Such is the case for episode 322 of Naruto Shippuden:Madara Uchiha !!! Okay, I’m exaggerating just a tad, but for a Shippuden episode this might as well be considered top notch. So, why am I, as well as others, treating this episode as a chef d’oeuvre ? Because the first thing we see, fifteen seconds in, is the dauntless face of the legendary die-hard shinobi—that we've been dying to be introduced to— in his Edo Tensei state; a face that immediately greets us with: I mean business. Suddenly, we back away in astonishment as the next set of shots takes us back within the crowd of the Allied Shinobi Forces, where we should be hiding. Silence deems ambiguity as he brings himself face-to-face with us... Now we’re quaking in fear: is he about to attack? How should we stand our ground?

What’s more is the rapidity of Madara, and the way we witness the agility of his Sharingan in a sort-of-slow-mo’ close-up, and the fluidity of his attacks, like free flowing water. We see him handle multiple shinobi one-by-one, sometimes even killing two birds with one stone. It’s the way his Susano’o mindlessly sways and twists his body as he swings his swords, while his majesty calmly observes. It must also be the sudden feeling of helplessness of the Allied Shinobi Forces; Lord Kazekage is so taken aback, he ponders if it’s the power of a god they're dealing with. The gore seems different here: subtle, yet bitter; just have a look at Tsuchikage’s bleeding nails! By far my favorite shot. Let’s not forget the grand actions he and Kazekage take to save their soldiers, which show their true potential and status. Nevertheless, we’re shown the fury of the one character we’ve only, until now, have heard of and seen in flashbacks in the anime, and whose ill will we could only imagine in the manga. Clearly, his alarming reputation wasn’t simply hype. Uchiha, Madara indeed. Besides, after patiently waiting through all those fillers, well darn tootin’ we deserve this much, don't you think?

As mentioned, it isn’t a flawless episode: there were instances where the animation lacked luster (nothing unusual here), but for the most part it was very good. To be quite honest, this one episode pumped more adrenaline in me than the Pein arc. For such a significant arc, the quality shouldn't have been so poor.

I say this episode is a form of fan service only because it was worth the wait, and not only does it have us wanting more, but also reminds us why we fell in love with Shippuden in the first place: because it's simply a great series. This episode was truly a labor of love!

I’d like to mention something I noticed: there was one error at 7:36 mins. Madara has the rinnegan, and he isn't supposed to until a few more minutes into the episode. It is a mistake.

This is my favorite episode.

Episode 82 made me shed a tear. It is specifically dedicated to Shikamaru's grieving for the death of his sensei & close friend Asuma. I would consider this to be a slice-of-life episode in a series that’s not considered to be slice-of-life. Such an episode encourages the viewer to develop a better understanding of the character, with a possibility to relate to them as well.

"Just let it all out. Let out all your sadness, fears, and anger and everything else. And it all starts from there."— Shikaku

Losing someone very close to you is hard, especially if they played a parental or mentoring role in your life, which was the case for Shikamaru. This episode really hit home because I had experienced the same grief back in middle school. To be honest, I wish I had had this as an influence back then because maybe things would have been different. Maybe I would’ve healed faster. But there was no such thing as Shippuden yet.

So, in a battle with Akatsuki, Asuma was killed by Hidan, a sort of dense shinobi living a masochist-type religion. Shikamaru –being a highly skilled tactical ninja who's polished enough to lead missions –felt responsible for the death of Asuma; he felt he had failed at protecting his sensei. The battle left him feeling like a coward. So he was grieving and  beating himself up at the same time.

But that’s what happens when you lose someone so close to you: you start blaming yourself for their death and other previous incidents between the both of you that weren’t necessarily good experiences (a small argument, or the way you treated them sometimes). It was hard for Shikamaru to come to terms with himself, but after having spoken with his dad over a game of Shogi, he was able to let everything out: he threw a tantrum, then he forgave himself and was able to think clearer to figure out a plan to defeat Hidan & Kakuzu. He avenged Asuma’s death, and was able to move on. I could relate to every emotion Shikamaru felt; I saw myself in him every time. Connecting with this minor character on this much of a personal level was highly unexpected. It made me appreciate Kishimoto’s art even more.

this is truly art.

When the animator/mangaka speaks through their art in volumes like this, their characters are almost brought to life. Honestly, it's almost scary connecting to fiction so deeply; it's not a real story, still, art is a creatively abstract reflection of the real world. It helps to know that you're not the only one who experiences this type of thing though.

So, what we can take from this is that some people, after having a traumatic experience, can choose to let themselves go. The final battle between Shikamaru & Hidan symbolizes a triumph in one of life's many challenges. It’s okay to get sad and upset about it. But whatever happens to you, pick yourself back up and become stronger than yesterday. And no matter how hard it may be to accept, sometimes losing those close to us, whether through death or otherwise, allows us to grow.

If you have a similar experience, you're welcome to share.

.COMPLEX

"Humans are not the most intelligent of creatures." — Pain

Pain's words were a reflection of his experiences in the ninja world: how shinobi seem to act out of hatred before they think of the suffering of others, and the outcome that will result from their actions. If we take a look at our own world, what can we take from this? Are our actions really any less selfish than theirs, or are Kishimoto's characters mirror images of ourselves?

Considering the chaos we've created over time for the sake of modernism, I agree with Pain. I at least think that's the case for the majority of the world. The current health of our planet is not a good one due to human settlement over natural lands, with complete disregard to nature. What's more are human activities of waste disposal and toxic substances that kill nature, and hunting for the sake of pleasure which causes other species to go extinct before their time. We haven't been too good to our own bodies either: creating gadgets that potentially give us cancer, producing foods that are imitations of the real thing which may also cause cancerous cells. We have also created a culture with a bag of self-destructive notions of beauty on weight, skin color, hair, eyes, and body figure. We live within a society that encourages individualism as oppose to community, which has led to our disregard for others’ well-being (e.g. big corporations). In my opinion, this is all due to our disconnection to the natural environment.

Let’s take a look at other animal species: What all animals have in common, and something that domestic animals (keyword domestic) have lost over time, is the sense of danger; the threat of an upcoming natural disaster. It’s been recorded from various researches that animals seem to flee days before an earthquake, for example. Speaking of which, might I mention the unique magnetoception of vertebrates? That’s better than any basic senses we have, yet we dare call animals primitive. Are you kidding me? In terms of community, many animals have systems that are based on the survival of their clan, such as lions, where the female hunts for her pride, which could be of up to 30 other lionesses and lions (males being the minority), and the dominant lion guards them.

Now, let’s take a look at indigenous tribes all over the world: they all have many things in common, one being that they value nature, and live within it, not without, just like other animals. Another thing is their perspectives on society: everything belongs to the community, not them alone or their blood relatives, because others are seen as extended family.

I think co-existance with others & animals is important. We should harness nature and integrate it into our lifestyles.  I also need to mention that Earth goes through phases of destruction and rebirth naturally (e.g. ice age); however what we’ve done has caused the impact of this cycle to worsen. I do a lot of reading and research on culture & such, so I may have strong opinions that others may not agree with. But that’s the point.

What do you think about what Pain said?

.COMPLEX