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Here’s why the “But it’s canon” argument doesn’t work

It only appeases people who don’t give a shit about logic and storyline.

Take for example Legend of Korra.

In that story, there were two equally developed pairings, Makorra (a pairing that was planned from the start) and Korrasami (a pairing that developed naturally due to how the characters leaned towards each other in the course of their friendship). Everyone who isn’t completely BLIND to same-sex attraction could see there was something fishy going on between Korra and Asami since Book I, in the same way they could see that Korra and Mako were attracted to each other (more on Korra’s side than Mako’s btw). Despite the fact that there were no obvious sexually directed actions between Korra and Asami, the sexual tension was there, the emotional connection was properly developed, and so the ending wasn’t unbelievable - yes, it was unexpected because of forces OUTSIDE the story, but it wasn’t just hurriedly inserted out of nowhere.

That resulted in even people that rooted for Makorra understanding and accepting that their pairing “lost the race” but is as worthy a pairing as the canonized one, since the story would NOT essentially change in order for one pairing or the other to work.

Now, in Naruto, things are completely different.

This story also had two logical pairing possibilities, one artificially built (Narusaku) and another that sprouted naturally from the storyline itself (Sasunarusasu), just like LoK (and please notice I am NOT including any pairing for Sasuke except Sasunaru, I am doing that due to the way the character was constructed by the author).

Neither of those pairings, had they happened, would’ve required a fundamental change in the storyline or for plot holes to remain unresolved.

If Naruto had ended up with Sakura, they would’ve BOTH still be friends with Sasuke and the premise that was set in the 4th Ninja War, that only with Naruto and Sasuke working TOGETHER the root of the conflicts between ninja would be resolved, would still stand.

The same premise would stand had Sasuke and Naruto become a couple, and in addition Sasuke’s REQUITED feelings for Naruto would’ve been seamlessly incorporated into the storyline.

Now let’s see what happened to the premise set by the storyline in the way the manga ended:

Sasuke had to be sent away from Naruto to make Naruto available for a romantic relationship with someone who had no previous presence in Sasuke’s life.

Sakura had to coerce Naruto into feeling he was obligated to return the feelings of the person interested in having a romantic relationship with him.

Naruto had to be enthralled by a magic spell in order to consent to entering a romantic relationship with that person.

Naruto’s bond with Sasuke had to die in order for that relationship to survive.

Kakashi had to intervene into Sasuke’s personal life in order to attempt to coerce him into feeling he was obligated to return the feelings of the person interested in having a romantic relationship with him.

Sasuke had to be isolated from EVERY OTHER PERSON WHO WAS EVER INVOLVED IN HIS LIFE in order to become available for a romantic relationship with anyone who wasn’t Naruto (that would’ve been true for Sasukarin, too, because Naruto was Sasuke’s single object of affection apart from Itachi for the entirety of Part II) and remain isolated for the rest of his life in order for that relationship to survive.

Because of these CANON OCCURRENCES, the premise that was set in the 4th Ninja War, that only with Naruto and Sasuke working TOGETHER the root of the conflicts between ninja would be resolved, was dismissed.

Now, the entire POINT of a story’s plot is SOLVING PROBLEMS.

A fictional story is like a mathematical theorem: a set of problems constituted of one main issue and a variable number of derivate issues is presented during the story but not always in order of importance (and when the main issue is presented after the derivative issues that event is called a plot twist), those derivate issues are developed in arcs and the main issue is resolved at the end, tying everything together.

Now, in Naruto, for the simple-minded person with only a kindergarten level intellectual capacity, the main issue was Naruto becoming Hokage, and as he did become Hokage in the end, the story finished in a satisfactory way.

HOWEVER, the story was developed by Kishimoto and his editors to present a hidden bigger issue that overtook Naruto’s plight to Hokagedom and in fact became fundamentally the main issue of the plot, without which Naruto’s simple ascension to power would become irrelevant: the fact that there was a legendary feud involving Naruto and Sasuke as two parts of a whole that were separated and manipulated against one another through several “reincarnations” (quote marks because it only pertained to their chakra patterns, not their souls, as became evident with the entrapment of Madara and Hashirama’s souls into their Edo-Tensei bodies), a feud that had directly caused ALL the derivative issues in the Naruto world, including Naruto becoming a jinchuuriki and, because of that, not only developing the desire to become Hokage but having to work against higher odds to achieve that objective.

And not only was that fundamental plot twist presented, the ONLY solution for it was presented as well: for Naruto and Sasuke to settle their differences, accept each other and their bond, and cultivate that bond for the rest of their lives by working together towards changing the world order, thus breaking the cycle of conflict in their world.

Any person with more than elementary-level reading skills was able to understand the plot twist as such, especially since it was presented didactically by the Sage of 6 Paths.

And of course those same persons would notice that the ending of the manga left the main issue of the plot unresolved, due to the forced separation and break of bond between Naruto and Sasuke - a break foretold in chapter 700 and The Last and confirmed in Sakura Hiden - that was absolutely necessary in order to make the canon pairings happen.

In leaving the main issue of the plot unresolved, the ending made the entire story lose its sense and purpose. Naruto became empty and unfulfilled because the ending had NO CONNECTION to the storyline, was POORLY WRITTEN and DESTROYED the premise under which the ONLY solution to the main issue of the plot was built upon.

So you see, to any person capable of rational thinking and reading comprehension above kindergarten level, the canonization of whatever other pairings does not matter, because in order to be canonized they destroyed the premise and, with it, the entire story. All 15 years of work spent on it by the author and his editors were tossed out like so much garbage.

And that is why they are paying for it with the defection of over 70% of the paying audience and its marked rejection of the new era project.

Because people can perfectly enjoy shit for free, but they won’t spend their money on it.

And now you know why the anti-naruto community laughs at your sorry faces every time you say the word canon.

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