Anime [David Anime] Naruto 101

This episode is a complete riot.

Although we've had a string of filler episodes ever since Tsunade became Hokage, this episode marks the first time that an *entire* episode has been devoted exclusively to utter comedy. Just as pointed out in Ten's superb review, there was absolutely no plot development, but it was quite pleasant to see our heroes having fun, pulling pranks, and generally enjoying the company of each other. In the past, we've seen Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura risk their lives to save their peers (i.e. Sasuke saving Naruto from Haku, Sakura shielding Sasuke from Gaara, etc.), but this episode forgoes the depiction of the three as battle-hardened comrades in lieu of a teenage-best-friends sort of feel.

Given the light-hearted tone of this episode, it was nice to see Sasuke getting along just fine with Naruto (cue tea-drinking scene), and, in the aftermath of the fiercely competitive chuunin examination, it was hilarious to see the strong rapport our heroes had with the Shika-Ino-Chouji team. This episode also had noticeably good artwork, and the musical overtones were executed perfectly. Although the prior 'gold standard' for anime filler episodes was FMA 37, it's clear we have a new archetype.

On a darker note, it's slightly worrying to see that the next episode will be a filler episode as well. There's clearly an anticipated showdown coming down the road, and for fans of the manga, it's nerve-wracking to keep on waiting for the inevitable confrontation. Echoing the title of this episode (i.e. "I Wanna See, I Wanna Know, I Wanna Find Out!"), it's about time we smash back into Kishimoto's world of angst and despair (^_^)

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PS: Mad kudos to Laurie for her photo gallery of Japanese cosplayahs. Recognize, fo' shizzle!

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