AV MOD MATERIAL: NARUTO Ch. 648 Review

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AV MOD MATERIAL: NARUTO Ch. 648 Review

I've hidden a melon bread under one of these hats. I'll shuffle them and whoever finds it first gets it.

As Naruto and Sasuke leap in to prevent the end of the Shinobi World, Hashirama's mind starts to wonder toward the distant past and the First Kage Summit.

The Good

Pretty much the only action you'll see this chapter.

Building frustration would be an appropriate description with last week's NARUTO chapter, but it at least hinted at some excitement for this week. That didn't work out so well. The scenes of action that we got were nice to have. Though, they were very much in the minority for the chapter. If you count them up, there are only ten panels that doesn't show people just standing around as if they were waiting for the bus.

The Bad

Oh, no. There could be a Shinobi World Shutdown.

When I go into a shonen-action series, I expect some level spectacular action to be happening at some point. There was a suggestion of something amazing after last week's finale. We instead were interrupted with learning the politics of the first kage summit. Why does Kishimoto interrupt a battle to show us a bunch of guys sitting around a table arguing? It's as if you were watching WWE wrestling, then someone grabbed the controller and turned the channel to C-SPAN.

I'm not opposed to political intrigue, but this moment was hardly what I'd call intriguing. There is a time and place for this sort of flashback, and this isn't it.

Then there's my second problem with this chapter. Too much of it is also dedicated to the inner thoughts of various people comparing Naruto and Sasuke to Hashirama and Madara. If it sounds familiar, it's because this isn't the first time it's happened this arc. We get the metaphor already.

Verdict 2/5

If you wanted an issue of NARUTO where people just stood around comparing characters with other characters, and watching a bunch of old guys arguing around a table. Here's the chapter for you. Kishimoto once more keeps teasing us with a grand finale to this conflict but keeps pulling back. This chapter feels like the canon equivalent of a filler episode.

Oh well, maybe next week will be better.

Follow along with the latest NARUTO chapters yourself, tune in for the SJ Podcast, and check out the free starter pack sampler at ShonenJump.com here. You can download the free app for both iOS and Android devices.

About the Author

Kristoffer Remmell (FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek. Follow for news updates: @AnimeVicers / @FoxxFireArt / http://kristofferremmell.tumblr.com/

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