A DANGEROUS AFFECTION [II - CANONIZATION]
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II.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaVSPPQ92N
CANONIZATION500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jK7LzjAxt
aka; Kishimoto’s writer intent500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHh2JLEo2k4
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Aside from everything I’ve said in the previous section, another useful way to determine a pairing’s chances of being canonized is to take into account the writer’s intent. In this case, there are various factors that can be detected in Kishimoto’s writing that both, suggest the effort and thought he has put into this pairing, and his intentions regarding it.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8f9BYCukOR
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a) The number of moments they’ve gotten
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This one speaks for itself, I believe. Like I mentioned as I was introducing this manifesto: while many are quick to dismiss this pairing, in reality, the development SasuKarin has gotten through Part II is more substantial than that of many of the non-canon pairings that have been around since Part I. What I’m trying to say is: many are convinced of the canonization of pairings that don’t even have a quarter of the substance SasuKarin has received. And when one considers such is the case despite the fact that Naruto has been running for 15 years while SasuKarin has been present solely for 7 (counting the 2 years where they went MIA), that’s got to be meaningful.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIhi9ujcaB
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Especially if one takes into account the fact that Kishimoto has to have given the pairing considerable consideration and regard to get them there. This regard is evidenced in various ways; like for example, the fact that it was Karin and SasuKarin who were the threshold for Sasuke’s descent into ‘true’ darkness. Or how Kishimoto continuously brought up SasuKarin (and in a positive, significant light, at that) through Suigetsu and Juugo while SasuKarin were separated. Or even Sasuke’s uncharacteristic smile to Karin during the Chuunin Exams, and the attention to detail Kishimoto paid to the flashback as a whole. And, most recently, how during the time of Sasuke's temporary death, the only character whose feelings [regarding the matter] Kishimoto focused on were Karin's.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3fN1ozbvu
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The aforementioned instances also signal another remarkable fact: Kishimoto does not only give focus to Karin's feelings for Sasuke, he also gives focus to Sasuke's side of their bond. In fact, one could say he gives both sides equivalent focus—and this is a trait that not many of Kishimoto's potential couples share.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TspShQ04D
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There is also the fact that Kishimoto saved Sasuke and Karin’s encounter (plus the stab being addressed, the mysteries surrounding their shared pasts, Karin’s feelings finally getting out in the open and Suigetsu's apparent knowledge of them, so on so forth) to what he, himself, considers the ‘highlights’ of the climax.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzQlKYjiRW
Q5: Now that we've entered the climax of the Great Shinobi World War arc, please tell us what some upcoming highlights will be!500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWUXdHjVjc
A: Everything from here on out will be a highlight!!500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGBpyW7v3X
- Kishimoto Interview in Weekly Shounen Jump (x)
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Speaking about focus,500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTkbY2ooxl
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b) Kishimoto’s habit of singling out Sasuke and Karin among Taka
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It’s true. He sometimes does it in subtle ways, and sometimes in more obvious ones. From having a whole chapter dedicated to them, from being the ones with the most dialogues and the ones whose thoughts Kishimoto’s focuses on the most. And while this is more like a bonus rather than weight to the argument, this habit of his can be noticeable even in the 3rd Databook.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzg9RtI5brD
In order to "locate Itachi and fight him one-on-one to settle the scores", Sasuke picks out three people. Hoozuki Suigetsu, the prodigy from the Hidden Mist. Karin, the brilliant, lone female of the group, who boasts an outstanding Gift of Perception. Juugo of the Scales, the originator of the Cursed Seal.
