Konoha Crush konohacrushcast

We're here with the episodes 1-3 of Naruto: a straightforward and competent first episode of a shonen adaptation, and a pair of comedically focused one offs that establish more of the show's cast, but struggle under the weight of needing to adapt 20 page stories with one joke into 22 minute episodes without adding new jokes. Join us for discussions of unremarkable antagonists, a show thats still figuring itself out, and the foundation of one of anime's most underwritten love triangles.

With episodes 4-6, we watch the show take shape as the thing we recognize with alarming speed, and in this episode of the podcast we try to get into form too. Join us as we meet Kakashi (he's cool), watch the formation of Team 7 while developing some questions about formal ninja education in the Hidden Leaf Village (seems less cool), and embark on a journey to the Land of Waves for the beginning of the show's first (and one of its best loved) arcs.

It’s all battle all the time as we get our first real taste of what it means to be covering a shonen action anime, which is to say "we're talking about one big fight scene all episode". Don't mistake that for us complaining though! We get to talk about Zabuza Momochi (the Demon of the Hidden Mist, maybe you've heard of him), cool ninja tricks, and dangerous mystery children as we watch the action unfold.
Covered this week: Naruto Episodes 7-9

Our heroes put weapons down to recover and train, but we can't relax when the downtime gives us this much to discuss. Ninja education! The political and economic situation in the Land of Waves! Gender! And of course, on top of it all, real and significant characters like Zori and Waraji. We just can't forget about those guys.
 
Covered this week: Naruto episodes 10-12

The battle on the bridge begins, and you'd better believe its gonna keep going. Its time for four action packed episodes where perhaps a little less happens than we'd like, but most of it involves Haku so it works out pretty well for us in the end. True to the goals of the podcast, we give even the weakest of these episodes as fair of a shake as we can, all while finding time to talk about ninja bloodlines, the resolve to kill, and the beautiful bond between bros.
Covered this week: Naruto episodes 13-16

The conclusion of the Land of Waves arc comes with Naruto's best episodes so far, with some great material in the extremely capable hands of Toshiyuki Tsuru and Hirofumi Suzuki! We've got a whole lot to cover here at the end of an arc, as we get real sad about haku, talk about the tension between two halves of a story that aren't pulling equal weight, and get excited about just how sick this show can look.
Covered this week: Naruto episodes 17-19