see their interactions, using their 'crushes' on Sasuke as a cover up for the competition between the two of them. The reason I mentioned their rivalry wasn't for the relavance of it; I was merely stating that from the givens in the manga and anime, Ino doesn't seem to stand a chance with Sasuke, which I thought was quite fine, since I think she's perfect for Shikamaru, haha.

As for Sakura having feelings for Lee, I can see it too, to tell you the truth, but I think most of it stems from the fact that [spoiler]he risked his life to save hers in the Forest of Death, and she saw his dedication to proving his Nindo when fighting Gaara. From what I gather, she admires him and looks up to him because he works hard to accomplish his dream, and watching him work so hard makes her want to work hard as well because she hasn't done much except watch those on her team. He's helped her in a way to realize that she needs to work hard on her own to become a great kunoichi, and that alone would help her feel for him. I do see possible romance between them, but Sakura is going to have to relinquish her everlasting love for Sasuke to actually see Lee in the romantic sense. Sakura really, genuinely loves Sasuke a lot and it wasn't until Volume 21 Chapter 181 that I fully believed it. I had my doubts about her feelings, but I'm really quite sure of it now. There is absolutely no way that she would go for Rock Lee unless Sasuke is taken out, though I would like to see Lee and Sakura get together. That would be quite the couple haha.[/spoiler]

What does everyone else think about the possible pairing between Lee x Sakura?

Oh, and about the earful about the InoShikaChou group, haha I totally forgot about it when I digressed right from the beginning of this insanely long post. Anyway, here it is!

[b][begin rant][/b]I can't believe you don't like the InoShikaChou group! I think they're the most 'real' out of all the teams because they remind me so much of people I know in real life. The other characters, as much as I love them, aren't as real to me. For example, I know a bunch of people who are incredibly smart, but so lazy, like Shikamaru. I know a few girls who act like Ino, who'll stand up for her friends, though may come off as a bit aloof and snotty. And yep, there are even a few people I know who'd be content eating all day like Chouji. That's also why I love that group; they act like my friends. They're not perfect, but they keep things real, haha. They may be annoying, but I think it's their annoying habits that remind me of why they're so...[i]human[/i].[b][/end rant][/b]

As for a team that would have made my favorites list, I'd like to bring up Gai's team: Neji, Lee, and Tenten. I would have said that they are one of my favorite teams, but because Tenten hasn't been fully developed as a character yet, except as Neji's cheerleader, I can't really say much about her. Neji is really cool, and his past is tragic, but it's because of his past that makes him a little hard to relate to because of his unique situation in concerns with his father and uncle. The only one who I feel I can relate to in that team would be Lee, because he works so hard to achieve his dream, and I sympathize with him because his talent isn't just handed down to him. He reminds me a bit of William Hung from the American Idol auditions ("She Bangs! She Bangs!") with his attitude toward work ethics, except Lee takes it to the extreme, pushing himself harder each and every time he trains. It's because of that that I find him the most admirable on his team.

That's just another two cents (more like a dollar haha) to the discussion of favorite teams. Any thoughts on Tenten, Neji, and Lee?

On a different note, Episode 69 was quite interesting, in fact. I was discussing this with Sasuke-kun, and it is mutually agreed upon that Sandaime is the man! Speaking of Sandaime, I'd just like to reinstate my theory about [spoiler]Hokage-sama, Asuma, and Konohamaru. I was talking about this with Sasuke-kun, and I'd like to hear other takes on this, just in case I'm being overanalytical. I mentioned before a few pages ago that Sandaime is referred to by Orochimaru as Sarutobi-sensei. Asuma's last name is Sarutobi, and there is quite a resemblence between Sandaime, Asuma, and Konohamaru-kun. That said, I would like to know if anyone else thinks I'm crazy in thinking that Asuma could be Konohamaru-kun's father, or uncle, even? [/spoiler]

The only one who ever commented on my crazy idea from a few pages ago was Sasuke-kun, who had said earlier that I was thinking too much, but now says it may be possible. Anyone else's take on that? I haven't done much research, except for the name connection game, so if there's anyone here who knows more about it, I'd love to hear your responses.

Also, another thing that I've been wondering about. There are quite a few rivalries mentioned within the manga/anime, [spoiler]whether between Lee and Neji, or Gai and Kakashi, Sakura and Ino, Sasuke and Naruto, etc.[/spoiler] Which of these do you wish the manga/anime would focus more on or give more detail to, and which of these rivalries do you think has no real validity to at all?

~haruno_sakura

I deeply apologize for my extremely lengthy post haha ^_^;