More Things That Make You LOL

[Prime32]

Why exactly do you hate the series so much, Kuro? There's good world-building, highly varied characters, moral quandries...

Because as far as ninja series go, I'd much rather watch Ninja Scroll, Ninja Ressurrection or Basilisk.

Not only does the loud attention-seeking hyperactive ninja in a bright orange jumpsuit piss me off to no end, Naruto is also responsible for the fandom of thousands of annoying brats everywhere. Seems like everywhere I turn, I have to run into a retarded kid with a bandana.

That's no reason to dislike the series itself. Heck, though I love it, I got annoyed when watching TTGL because I knew it would produce these kinds of fanboys. Bleach avoids this partially because it doesn't have a single iconic item (it's far harder for kids to run araound in fuhakusho). What's your opinion on Pokémon?

And those guys aren't ninjas. In fact, they're anything but. "Ninja" in the Narutoverse is the equivalent of "Wizard" in D&D, and that pisses me the fuck off!

If they'd only gone with calling them anything else (hell, invent a term for them), I'd find it at least tolerable.

But noooooooooo.

The in-universe term for real ninja is "ANBU". Why does no one complain when One Piece does this?

Ninjas do NOT dress in bright, cheery colors.

Ninjas do NOT carry katanas, much less buster swords.

Ninjas do NOT hadouken the shit out of forests.

They do when they're forced to diversify into the sole military of a country. And in a world where people with weird bloodlines exist and can do these things, they'd be crazy not to recruit them.

Ninjas do NOT wear identifying marks of any kind, MUCH LESS ON THEIR FUCKING FOREHEADS.

Anbu don't wear them. Other ninja are organised like a military, so they need some kind of uniform (this one has the advantage that it can be quickly removed). There was one episode of the anime where the characters act shocked that someone would use a fake headband, but that was filler written by the animation staff. False flag operations happen all the time.

Ninjas do NOT carry cellphones.

Why not? Not that anyone does that in Naruto (they have fairly advanced technology, but no industrialisation).

Hell, Flame of Recca is a much better ninja series. It has just as many moral quandaries, a rich inner mythology all its own, cooler fight scenes, and a protagonist that IS AND ACTS LIKE AN ACTUAL NINJA.

Plus it has dragons. And the dragons are fucking badass.

I've read some of the manga. It has cheerful ninjas with katanas who carry cellphones. (and a protagonist who wants to be a "Hokage", but that's not really relevant)

[skydragonknight]

"Naruto" for me is a very mixed bag. The protagonist is annoying, but I love the minor characters. That said, the only Pre-Shippuuden episodes I care about are the Chunin Exams and Sasuke Retrieval Arcs. I liked the 5-man squad and Shikamaru is my favorite character (what a drag!).

In Shippuuden, Naruto and Sakura finally become tolerable. Sakura finally gets a good fight, and so does Shikamaru's team. After that, all the big fights are Naruto fights, but thankfully the villains have interesting abilities so it's not just a rehash. So the fights themselves are good, but there is too much time spent transitioning between fights (almost as bad as Bleach), so the overall enjoyability for me is crippled.

Overall 5/10 for the original series and 7/10 for Shippuuden.

[Kuroimaken]

That's no reason to dislike the series itself. Heck, though I love it, I got annoyed when watching TTGL because I knew it would produce these kinds of fanboys. Bleach avoids this partially because it doesn't have a single iconic item (it's far harder for kids to run araound in fuhakusho). What's your opinion on Pokémon?

Funny enough, TTGL hasn't caught on around here.

As for Pokémon, I don't much care for it. I don't particularly hate it, but I don't expect storytelling out of it. Pokémon is basically "Let's reinvent the ecosystem for the bazillionth time".

The in-universe term for real ninja is "Anbu". Why does no one complain when One Piece does this?

Maybe it's because Oda is much, much crazier. But then, why do they call the non-ninja, ninja?

I haven't followed One Piece in ages, so I guess I don't see the exact point you're driving at - for me, they sure ACT like pirates. Sure, they have crazy powers, but they go around a mostly seafaring world in ships and curbstomp people for a living.

They do when they're forced to diversify into the sole military of a country. And in a world where people with weird bloodlines exist and can do these things, they'd be crazy not to recruit them.

Explanation?

Anbu don't wear them. Other ninja are organised like a military, so they need some kind of uniform (this one has the advantage that it can be quickly removed). There was one episode of the anime where the characters act shocked that someone would use a fake headband, but that was filler written by the animation staff. False flag operations happen all the time.

But it still feels stupid. Why would ninja identify themselves AT ALL? Rule number one of any stealth-capable operative - DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE IDENTIFIED.

Why not? Not that anyone does that in Naruto (they have fairly advanced technology, but no industrialisation).

Cellphones provide the enemy with an excellent means of locating you. Unless you're using a satellite cellphone, which is pretty bulky.

I've read some of the manga. It has cheerful ninjas with katanas who carry cellphones. Confused (and a protagonist who wants to be a "Hokage", but that's not really relevant)

Read on. The protagonist becomes increasingly less cheery as he runs into more and more of his unknown past's dirty secrets. And the only guy who DOES have a katana ain't a ninja, he's a bona fide swordsman (some might even say he's samurai-ish). The main character and the one who wants to be his love interest are the real ninjas of the cast (not counting Kagehoshi, as she only becomes an integral part of the cast much, much later). Then there's the gentle giant, the smart-alecky kid and the aloof swordsman. Almost everyone else they fight against has more ninja in them (exceptions made to the technofreaks they run into now and then).

