‘Naruto Shippuden’ Episode 488 Review, 489 Preview: Sasuke Shinden’s Final Act Disappoints And Satisfies As Anime Heads Towards Shikamaru Arc

It has taken a bit more time than fans initially expected, but Naruto Shippuden‘s current filler arc finally ended. While Naruto Shippuden Episode 488, “Sasuke’s Story: Sunrise, Part 5: The Last One,” was quite satisfying in more ways than one, several aspects of the episode, especially its final moments, were considered by longtime fans to be quite disappointing. With Sasuke’s story finally concluded, the anime is now set to begin its next filler arc, Shikamaru Hiden, before airing the events featured in the final chapter of the manga.

The Sasuke Shinden arc, which featured the popular character’s exploits as he traveled around the world to atone for his sins, is widely regarded by numerous fans as one of the finest side stories that were written in the long-running franchise. In a lot of ways, the anime adaptation of Sasuke Shinden explored the events of its source material very well, developing the compelling character very effectively. By the end of the mini-arc, numerous fans remarked that the last few episodes definitely showed the best of Sasuke, as the character was shown to be strong and more importantly, fully reformed.

One particular aspect of Naruto Shippuden Episode 488 that incited a lot of appreciation from fans was the fight scene between Sasuke and Chino, where the veteran was shown vanquishing his powerful foe with some of his trademark techniques. As a bonus, Sasuke fans were able to briefly glimpse Sasuke fighting in a tournament to free many ninjas in the only way he knows how — by battling with dozens of them all at once. Though the fight scenes in Naruto Shippuden Episode 488 were very brief compared to the long and drawn out battles in some of the franchise’s previous filler arcs, the movements of the characters, the quality of the episode’s animation and the background music that was utilized were top-notch.

Perhaps the most compelling part of Naruto Shippuden Episode 488, however, was when Sasuke practically forced Chino to give up the fight by telling her the exact beliefs of Naruto, whom he hated in the past. By doing so, Sasuke has effectively proven that he was already a changed man, and thus, he has moved on from the hatred and darkness that engulfed him in the past. Since Naruto Shippuden Episode 488 was satisfying due Sasuke’s fight scenes and his speech to Chino, however, there were a number of the episode’s scenes that did not sit well with fans of the long-running anime. One of these involved Naruto and Sakura, who were back in Konoha and discussing Sasuke’s journey for redemption.

Over the course of the brief scene, Sakura reverted to her old, immature self and punched Naruto, simply because she was embarrassed about her feelings for Sasuke. Considering that the characters were adults in the Sasuke Shinden storyline and that they practically went through hell together in the past, Sakura’s actions were deemed by many to be out of place and downright inappropriate.

However, the Sakura scene pales in comparison to the final scene of the episode itself. In Naruto Shippuden Episode 488’s final moments, Sasuke opted to return to Konoha after reading a letter from Naruto. The letter, which was written by Naruto and contained Sakura’s thoughts as she reminisced about Sasuke, ultimately persuaded the wandering ninja to return to the ninja village. This, of course, resulted in one of the most meaningful scenes between Sasuke and Sakura in the source material, where the latter welcomes the former home. The anime, for reasons unknown, has opted to completely remove the scene.

The removal of Sasuke and Sakura’s final moments in the mini-arc has left numerous fans disappointed, with many calling out Studio Pierrot for neglecting what is arguably a very important moment in Sasuke Shinden. While the reasons behind the scene’s removal would most likely never be known, the fact remains that the Naruto Shippuden anime has failed to depict a very important and compelling scene between two of the franchise’s most important characters.

With the conclusion of the Sasuke Shinden arc, Naruto Shippuden would now move on to the anime adaptation of the Shikamaru Hiden saga. The preview for Episode 489 has confirmed that Naruto Shippuden‘s next episodes would indeed focus on Shikamaru, and from what could be determined from the brief teaser, the next episode would be fluidly animated and well-drawn as well.

As Naruto Shippuden continues its coverage of some of the franchise’s light novels, numerous fans are looking forward to the final arc of the original Naruto story, the Konoha Hiden saga, which involves the wedding of Naruto and Hinata. After the upcoming Shikamaru Hiden arc, fans of the franchise could expect to see the manga’s final chapter to finally be animated. The highly anticipated wedding arc would not be Naruto Shippuden‘s final hurrah, however, as an Anime News Network report confirmed that a Boruto anime series would begin airing April 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL36lMCBEgM

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