I couldn't use the icon I wanted because of spoilers B|
This post is going to be horribly spoilerrific for the newest Naruto chapter. Horribly. So if you actually read the series, haven't read the new chapter and aren't looking for spoilers, avoid this post.
That handled: oh my god fuck yes badassery. Thank you for something I can actually fangirl over, Kishimoto. I do not even know where to begin on the development that this had better mean for Chouji. I mean- my god. This calls for admittedly likely-biased character tl;dr, and I must answer it.
First things first, the issue we got left on last chapter that I've kind of been on tenterhooks about- Chouji and Asuma. If you don't know who Asuma is, I'll lay down a brief summary. Asuma was the jounin instructor assigned to the genin team Chouji was on before his untimely death. And this isn't just "okay here's a jutsu I guess, see you tomorrow" teaching, either. A jounin and his genin spend a hell of a lot of time together from the time the students leave the academy to the time when they graduate to the rank of chuunin. That's a group of four together for well and possibly over a year sharing training, missions, meals, tents, high and low points, near death experiences. They get to know each other incredibly well because teamwork is supposedly the backbone of Naruto canon. The fact that Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji were Asuma's first (and only) set of students? Call me biased (I am), but I think that someone's very first team has a special place in their heart. You can bond with any number of students in the future, of course, but the first kids you saw master jutsus and rank up seems like something really irreplaceable to me.
...right, anyway, as you can see, Asuma = very important person + crippling emotional blow to even see in action. And in the middle of an all-out war where he's being used against his former comrades, it's just logical to have his team (who know his strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else at the moment) be the one to put him back out of action.
Chouji is... a very emotional guy. He's got a really big heart, which has always been one of the greatest attributes of his character- he doesn't hold grudges for long, if at all, treats people with respect and kindness and doesn't think much of himself at all- and also one of his biggest weaknesses. If he wants to cry, dammit he's going to cry. This is all fine and good on the average day/not an emergency situation, but not quite the cloth-cut for a successful ninja (I mean, assassin by trade, could lose a comrade without warning anytime). And he's even got a canon history of not being able to spur himself into action when emotions come into play, even in the middle of a huge battle. It takes someone else around to smack a little sense into him or he'll stay frozen forever.
Needless to say, at the end of the previous chapter, Chouji lost his resolve (that they got just a few pages earlier, whoops) and put out there plainly that he couldn't beat up their old teacher. This did not really surprise me, because he's Chouji. I might have made shifty eyes if he'd just been able to go straight for the kill there. Resurrected against his will or not, wanting his team to keep him from destroying the people he cared most about or not, Asuma was still their teacher. The fact that he's completely aware of the fact that he's been resurrected probably made the whole thing even worse. I'd actually maintained in a 15 useless facts/headcanon meme once that I didn't think Chouji could raise a hand to Shikamaru or Ino seriously, and I was a little relieved to see that I wasn't completely off-base with that. His heart will get the better of him nine times out of ten.
Lucky for us, today's chapter picked up right where it left off instead of flipping over to another fight, as Kishi sometimes likes to do. And I have to say that I love the fact that it wasn't a super-easy thing for Chouji to fight Asuma. I love that he had to be pushed and ordered and called a fatass and that it didn't work. He was more hindrance than help for a good while, had to be rescued and have flashbacks until it finally got to the point where he knew what he had to do and could actually do it. Chouji is stubborn as a mule when he wants to be. (...on the unrelated note, god, Asuma. The 'useless fatass' bit was some kind of last resort *_*)
Chapters like this are why I love this character so much. I can relate to Chouji, and a lot of people probably can in this- the people he loves are the most important people in the world as far as he's concerned, and he cannot bring himself to hurt them. I think most of the reason he stuck to the ninja career in the first place was so he could do everything he could to protect those people. And then all of a sudden, someone you already lost is in front of you telling you to take him out. Just. I don't know. A character with flaws is a beautiful thing.
The process towards manning the hell up included flashbacks that were touching and adorable and made me fangirl. We learned the origin of the Team 10 earring trend and the intertwined histories of the Sarutobi, Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi clans. We get to note that Chouji doesn't think anybody will want to marry him, and it is fucking adorable. Chouza clearly wants grandkids.
And through it all, we see Chouji finally understand what it means to be a clan heir, a shinobi, and a protector of the future generations of Konoha. We see him build up a brick wall of Grade A determination, the likes of which we haven't seen from him since his fight against Jiroubou way back in the day, and it is just...incredible.
I mean, just look at this last page. Look the fuck at that last page. Just look at the bottom left panel and you know that shit's about to get real. Chouji is in it now, and it didn't require Ino and/or Shikamaru playing damsel in distress to get there. Hell. Yes.
OTHER NOTES.