Flame of Recca is often compared to Yu Yu Hakusho, so I suppose it's easier to understand if you've read some of that too.

[Prime32]

As for Pokémon, I don't much care for it. I don't particularly hate it, but I don't expect storytelling out of it. Pokémon is basically "Let's reinvent the ecosystem for the bazillionth time".

The games themselves are quite good, and have got darker over time. I've even heard them called "one of the most obscure good RPG series" due to their reputation driving away older gamers.

The in-universe term for real ninja is "Anbu". Why does no one complain when One Piece does this?

Maybe it's because Oda is much, much crazier. But then, why do they call the non-ninja, ninja?

I haven't followed One Piece in ages, so I guess I don't see the exact point you're driving at - for me, they sure ACT like pirates. Sure, they have crazy powers, but they go around a mostly seafaring world in ships and curbstomp people for a living.

The protagonists claim that real pirates don't steal or kill people, and also refuse to use guns.

They do when they're forced to diversify into the sole military of a country. And in a world where people with weird bloodlines exist and can do these things, they'd be crazy not to recruit them.

Explanation?

Of what?

Anbu don't wear them. Other ninja are organised like a military, so they need some kind of uniform (this one has the advantage that it can be quickly removed). There was one episode of the anime where the characters act shocked that someone would use a fake headband, but that was filler written by the animation staff. False flag operations happen all the time.

But it still feels stupid. Why would ninja identify themselves AT ALL? Rule number one of any stealth-capable operative - DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE IDENTIFIED.

Because the only actual stealth operatives don't wear them. Most characters have only basic stealth training.

Why not? Not that anyone does that in Naruto (they have fairly advanced technology, but no industrialisation).

Cellphones provide the enemy with an excellent means of locating you. Unless you're using a satellite cellphone, which is pretty bulky.

Which is why they don't use them.

I've read some of the manga. It has cheerful ninjas with katanas who carry cellphones. (and a protagonist who wants to be a "Hokage", but that's not really relevant)

Read on. The protagonist becomes increasingly less cheery as he runs into more and more of his unknown past's dirty secrets.

That applies to Naruto too.

[Kuroimaken]

The games themselves are quite good, and have got darker over time. I've even heard them called "one of the most obscure good RPG series" due to their reputation driving away older gamers.

Unless they have Team Rocket raping women and killing children, it's probably not dark enough to justify ten-year-olds saving the world by cramming animals into their balls.

The protagonists claim that real pirates don't steal or kill people, and also refuse to use guns.

Strangely, Shanx does all that, and he's Luffy's model pirate. Odd...

Of what?

Nevermind, if I get the context right, you mean that the "ninjas" in Naruto are actually part of a military force as opposed to private contractors.

Because the only actual stealth operatives don't wear them. Most characters have only basic stealth training.

Or lack thereof, as demonstrated by the tank, in your own words.

Which is why they don't use them.

Fair enough.

That applies to Naruto too.

Somehow I doubt it's on the same scale... Honestly. I just don't think it compares.
All I can say without getting spoilerrific about it is that the series (particularly the manga, as the anime, while being reasonably faithful, ends up WAY short of the manga's continuity) is freaking awesome, and I recommend it.

And that the main character is more of a ninja than Naruto will ever be.

[Agita]

Take it to, y'know, the Anime/Manga thread.

Now to return to the thread's purpose: And this here is what comes of... everything. Ctrl+F down to "people still use Yahoo! Mail?".

[skydragonknight]

You "ninja'd" me, Agita! 

[skydragonknight]

Take it to, y'know, the Anime/Manga thread.

Now to return to the thread's purpose: And this here is what comes of... everything. Ctrl+F down to "people still use Yahoo! Mail?".

People still use message boards?

[Solo]

Back in my day, we didn't have these fancy-schmancy message boards, we had USEnet groups and we liked it that way.

[Agita]

And this here is what comes of it.

[Prime32]

France is awesome

[Kuroimaken]

France is awesome

This shit for REAL?

(I can kinda-sorta tell it's probably the French remake...)

[Prime32]

France is awesome

This shit for REAL?

(I can kinda-sorta tell it's probably the French remake...)

Read the video description. The series was made entirely in France (on a low budget). Why do you think the song is in Japanese but has repeated references to France?

[Kuroimaken]

THAT makes more sense.

[Prime32]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_Five

Glou Man Chou, ruler of the empire Lexos, desires to conquer planet Earth. However, the Eiffel Tower  generates a barrier around the planet that keeps him from sending his armies en masse. Glou Man Chou sends his warriors and monsters to Earth in order to destroy the tower and enable a full scale invasion, but they are opposed by the France Five.

Ireland also got one. Sort of.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3QW0Op3tFY

[Kuroimaken]

I wasn't entirely discounting the possibility that Japan actually MADE that, you know.

I've seen... weirder things come out of there. HORRIBLE things.

Like Super Milk-chan.

[skydragonknight]

Paul should be a part of that. Maybe he could guest star as the Purple Poulet.

[Kuroimaken]

Relax, SDK. The sentai trope is still going to make an appearance.

[bhu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aacELmfc2Ks

[Prime32]

Relax, SDK. The sentai trope is still going to make an appearance.

Luna! Mimic!
Joker! Dragon!

"Henshin."
LunaJoker! MimicDragon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5NuN_KR1Bw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdY4nbrLvbc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnxTk2aVZUc