Every great piece of art is flawed, and Masashi Kishimoto’s series is no exception. It is hailed as one of the finest series in the Shonen genre, but it is far from perfect. Be it plot, characters, or pacing, it is disappointing. There is a seesaw undertone to it with the sheer number of highs and lows.
This time, however, people didn’t hold back in throwing shade at one of the key moments in the anime. It concerns Fugaku Uchiha and his role as an important clan member. His death by Itachi was gut-wrenching, yet fans were quick to give their two cent regarding it.
Some called it unnecessary, and others deemed it a character flaw; however, that might not be the case. The series is ridden with pitfalls, but this most certainly is not one of them. Rather, the mangaka worked the trope of coup and militarisation splendidly in his manga.
Fugaku’s sacrifice isn’t bad writing
The Uchiha clan massacre is one of the most horrifying moments in Naruto. It made fans realize the nature of discrimination and politics present in Konoha’s political system. There are clan hierarchies and discrepancies, but what do we do when it is us against the village?
Such was the case with the Uchiha clan and its history with the Curse of Hatred. The main reason behind this was Black Zetsu’s manipulation of Indra and this itself led to the clan’s demonization and vilification by the Leaf Village for decades until they were annihilated.
All things considered, the clan had members who strayed from the idea of the Curse of Hatred. A great example of this is Fugaku Uchiha, who headlined the coup against Konoha. He was ultimately killed by his son, Itachi, and his actions had fans calling it bad writing. But is it?
In this matter, Reddit users had mixed reactions.
What do you think were Fugaku Uchiha’s abilities and why were he known as “Wicked Eye” on the 3rd War?
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By and large, Fugaku was strong during the coup but he couldn’t possibly overthrow the Leaf government for two reasons. First of all, Konoha had the upper hand over the Uchihas due to its military strength. Second, the Uchihas were outnumbered by other clans.
Itachi killing him was a moment of realization in every manner. It was him making peace with the brutal reality of his clan’s existence. As for the bad writing, this scene is isolated from the criticism. Why? Well, because the mangaka portrayed coup, militarization, and sacrifice realistically.
Masashi Kishimoto’s realistic portrayal of coups and militarisation
While massacres and violence seem dramatic in their portrayal, they are very much realistic in Masashi Kishimoto’s series. The depiction of child soldiers, governments, social systems, and the military mirrors real-life instances. This also holds well with the coups and rivalries between clans.
With Uchiha, the coup started as their anger and injustice against the system, but it was bound to fail in every single way. The centuries of oppression and tyranny are attributed to the clan’s association with the curse. Konoha, on the other hand, does everything to absolve itself of accountability.
The shinobi, leaders, and even common folk enabled the culture of the clan’s ostracization. It was also evident in their behavior toward the Jinchuriki being reduced to war weapons. This perfectly sums up the theme of militarization and its workings in society.
Naruto is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Shuisha’s Manga Plus app.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