Fuck yessssssssssssss, he created the goddamn chakra butterfly wings through sheer force of will that is so badass and incredible I do not even. Chouji on that kind of power level is a force of nature. He's a fucking godmod. Okay maybe that's a little overdramatic but I PLAY THE GUY, I LOVE FANGIRLING ABOUT HIM. If you don't know what the wings mean, I'll break that down, too:
The wings are the result of some serious fucking chakra production. The Akimichi clan has a special secret process that allows them to convert calories directly into chakra- they also pass around a set of three pills that enhances this process. When one takes the big red pill, those wings that Chouji just summoned happen. What they mean is that the calories and fat in his body (that is most of his weight, possibly, people) are being converted into raw power for the using. Last time he did this, he was 100 times stronger than he had been earlier. The unfortunate side effect of the pill is that it is generally fatal because of the fact. Chouji only survived the last encounter because of Tsunade's badassery and the Nara family medical manual, which is understandable. Long story short, one's metabolism gets kicked into overdrive thanks to whatever's in that red pill, allowing for a brief explosion of ridiculous power and practically a guaranteed victory.
I can't say much for why the aftereffect is typically death- maybe the metabolic effects keep going even after all that fat's been burned off. Maybe it's too much strain on the heart or sheer exhaustion because suddenly there's so much less of the person. I haven't done much research into how it could go, unfortunately >_>
The point of this huge-ass tl;dr is that an Akimichi is not typically able to kick their body into hyperdrive and produce butterfly chakra wings without those pills, and Chouji JUST FUCKING DID IT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO.
Now all I have to do is hope that he doesn't get killed off for this. My hope is that doing it through willpower might lend him more control over things, but I'm not getting those hopes up high. Pi has a pretty badass theory that I'm inclined to lean towards. But seriously, he better not die. I'd have to sit in a corner and cry like a baby.
I mean, I'm only barely considering the idea of canon-updating him and bringing him back to Luceti all thinned down if he survives. But post-death? I don't even know how I could play him through that. Almost-dying is preferable to the real McCoy and all. ...though admittedly, I'll probably be a little sulky if this super-badass move means he'll be out of commission for the rest of the arc. Not that it would be surprising, really, but I like seeing him get to do things *_*
...next note: fffffff Chouji you are such a lovable little insecure sweetheart, I'm like. Pfff. He doesn't think anyone will wanna marry him and you should just see his face when he asks his dad about the subject. Adorable family moment that even confirms the fact that Chouji has a mother.
I KNOW, RIGHT.
Annnnd now I"m too tired to see if all this rambling even MADE SENSE, so I'll just roll off and derp around until I fall asleep for the night. LATER.
That handled: oh my god fuck yes badassery. Thank you for something I can actually fangirl over, Kishimoto. I do not even know where to begin on the development that this had better mean for Chouji. I mean- my god. This calls for admittedly likely-biased character tl;dr, and I must answer it.
First things first, the issue we got left on last chapter that I've kind of been on tenterhooks about- Chouji and Asuma. If you don't know who Asuma is, I'll lay down a brief summary. Asuma was the jounin instructor assigned to the genin team Chouji was on before his untimely death. And this isn't just "okay here's a jutsu I guess, see you tomorrow" teaching, either. A jounin and his genin spend a hell of a lot of time together from the time the students leave the academy to the time when they graduate to the rank of chuunin. That's a group of four together for well and possibly over a year sharing training, missions, meals, tents, high and low points, near death experiences. They get to know each other incredibly well because teamwork is supposedly the backbone of Naruto canon. The fact that Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji were Asuma's first (and only) set of students? Call me biased (I am), but I think that someone's very first team has a special place in their heart. You can bond with any number of students in the future, of course, but the first kids you saw master jutsus and rank up seems like something really irreplaceable to me.
...right, anyway, as you can see, Asuma = very important person + crippling emotional blow to even see in action. And in the middle of an all-out war where he's being used against his former comrades, it's just logical to have his team (who know his strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else at the moment) be the one to put him back out of action.
Chouji is... a very emotional guy. He's got a really big heart, which has always been one of the greatest attributes of his character- he doesn't hold grudges for long, if at all, treats people with respect and kindness and doesn't think much of himself at all- and also one of his biggest weaknesses. If he wants to cry, dammit he's going to cry. This is all fine and good on the average day/not an emergency situation, but not quite the cloth-cut for a successful ninja (I mean, assassin by trade, could lose a comrade without warning anytime). And he's even got a canon history of not being able to spur himself into action when emotions come into play, even in the middle of a huge battle. It takes someone else around to smack a little sense into him or he'll stay frozen forever.
