Blackjack612 Reviews Naruto 600 Why Until Now...

blackjack612 · Sep 7, 2012

"Even though he's supposed to be dead..."
Might Guy

This chapter had a lot of expectations to live up to coming after the controversial reveal of Obito Uchiha as Tobi. Just how controversial? Well, I threw up a poll last chapter to gauge how you received the twist and opinion was pretty evenly split between like, didn't like, and don't care/reserving judgement. The don't care reserving judgement was tied for top choice with those who liked the reveal, with each receiving 3 more votes than those who disliked the reveal. That's a very small margin considering the poll received 100+ responses.

Now for the chapter review...

Naruto 600 Why Until Now...
The images in this review are credited to Mangastream.

Might Guy asks the obvious question when the chapter begins: Is that really Obito Uchiha? Kakashi is convinced enough, though. And Obito himself just doesn't care. He's already written off this reality for the new one he intends to replace it. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

First, we're treated to a recap of the events in Kakashi Gaiden. Kakashi loses an eye. Activating his Sharingan in the process, Obito saves him. Present day Kakashi is thinking back to a boy who cared enough about his comrades to lay his life on the line..

Rin, Kakashi, and Obito attempt to escape from a collapsing cavern. A rock from his blind spot knocks out Kakashi. Obito rushes in. He saves Kakashi but is trapped under rubble himself. Obito bequeaths his right Sharingan to Kakashi. In return, he asks that Kakashi look after Rin. The cave further collapses and Obito is left for dead in the wreckage.

In the present, Kakashi asks Obito why he never revealed himself. Besides being cryptic about whether or not he was ever actually dead, Obito says it's because Kakashi let Rin die. Despite Naruto's plea to save emotions for later, Kakashi is strongly affected by the moment. He expects Obito's blame. But Obito isn't interested in the world as it is any longer. He's moved far past his identity, his past desires, his old loves. He sees only a new future of his making on the horizon.

Obito lets out a wild fire-release attack that Naruto bats away with his Kyuubi-tails. But just as their bout is heating up again, a new challenger appears. Madara Uchiha! And with that, Kishimoto promises that the story enters its final conclusion...

There isn't much here to focus on since the chapter is heavy on flashback and light on action, though the one jutsu we did get to see by chapter's end was very impressive. But I want to talk about Obito and just what's up with his face. Sometimes those look like wrinkles. Sometimes they have enough shading and curvature to look like skin stretched taut across his skull. Perhaps Kishimoto is simply covering for the disparity between what a crushed/distorted face should look like and what generally has looked like wrinkled, old man face. Or maybe he just hasn't gotten the knack of illustrating Obito's new adult character.

I am really dissappointed with this chapter. It's a landmark issue (the 600th!) and it follows a big reveal. Yet all we got were heavy handed flashbacks (as opposed to the brisk, dialogue free romp through time of 599), Kakashi moping some more, Obito only revealing that he is (or at least was at some point) upset about Rin's death, and a cliffhanger team-up of Obito and Madara. The first two felt repetitive and Obito reveals nothing that wasn't assumed after last chapter. The most (and only) interesting thing that happened this chapter happened at it's cliffhanger, but even that has me worried about where the story is being taken. Chapters back, Kishimoto set up three fights as the climax of the war: Kabuto vs Sasuke and Itachi, Madara vs the Five Kage, Tobi vs Naruto. Are we going to see more of the Kage fight in flashback next chapter? Or is that leg of the story simply done and pushed to the side to make room for an Obito-centric arc? And whatever happened to that other Uchiha who went off with a revived man to learn some truth?

Naruto 600 ultimately feels like the series treading water, which is why it gets a ...

2 out of 5.

Predictions

I'm very much hoping that the Five Kage weren't defeated* and that instead they join up with Team Kakashi to take part in a gigantic eleven character melee. I do think that Team Kakashi and Sasuke will both learn the truth about Madara and Obito at roughly the same time. The narrative will hit a point where it's being explained to the heroes and Kishi will change scenes to a travelling Sasuke and Orochimaru as they fill in the gaps of Uchiha history.

I forgot to add a poll this week, but I was going to ask what you thought happened to the Five Kage? Are they dead, mostly dead, beaten, where they were, on their way. Give me your theories on what happened and where this can go. Until next week...

One Line Reviews

Tower of God S2 Ch30 has yet to reveal the mysterious man at the tail end of S2 Ch29 but contains some entertaining team banter.
Bleach 506 has a dynamite cliffhanger even if it isn't reached in the most graceful of ways. New bankai alert! Check it out.
One Piece 681, if not as great as last week, is still pretty fun. There's action aplenty and Sanji delivers my favorite line of the week.
I erroneously labeled last week's Billy Bat as #82 when it was actually #81. The actual Billy Bat 82 is just as good as the previous chapter and continues to take the story in surprising directions.
Yet the Best of the Week by a clear margin was D.Gray-Man 216. The series is taking off for a month, but went out on a tense, dark, action filled note as two different foes close in on Allen Walker.