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See what I mean? While the other two get a single compliment, Karin is continuously praised throughout the Databook.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzo7qRs9Yh
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Granted, the Kage Summit arc and what has happened since then completely proved that this (Kishimoto highlighting Sasuke and Karin) is indeed the case. Not only does he separate them from Suigetsu and Juugo (as such making sure that it is Karin and SasuKarin rather than Taka as a team that plays the role of the threshold), but when the latter two finally appear, it’s to talk about Sasuke and Karin. Even during their second appearance, Kishimoto outright states that one of the reasons why Suigetsu sticks around is because he enjoys getting in SasuKarin’s way; so it is indeed fairly evident that their dynamic lies at the core of the team. Especially considering that, as I’ve pointed out a couple of times above, Kishimoto let Suigetsu and Juugo already be reunited with Sasuke, while he saved Karin’s reunion with them for later. And more recently, it is Karin's drive and urgency to get to Sasuke that Kishimoto has been focusing on.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8qS6PTlRd
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And while not directly related to SasuKarin, it’s also worth mentioning that Kishimoto making Karin an Uzumaki adds even more weight (though in a completely different way) to my previous point about Karin being able to stand with Sasuke on equal ground.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2DPQ0iKMv
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c) Recurrent Themes (how SasuKarin ties in)
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On the subject of Kishimoto’s writer's intent, there are a couple of themes that have been continuously brought up through the manga; and SasuKarin happens to fit very well with many (if not most) of them. For example:500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0yRH5MCAG
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✦ “Even the roughest woman is tender to the guy she loves”500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYre3BAcDo
It’s easy to see how SasuKarin fits that quota. Especially because, as stated in the page, she may be ‘tender’ to the man she loves, sure. But that is special only because said ‘rough woman’ is just as bossy, feisty, and rough to him; which again, Karin is to Sasuke. Sasuke himself acknowledges back in 348 that she isn’t easy to handle, in reference to her attitude. And we have seen Karin give him a hard time countless of times, so we all know where he is coming from.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIbHNYmAIn
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Yet, at the same time—we all know that there is a side of her that she shows only to Sasuke. And why, it is tender. So SasuKarin fits down to a Tee one of the tropes and dynamics that Kishimoto seems to support when it comes to his couples (Shikaku and Yoshino, Tsunade and Jiraiya—though they never got the chance to be together, Minato and Kushina, among others.)500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojV3me0pLy
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✦ “... Do you have someone who is special to you? ... When you have something special that you want to protect... only then can you become truly strong!”500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIjVfvpf9D
Sasuke usually gets his power-ups due to his hatred (though we know where that took him last time); yet, there have been two instances in Part II where he harmonized with one of the manga’s most important themes: that of drawing strength from one’s bonds. One is 414, where he casts an Amaterasu after being moved by Taka (Karin included) and the second is, of course, 415. What is noteworthy about Chapter 415 is that by risking his life for Karin’s, Sasuke was, in fact, jeopardizing his revenge and unconsciously placing her wellbeing before it—something he has only done two other times (one for Naruto, one for Team 7) both of which took place back in Part 1. Atop of that, he actually awakens a new ability for Karin, so it really does go hand in hand with this memorable quote from Haku.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyBsJXD0l2
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And in chapter 663, Kishimoto delivers the exact same thing again—except this time, he does it through Karin, who awakens her dormant Uzumaki powers at last due to the strength of her feelings for Sasuke, whom she (obviously) wants to protect at all costs.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pNdETWUYz
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There are a few more, like Ending the Curse of Hatred (with which SasuKarin nicely ties in, because while it's up to Naruto and Sasuke to put an end to it, as descendants of the Rikudou Sennin outright unifying the Elder Brother’s clan with the Uzumaki would be a nice way to symbolize the end of that grudge, and a new beginning), and also that of Selfless Love, where much like Naruto's and Jiraiya's feelings for their special someone, all Karin wants is to see Sasuke happy—be it with her or not.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkOctnpVg1
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Lastly, there is another thing that—while not being a recurring theme, Kishimoto has also pointed out in the manga. That is:500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVC1szqNYyd
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- The lack of suffix500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUBlq5zw9t
While many may have not noticed this, the truth is Karin uses no suffix with Sasuke. She calls him Sasuke, period. The reason why I’m bringing this up is that Kishimoto himself has highlighted this. Through Sai, Kishimoto has given his thoughts about suffixes and more importantly, the absence of them:500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvIFt78IC8
“In order to hasten the development of understanding between yourself and others, the first thing to do is reduce any emotional barriers. For instance, when addressing someone, by using suffixes such as “-san” and “-kun”, you’ll remain distant from that person, never seeing any reduction in emotional barriers.”500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKJJoUaiPF
“To combat this, one should first take the initiative to stop using such suffixes […] by doing so, one is able to position themselves in a particularly special and close relationship.”500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkzkuQWTPo
- pages here & here