Needless to say, at the end of the previous chapter, Chouji lost his resolve (that they got just a few pages earlier, whoops) and put out there plainly that he couldn't beat up their old teacher. This did not really surprise me, because he's Chouji. I might have made shifty eyes if he'd just been able to go straight for the kill there. Resurrected against his will or not, wanting his team to keep him from destroying the people he cared most about or not, Asuma was still their teacher. The fact that he's completely aware of the fact that he's been resurrected probably made the whole thing even worse. I'd actually maintained in a 15 useless facts/headcanon meme once that I didn't think Chouji could raise a hand to Shikamaru or Ino seriously, and I was a little relieved to see that I wasn't completely off-base with that. His heart will get the better of him nine times out of ten.
Lucky for us, today's chapter picked up right where it left off instead of flipping over to another fight, as Kishi sometimes likes to do. And I have to say that I love the fact that it wasn't a super-easy thing for Chouji to fight Asuma. I love that he had to be pushed and ordered and called a fatass and that it didn't work. He was more hindrance than help for a good while, had to be rescued and have flashbacks until it finally got to the point where he knew what he had to do and could actually do it. Chouji is stubborn as a mule when he wants to be. (...on the unrelated note, god, Asuma. The 'useless fatass' bit was some kind of last resort *_*)
Chapters like this are why I love this character so much. I can relate to Chouji, and a lot of people probably can in this- the people he loves are the most important people in the world as far as he's concerned, and he cannot bring himself to hurt them. I think most of the reason he stuck to the ninja career in the first place was so he could do everything he could to protect those people. And then all of a sudden, someone you already lost is in front of you telling you to take him out. Just. I don't know. A character with flaws is a beautiful thing.
The process towards manning the hell up included flashbacks that were touching and adorable and made me fangirl. We learned the origin of the Team 10 earring trend and the intertwined histories of the Sarutobi, Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi clans. We get to note that Chouji doesn't think anybody will want to marry him, and it is fucking adorable. Chouza clearly wants grandkids.
And through it all, we see Chouji finally understand what it means to be a clan heir, a shinobi, and a protector of the future generations of Konoha. We see him build up a brick wall of Grade A determination, the likes of which we haven't seen from him since his fight against Jiroubou way back in the day, and it is just...incredible.
I mean, just look at this last page. Look the fuck at that last page. Just look at the bottom left panel and you know that shit's about to get real. Chouji is in it now, and it didn't require Ino and/or Shikamaru playing damsel in distress to get there. Hell. Yes.
OTHER NOTES.
Fuck yessssssssssssss, he created the goddamn chakra butterfly wings through sheer force of will that is so badass and incredible I do not even. Chouji on that kind of power level is a force of nature. He's a fucking godmod. Okay maybe that's a little overdramatic but I PLAY THE GUY, I LOVE FANGIRLING ABOUT HIM. If you don't know what the wings mean, I'll break that down, too:
The wings are the result of some serious fucking chakra production. The Akimichi clan has a special secret process that allows them to convert calories directly into chakra- they also pass around a set of three pills that enhances this process. When one takes the big red pill, those wings that Chouji just summoned happen. What they mean is that the calories and fat in his body (that is most of his weight, possibly, people) are being converted into raw power for the using. Last time he did this, he was 100 times stronger than he had been earlier. The unfortunate side effect of the pill is that it is generally fatal because of the fact. Chouji only survived the last encounter because of Tsunade's badassery and the Nara family medical manual, which is understandable. Long story short, one's metabolism gets kicked into overdrive thanks to whatever's in that red pill, allowing for a brief explosion of ridiculous power and practically a guaranteed victory.
I can't say much for why the aftereffect is typically death- maybe the metabolic effects keep going even after all that fat's been burned off. Maybe it's too much strain on the heart or sheer exhaustion because suddenly there's so much less of the person. I haven't done much research into how it could go, unfortunately >_>
The point of this huge-ass tl;dr is that an Akimichi is not typically able to kick their body into hyperdrive and produce butterfly chakra wings without those pills, and Chouji JUST FUCKING DID IT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO.
Now all I have to do is hope that he doesn't get killed off for this. My hope is that doing it through willpower might lend him more control over things, but I'm not getting those hopes up high. Pi has a pretty badass theory that I'm inclined to lean towards. But seriously, he better not die. I'd have to sit in a corner and cry like a baby.
I mean, I'm only barely considering the idea of canon-updating him and bringing him back to Luceti all thinned down if he survives. But post-death? I don't even know how I could play him through that. Almost-dying is preferable to the real McCoy and all. ...though admittedly, I'll probably be a little sulky if this super-badass move means he'll be out of commission for the rest of the arc. Not that it would be surprising, really, but I like seeing him get to do things *_*
...next note: fffffff Chouji you are such a lovable little insecure sweetheart, I'm like. Pfff. He doesn't think anyone will wanna marry him and you should just see his face when he asks his dad about the subject. Adorable family moment that even confirms the fact that Chouji has a mother.
I KNOW, RIGHT.
Annnnd now I"m too tired to see if all this rambling even MADE SENSE, so I'll just roll off and derp around until I fall asleep for the night. LATER.