Chris Beveridge
02-10-2011, 08:14 AM
http://cdn-www.mania.com/content_pics/000005/88/57/4125cfd098e2e76b_thumb.jpgReview by Chris Beveridge (http://www.mania.com/naruto-shippuden-episode-197_article_128338.html)
Mania Grade: B
In Summary:
The return of proper Naruto Shippuden episode sis quite welcome and even though this is just a setup episode to get things started again, it's a world of difference from what we've seen for the last couple of months. The comedy is largely excised and what we get instead is some mildly dark humor at times and character humor that's not based in acting like an ass. The seriousness level is upped considerably as the fallout from the destruction of the village and revelations about a friend gone wrong only get worse. Things shift between different sets of characters here across the whole of the episode and that keeps it quite engaging as you can see the various pieces and how they may all fit together. While it's not an exceptional episode like we had before the break, it is a return to very good form and reminds you of just what the show can do even when it avoids doing an episode full of fighting and just focuses on dialogue.
Mania Grade: B
In Summary:
The return of proper Naruto Shippuden episode sis quite welcome and even though this is just a setup episode to get things started again, it's a world of difference from what we've seen for the last couple of months. The comedy is largely excised and what we get instead is some mildly dark humor at times and character humor that's not based in acting like an ass. The seriousness level is upped considerably as the fallout from the destruction of the village and revelations about a friend gone wrong only get worse. Things shift between different sets of characters here across the whole of the episode and that keeps it quite engaging as you can see the various pieces and how they may all fit together. While it's not an exceptional episode like we had before the break, it is a return to very good form and reminds you of just what the show can do even when it avoids doing an episode full of fighting and just focuses on dialogue.