#its not even sasunaru saturday

[colorisbyshe]

This post is just making me think of the actually very sloppy yet SO well done use of parallels in Naruto.

Like, the parallels in Naruto are always, always heavy handed.

Naruto is Jiraiya. Sasuke is Orochimaru. Sakura is Tsunade.

Naruto is Hashimada. Naruto is Madara.

In that one scene, Naruto is Haku. Sasuke is Zabuza.

Sometimes, Sasuke is Kakashi but also Naruto is Minato... who was Kakashi’s mentor. (Despite Sasuke being Zabuza who was Haku’s mentor/abuser.) Sasuke is Kakashi but Naruto is never really Obito (except for when he is) but Sakura is kind of Rin.

And I could go on, really. Just with paralles with Naruto and Sasuke (and sometimes Sakura) to other characters and other character relationships.

But, the thing is... none of these parallels ever really make sense besides maybe Hashimada/Madara. These parallels are largely surface level. Except for one thing... all of these people and relationships ended tragically, dooming Sasuke and Naruto from the start. Fate said you are Team 7, you are Senju and Uchiha, you are born into enemy lines but Sasuke and Naruto are proof of that fate being defied.

Their bond, their love, their trauma bonding endured what those before them couldn’t. Their bond healed wounds that weren’t even theirs and gave redemption to people long gone. They are liberation from the cycle of despair.

They have broken the chains their ancestors, teachers, and enemies have put onto them. Their love is greater than any bondage put onto them.

And... that’s how you accidentally write one of the best love stories of all time

[lostlegendaerie]

Can I just say how freaking happy I am that I'm not the only person who hated Hunk's role in the show? Voltron just feels mediocre at best and I can't spit in its direction without people screaming about how wrong I am.

I’ve heard from numerous trusted friends and sources that the characters get a lot better as the show goes on - one even called it “almost an insensitive psych-out” - so I’m speaking purely from someone who went into the show with a bit of a grudge and stopped five episodes in.

To respect my friends who like the show, I’m putting my salt under the cut.

Aside from the animation and some pretty nice visual designs, I’ve also found the show’s concept, writing, and especially characters to be lacking. Seriously lacking. Honestly, the dynamic between the fandom’s fav leads feels so unbearably similar to the main male leads in Naruto (and I’d admit, i absolutely hate the cocky flirty smug male archetype so any scene involving Lance feels like dentistry) except honestly? Naruto was better. We had a backstory for the leads pretty damn fast - they were also twelve year olds, and therefore could be excused as being a little more childish - and the overall world was much more engaging. (We’ll ignore the flaws of the pacing and some of the bathroom humor jokes for this argument) There were loads and loads of characters, with both sympathetic villains and insufferable heroes, so statistically it was much more likely that you could find someone to latch onto. (I personally adored the sand sibs, shikamaru, and rock lee) Whether the aping of the Sasunaru dynamic is intentional or not (and whether it worked in the that show or not) it’s just really, really not enough for me.

There’s potential in Voltron, there really is; but honestly? I don’t really feel like bending over backwards and overlooking the persistent, easily avoidable flaws from a show produced by some big names who should know better by now. I don’t want to have to work to find the personalities, motivations and backstories of the main cast. Pidge is the only one with a smattering of backstory, but very little personality, and we’ve already jumped the shark by having the Galra show up on their doorstep. The team-building episode where everyone tried to sort out their personalities was half an episode. An approximate ten minute montage culminating in a food fight. Voltron is awkwardly straddling the line between ‘cheap saturday morning static characters and lighthearted space jokes’ vibe and ‘serious american-anime young adult-oriented serial.’ I’m nearly halfway through the season and everything that I care about in a story (dialogue, concept, pacing and characters) is a mess.

It’s not the worst show, by any means, but the vibe I’m getting from what I’ve seen on the show and the fandom is that it’s mostly just nostalgia trips/reviving old material to excuse not making something new and slash ship pandering. Maybe if I had been given a reason to care about the characters, or the setting, or the stakes, I would have enjoyed it more. But until then, I’ll just keep blacklisting the dumb thing until people forget about it.