[Jouten]

Originally Posted by Ulquiorra

Outside of Sasuke, don't expect it. Kishi could of used the war to show improvement in the other characters, but choose not to with the exception of Gaara, Choji(and I 'd argue most of that was bad development), and maybe Ino. The others are pretty much what they were before. There is really no excuse for that with a war going on 15 months now. Did we really need to see that much Naruto?

Kishi has this habit of making Naruto seem underpowered and overemphasizing his idiocy in order to make his fights compelling. Before he pulls something out of his butt to win. But Kishi is also writing him now as Jesus, the Messiah, the Chosen One, the New Sage, Steven Seagal in his movies, due to his various over the top powerups. I think Kishi is struggling with trying to make Naruto this god-like hero, but also keeping him endearing and likable. A character you root for. Like Goku. It isn't working for me and just makes him ridiculously inconsistent. Instead of developing the character, and the others around him, Kishi just throws more powerups at Naruto. When you have to powerup a character that many times, there is something wrong with him and your writing. It's like a 14 year old girl writing a bad Mary Sue fanfic. What new pretty dress and can I give her now to cover up for this insipid story?

One of the main problems right now is that you feel no danger for Naruto. Not even the slightest feeling he and Kirbai could be captured and the Alliance(remember them?) could ever lose. Even though Kishi keeps telling us how many died and how great of danger they are in. Madara just isn't doing anything for me as a villain right now to make me believe he can win. And Kabuto? Oh wait, Kishi will have Itachi take care of him in a hero moment he really didn't need. So we don't feel that Naruto is overcoming any odds. We are just left with a lot of mish mash and squiggly lines.

I agree. That's the problem with most Shonen Mangas. Giving your main characters too many power ups over a short period of time and forgetting that every other character becomes useless by this. I hated it when it happened in Dragonball and I hated it when it happened in Bleach.