[naruto]

[hieronymousb]

Okay, this sort of pisses me off.

Am I the only one rolling my eyes at all the people saying how accurate this is? Quite a few of these are complete misrepresentations. Take for instance the one about cutting her hair during the fight. In canon, she cut her hair as a sign of placing self-improvement as a fighter over vanity, and the person who

Comments

[000_hester_000]

Bleh. For what it's worth, I completely agree with you.

I didn't like the ones about her rejecting Naruto. I'm really deeply creeped out by the implication (both in canon and in the minds of a lot of fans) that Sakura should love Naruto just because he's done xyz for her. Can't she be grateful to him but not love him? Don't her own feelings matter at all? Sometimes I feel like people want her to exist solely to validate him, which is disgusting. And so as to not start a ship war, I should say that I don't actually have anything against NaruSaku as a ship. Just that the way it's framed often bothers me.

[hieronymousb]

I MEAN she was definitely not the nicest to Naruto in the first part of the series, and I occasionally think some fanbase (on the other end of the spectrum) downplays that a little bit much, but as far as romance goes, yeah, her feelings are her own. There's really no legitimate reason she should have to reciprocate Naruto's feelings. (Of course, I don't think there's any reason Sasuke has to reciprocate Naruto's and Sakura's feelings, which is why I say my issues go back to Team Seven and their portrayal as a whole.)

[000_hester_000]

No, she really wasn't, and you're right: that does tend to get glossed over a lot. I think what bothers me is that, in the beginning of the series, everyone in Team Seven acts pretty immaturely in their relationships with the others. Fans take that in differing ways depending on what they ship. But I've always been bothered by the way that, imo, the narrative seems to imply that Sakura's squeeing after Sasuke is immature (which it is) and foolish, but Naruto's love for Sakura is somehow less so. Maybe I'm misinterpreting it? But that's always the way it's come off to me.

[cynchick]

THIS.

The idea that a woman has to love a man just because he loves her, especially when she's indebted to him for her life or any other reason, is one of the most deeply rooted aspects of sexism. It doesn't matter if she's not attracted to him, she's totally meant to be his.

The Team Seven romance dynamic is ridiculous and immature. Let's forget for a second why Sakura is supposedly obligated to love Naruto -- why should Naruto continue to love Sakura? She was just as mean to him as Sasuke ever was to her, maybe even more so because she lacks Sasuke's reticence. Why doesn't anyone get on his case for being a masochistic idiot who sees the object of his desire through blinders? Maybe because Sakura is supposed to alter every feeling and opinion she ever had and shape herself into being his perfect, loving dream girl?

And you're right, Sasuke doesn't have to return Sakura's feelings any more than she has to return Naruto's. Both Sakura and Naruto need to learn a little self respect and stop begging for table scraps.

[anat_astarte]

Both Sakura and Naruto need to learn a little self respect and stop begging for table scraps.

THIS!!!