[naruto]

[hieronymousb]

Okay, this sort of pisses me off.

Am I the only one rolling my eyes at all the people saying how accurate this is? Quite a few of these are complete misrepresentations. Take for instance the one about cutting her hair during the fight. In canon, she cut her hair as a sign of placing self-improvement as a fighter over vanity, and the person who

Comments

[oddityangel]

As total exaggerations they're fine, but no, not accurate. Poor Sakura, she still can't get any respect.

[hieronymousb]

I think it's the first two that get me the most -- the first because it's such a twisting of events (albeit more in the implicit tone) and the second because, so what, she is obligated to date him because he risked his life for her?

I mean, it's a ninja society. They all risk their lives all the time, including for their comrades. Sigh, I only follow Naruto peripherally these days, but.

[the_sun_is_up]

Yeah that second one has some major Nice-Guy-ing going on. And the first one is just dumb.

[oddityangel]

Yes, definite 'nice guy' vibes...

Scratch what I said, even as 'humorous' exaggerations they don't work.

[the_sun_is_up]

Sakura-bashing: it never goes out of style! :|b

[hieronymousb]

LMAO SOMEHOW I THOUGHT this went out some four-five years ago!

[the_sun_is_up]

I think it came back in style around the time of Sakura's fake love confession and her pathetically failed attempt to kill Sasuke on her own.

[anat_astarte]

Oh, but there is more! *recent spoiler* She pounds a Neji!Clone into the ground, but then, after knowing that clones are trying to make their way into the medical camps to kill the medics, she lets two clones posing as a injured couple right in!

[000_hester_000]

Bleh. For what it's worth, I completely agree with you.

I didn't like the ones about her rejecting Naruto. I'm really deeply creeped out by the implication (both in canon and in the minds of a lot of fans) that Sakura should love Naruto just because he's done xyz for her. Can't she be grateful to him but not love him? Don't her own feelings matter at all? Sometimes I feel like people want her to exist solely to validate him, which is disgusting. And so as to not start a ship war, I should say that I don't actually have anything against NaruSaku as a ship. Just that the way it's framed often bothers me.

[hieronymousb]

I MEAN she was definitely not the nicest to Naruto in the first part of the series, and I occasionally think some fanbase (on the other end of the spectrum) downplays that a little bit much, but as far as romance goes, yeah, her feelings are her own. There's really no legitimate reason she should have to reciprocate Naruto's feelings. (Of course, I don't think there's any reason Sasuke has to reciprocate Naruto's and Sakura's feelings, which is why I say my issues go back to Team Seven and their portrayal as a whole.)

[000_hester_000]

No, she really wasn't, and you're right: that does tend to get glossed over a lot. I think what bothers me is that, in the beginning of the series, everyone in Team Seven acts pretty immaturely in their relationships with the others. Fans take that in differing ways depending on what they ship. But I've always been bothered by the way that, imo, the narrative seems to imply that Sakura's squeeing after Sasuke is immature (which it is) and foolish, but Naruto's love for Sakura is somehow less so. Maybe I'm misinterpreting it? But that's always the way it's come off to me.

[cynchick]

THIS.

The idea that a woman has to love a man just because he loves her, especially when she's indebted to him for her life or any other reason, is one of the most deeply rooted aspects of sexism. It doesn't matter if she's not attracted to him, she's totally meant to be his.

The Team Seven romance dynamic is ridiculous and immature. Let's forget for a second why Sakura is supposedly obligated to love Naruto -- why should Naruto continue to love Sakura? She was just as mean to him as Sasuke ever was to her, maybe even more so because she lacks Sasuke's reticence. Why doesn't anyone get on his case for being a masochistic idiot who sees the object of his desire through blinders? Maybe because Sakura is supposed to alter every feeling and opinion she ever had and shape herself into being his perfect, loving dream girl?

And you're right, Sasuke doesn't have to return Sakura's feelings any more than she has to return Naruto's. Both Sakura and Naruto need to learn a little self respect and stop begging for table scraps.

[cynchick]

Ah, misogyny at its finest.

The Sakura bashers who continue to hate her no matter what she does are part of the phenomenon of "always finding strong female characters to be insufferable bitches." And I don't mean the physically strongest, I mean the ones who have the most opinionated (bonus points for high intellect)and forward personalities. The ones who are not shy and complacent accessories to Big Strapping Men and don't exist purely to validate their Manliness.

The tragic and enraging thing is that most of these haters are female. They don't even recognize what it is about Sakura they hate - her independence. She has thoughts/feelings/actions that don't always match with the male lead's, and sometimes she makes mistakes. That is somehow unforgivable.

[the_sun_is_up]

Er, actually I think they hate her for the exact opposite reason: because she isn't strong. It's the same reason why Bleach fans hate Orihime and love Rukia, the old Real Women Never Wear Dresses canard - female fans tend to bash any shonen heroine who isn't an independent masculine badass. Just look at the pictures HieronymousB linked - a good half of them are criticizing her for being "useless," ineffectual, and emotional during fight scenes.

Here: Have a target.

[lykomancer]

a good half of them are criticizing her for being "useless," ineffectual, and emotional during fight scenes.

Yep. That's exactly why I don't like her. I'm not saying that Kishimoto writes awesome female characters in general, though, so I think the problem exists between paper and chair-- or whatever media he uses to draw his manga and whatever he parks his ass in.

Re: Here: Have a target.

[the_sun_is_up]

the problem exists between paper and chair

That is exactly it, and that's why I take issue with stuff like those graphics that HieronymousB linked to: they make it sound like Sakura's flaws and failings are her fault, when they're actually the fault of the male writer who has proven himself to be both crap at his job and very sexist. But instead of criticizing Kishimoto for screwing over his characters, most fans prefer to just use Sakura as a punching bag and rant about how she's the Worst Person Evar and needs to die horribly.

[lilacfield]

It's the first time I see that Tumblr meme used for character-bashing. I really should be on Tumblr more.

To get back on topic - I've always wondered why Sakura always gets bashed the hardest, compared to the other female characters in the series. Is it because she's supposedly the female lead, the one that female readers should relate to the most - and when she proves noticeably less badass than the guys, readers lash out at her? Or is it simply because, this being an action series, girls too have to be tough and win every fight, no matter what?