Ever find it funny how a manga series that you’ve ignored for a while comes back to get your attention once again? This just happens to be the case with yours truly and NARUTO. Are ninjas really that exotic to an American like myself? Yes, the series is reaching its inevitable climax and the fanbase can be a bit nuts, yet I have been inspired to write more about its characters. To date, I have written about Nara Shikamaru, Hinata Hyuga, Itachi Uchiha, Rock Lee, and Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke has a special place in my heart as he was the first character I blogged about. So why has the world of teen ninjas come back to haunt me? Is it due to this adorable little gag series? if any of you Naruto fans have not watched this series, you should. Rock Lee’s Springtime of Youth (or Naruto SD: Rock Lee And His Ninja Pals in anime form) is a hilarious, nonsensical parody of the Naruto universe. Can humor draw someone back into something or someone? In many ways, humor connects you to others. It also highlights people’s personalities that are worth analyzing because it puts things in perspective. The entries I wrote on Hinata and Shikamaru were completely inspired by their cute SD versions. Or I could just be fooling myself since I most likely came back for this guy: Hearing Itachi become an actual good guy before his death literally made me go, “THIS I HAVE TO SEE.” While the whole “Who is Tobi?” moments were somewhat interesting, I enjoy seeing characters finally release their psychological barriers on their path to redemption. Don’t we all love redemption stories? They really showcase the nature of life itself as we’re always trying to redeem ourselves in some way. Do any of you enjoy those types of tales? If you’ve had any experiences of coming back to a manga title after an extended period, feel free to share them. I would love to know what made you come back to a certain manga series. Until then, let’s all go aboard the final stretch of the journey Kishimoto is putting us through. May his Tsukuyomi genjutsu be more blissful than Tite Kubo’s Kyoka Suigetsu.
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