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On July 1, 2010, a highly anticipated moment in the Naruto Shippuden anime series received extremely mixed reactions for its controversial animation style. Now, 14 years after it aired, the controversial episode is receiving critical re-evaluation from new and old fans.
Early July marked the anniversary of “Chibaku Tensei,” Episode 167 of the Naruto Shippuden anime series. In the episode, Naruto Uzumaki, distraught over the apparent death of Hinata Hyuga at the hands of Pain, succumbed to his rage and let the Nine-Tails inside him take over. Naruto’s rage during his fight with Pain escalated his four-tailed transformation, almost giving the demon fox complete control of his body until he regained consciousness thanks to his memories of the Fourth Hokage. The episode was one of the most anticipated moments for fans of the Naruto manga—on par with the scene where Monkey D. Luffy achieved his Gear 5 transformation in One Piece. However, the way the scene played out in the anime wasn’t what many fans expected.
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Naruto Shippuden's Divisive Episode 167, “Chibaku Tensei,” Is Still Remembered To This Day
Most viewers at the time tore Naruto Shippuden Episode 167 apart for its surreal look, comparing it unfavorably to Looney Tunes. Technically, viewers largely agreed that the animation in Episode 167 was fast and fluid. However, the way the action was portrayed during the fight between Naruto and Pain was where the heat of criticism lay. Pain's face after taking a powerful blow from Naruto was off-model, with very little realism in its impact. His face was again greatly exaggerated after he declared, “My pain is much greater than your pain!” He was then seen running across water like Sonic the Hedgehog with figure-eight legs. Furthermore, an earlier scene features the demon fox Naruto repeatedly hitting Pain with a large rock, and Pain – whose head is only visible after being slammed into the ground – responding with a Bugs Bunny-like line: “Do you hate me?”
Naruto Shippuden fans believed that the surreal and minimalistic aspects of Episode 167's animation detracted from the serious atmosphere of the battle with cartoonish visuals, which quickly became a popular meme. Episode 167's director, Atsushi Wakabayashi, who previously directed fan-favorite episodes like Naruto Episode 133, has yet to direct an episode of such dubious importance since then. However, he has remained active in the industry, with recent work on Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. Now, 14 years after Episode 167 aired, Naruto Shippuden fans past and present are enjoying the fantastical visuals of the battle.
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Naruto fans are now favoring the Looney Tunes look of Episode 167 more
“I think this is one of the most terrifying fight scenes in the show, the wild out of control animation perfectly matches the energy of Naruto running amok,” wrote one fan on Reddit. “Still one of my all-time favorite anime episodes anyway. Gave me the creeps the first time I watched it,” said another. “How can people not see the brilliance that goes into choreography like this?!” replied another fan. While Naruto Shippuden Episode 167 will likely always have its critics, the controversial fight scene is now in much better shape with fans than it was when it premiered over a decade ago.
The original Naruto anime and Naruto Shippuden are available on streaming services like Crunchyroll and Hulu. The 20th anniversary Naruto episodes will air around 2024-2025. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is currently airing and can be read through Viz Media and the Manga Plus app.
Naruto Shippuden
Naruto Uzumaki is a loud, hyperactive teenage ninja who constantly seeks approval and recognition, as well as becoming the Hokage, the recognized leader and strongest ninja in the village.
Release date February 15, 2007
Creator Masashi Kishimoto
Cast Alexandre Crepet, Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Kate Higgins, Chie Nakamura, Dave Wittenberg, Kazhiko Inoue, Noriaki Sugiyama, Yuri Lowenthal, Debi Mae West
Seasons 21
Creator Masashi Kishimoto
Protagonist Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Sasuke, Sakura Haruno, Kakashi Hatake, Madara Madara, Obito Obito, Orochimaru, Tsunade Senju
Production company Pierrot, TV Tokyo, Aniplex, KSS, Rakuonsha, TV Tokyo Music, Shueisha
Number of episodes 500
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Source: Reddit