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Naruto 78April 14, 2004Title: Explosion! This is the Naruto Ninpo Book! Deep in the Konoha forest, Naruto is fighting Gaara to save Sakura and Sasuke, but is utterly outclassed by Gaara's demonic powers. After taking a particularly damaging hit, Naruto is protected by the curse-weakened Sasuke, who says that he will do anything to keep his friends alive.
Naruto is struck by this display from the traditionally cold Sasuke, and uses his remaining chakra to summon the giant toad Gama Oyabin. Meanwhile, Gaara has abandoned all semblance of humanity, and has now transformed into the huge raccoon-demon Shukaku. After exchanging cordial greetings, these titans attack each other.
In the ensuing battle, Naruto realizes Sasuke and Sakura are in danger of being trampled underfoot in the struggles of these two giant combatants. In order to defeat Shukaku as quick as possible, Naruto uses an assisted transformation technique to change the giant toad into . . .
a huge nine-tailed fox. The End. * * * RATING: A Wow. Without a doubt, Naruto 78 is awesome. Whether one looks for action, humor, or plot development, this episode delivers everything in spades. Quite definitely, this episode is a hallmark example of shonen anime at it's best. Traditionally, the defining characteristic of shonen anime is its heavy use of action scenes. Naruto has typically done an outstanding job in depicting intense ninja battles, but, even so, this particular episode takes this drama to an unprecedented level. As we see Gaara and Naruto summon their respective leviathans, it quickly becomes apparent that we've *never* seen this level of joined battle before. Both Gaya Oyabin and Shukaku are literally gods in their respective arenas, and it is improbable that any of the characters introduced previously (Kakashi-sensei, Saidame Hokage) could come close to matching their innate power. While action scenes are the "meat-and-potatoes" of shonen anime, it's also important for titles in this genre to use humor to lighten up dull moments. Although Naruto 78 presents an epic battle occurring at an unprecedented level, it still retains its unique sense of humor. More specifically, given the sheer power of demonic Gaara, one would never dream that Naruto would dare to stick an explosive kunai up his butt, but, clearly, Bandai proves that, yes, it will do anything for the benefit of its loyal fans. Although this series clearly has action and humor down pat, perhaps the most surprising aspect of Naruto is its outstanding ability to tell a compelling story. In the past, plot development hasn't really been emphasized, in lieu for more action (i.e. Shikamaru's Chunin-exam battle with Temari is cool, but doesn't advance the story). However, in this particular episode, we clearly see that Naruto can indeed develop an engrossing story. As an example, consider Sasuke's willingness to sacrifice himself to save his "precious comrades". Although Sasuke isn't eventually forced to sacrifice his life, this forty-five second conversation underlined the huge amount of development within this series. After all, this particular conversation represents the *first* time that Sasuke expressed that the survival of his team was more important than defeating his brother. When one compares this sentiment to Sasuke's initial disregard of Naruto (nearly seventy episodes ago), one realizes that the group dynamic of this series has grown tremendously. All in all, this episode represents a near-perfect execution of shonen anime at its finest. This, coupled with one of the most touching ED themes I've ever seen, makes this episode one of the best I've ever seen. Naruto, you've come a long way, baby. * * * disagree? read 18 comments! * * * Related Reviews
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