Naruto Shippuden Episode 243: The Hatred Inside

This is the stuff of legend, that’s been FINALLY animated. HELL YEAH. It took us nearly two seasons only half a page in the manga though but we made it! We’re in for an awesome season of Naruto guys.

Summary

Naruto and the Konoha team finally reach Kumogakure, where Naruto is introduced to Killer Bee as he saves them from a giant squid. While Gai can’t shake off the feeling that they’re still at sea, Naruto tries to get Killer Bee to teach him to control the Kyuubi, but leaves a bad first impression. When he goes to their guide Motoi, both he and Yamato are led to the Falls of Truth, where he meets his dark inner persona, identical to him in almost every way.

Impression

Woahhhh, woah woah woah! How long has it been since I was this excited by Naruto? Though it did start pretty slow (since everyone was still messing around in shipland) the pace really picked up, and you can really see the immense difference between canon material and fillers – notice how this show becomes so much more interesting once the ship disappeared for good. One thing I have to praise about adaptations is that Studio Pierrot manages to adapt Naruto very succinctly and more or less in an identical order to the manga – very much unlike Bleach, where things skip about all over the place.

Okay enough about that. Naruto is finally acquainted with the Hachibi jinchuuriki, Killer Bee, who has full control over his Bijuu. I’d actually forgotten about his constant rapping how do they even make things rhyme in moonspeak? and Naruto manages to piss him off right off the bat. Smart move, bro. I was actually surprised over the level of control he had over the Hachibi – they’re almost like friends instead of jailer and prisoner, and Bee can easily transform into the Hachibi, which looks so much more awesome animated compared to a manga panel.

Falls of Truth, Falls of Truth! A wild Dark Naruto appeared! Think those dark sides you find in Persona 4, it’s pretty much the same concept. All those flashbacks Naruto is famous for FINALLY builds up into a plot device. A stand-alone that isn’t a stand-alone. I see what you did there, Studio Pierrot…

It does make sense that Dark Naruto is identical in every way, shape and form to the original, other than the fact that he has the backing of the Kyuubi due to them both being forms of mass hatred. Yeah, even shounen protagonists have a dark side to them. I did find that comment about the Konoha ninja now all sucking up to him to be eerily accurate, especially since it was the exact opposite in the past.

Ugh, I hate not being able to speculate and talk about theories when the manga is so far ahead, however they do make one thing clear, that defeating your dark self is the first step to Bijuu control. With the Kyuubi being made up of a mass construct of hatred, that tries to take over you, not having any hatred would be a sensible first step. I wonder if Kyuubi and Naruto will ever reach the same level of friendship with Hachibi and Bee? Hachibi looks quite…tame would be the word I guess, something I’d never relate to Kyuubi immediately by how pissed off he looks o.O

This is a first for this series, but I seriously can’t wait for next week’s episode. Just…please, no more fillers for some time. Let’s try to aim for one full season without a filler, m’kay?

PS. Oh, and please keep Gai still being seasick in mind. It actually means something.