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So far, there are three girls in the manga who’ve had an obvious crush on someone. Those are Sakura, Ino, and Hinata; and they call their crushes “Sasuke-kun” and “Naruto-kun” respectively. Ino and Hinata aren’t particularly close with their respective crushes, but Sakura, while becoming his teammate and friend, continues to call him “Sasuke-kun” even today. So this is another trait of Sasuke and Karin's dynamic that separates it from that of other girls who have had feelings for him in the manga.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG0bCqnMDN
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d) Their Similar Pasts
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I’m sure everyone here who has read a Naruto fanfiction at least once in his/her life, has come across one of the countless Sasuke/OC fanfics that depict him falling for a girl that’s basically the female version of him; from the higher-than-thou attitude to being collected, down to the fact that her whole clan/village/country was murdered, too, and she was the sole survivor. And said clan of hers? It’s a special snowflake, of course. Just as if not even more special than the Uchiha. Oh, and does she have special powers due to said special clan? Well, of course, she does!500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaafyZfL1c7
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Well, here you have her. And in canon, from Kishimoto’s own mind, pen, and words. It seemed far-fetched, didn't it? But it seems Kishimoto thought otherwise; and think he did, even going as far as to give them such a similar background for them to connect over. As a matter of fact, they have everything they need to connect over.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHMxNcBcoV
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And from a story writer’s point of view? That says a lot.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd85gsArcIM
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e) The amount of canonical commentary regarding them
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Aside from building dynamics and being instrumental pieces for characterization, writers use character's dialogues for many things; from being narrative tools to deliver exposition to hyping up techniques and power-levels (that's shounen for you).500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKSf5UMpsp
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And of course, they are also used to deliver insight into certain relationships. This insight can be positive or negative; a passing comment or a constant happening; focus on only one character's feelings or both.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkhTaqxK7T
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In SasuKarin's case, the comments they've gotten so far have been positive, constant and they not only touch upon Karin's feelings for Sasuke but on Sasuke's side of their bond as well. More than that: rather than being mere observations that do nothing but state the obvious, some of these comments actually hint at mutual SasuKarin - and none of this should be taken lightly.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzNeqdMLeQ
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Because the fact that the content of said commentary has been overwhelmingly positive on both ends and a constant (literally every character who has interacted with Karin and Sasuke for an extended period of time eventually makes a comment regarding them. So far these are Suigetsu, Juugo, Orochimaru, Kabuto and even Obito) This seems to indicate that Kishi is trying to make a point.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxu7rnhbXxA
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Taking into account the type of character Sasuke is (closed-off to love and without interest in romance, mysterious and aloof to the point we hardly if ever get his POV) it's easy to see why Kishi uses third party commentary as a narrative device to draw attention to Sasuke's side of his bond with Karin.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zswA9HeXi
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And that is yet another reason why the content of the most tellings remarks —that Sasuke knows Karin "quite well", that she is his "favorite", that they've been "about to hook up"— is so remarkable (and telling).500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnKznPXzB3
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f) The importance given to what happened between Karin and Sasuke
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But singling them out and making sure that Karin matched Sasuke in all ways possible though nice, weren’t the only things Kishimoto did.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNaJURppn8
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He also added some mystery to their bond; a mystery that’s so relevant, that he couldn’t reveal it in the Databook and wanted to reveal it in the manga itself.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrHFpeCdj0
Databook 3 - Kishimoto Question and Answer Session500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEuSxuFuew
Q. Why did the Kyuubi's seal gradually fade?500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFY1PagIHNi
Q. Why was Naruto able to grow up to four tails?500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NTl6wcyTB
Q. What did Karin do to Sasuke in the past?500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hk48Y3WN3
Q. Is Kushina alive?500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlpRRlHmm6
Q. How did Kakashi awaken his Mangekyou Sharingan?500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7eNOsAizD
A. It's a secret!! Just keep on reading the manga!
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Look at the questions it got grouped with; questions of undeniable plot-relevance. Those are the ones that Kishimoto cannot reveal lightly; because he already has a role planned for those, and they are so important that the story has to reach a determinate point before he can address them. Case in point, it took him 500 chapters to address Kushina’s status; and it’s only now that Tobi has been unmasked, that we got a reply about Kakashi’s Mangekyo.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbaj8uPlQb
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Even if the said mystery turned out to be the fact that they met during the Chuunin Exams (though as previously mentioned, one would have to wonder how did Suigetsu know about that in the first place - which in turn becomes a mystery of its own), the fact remains that Kishimoto still considered it important enough to group it with questions of such caliber.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uaqGEHRSl
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And that says miles about the importance of SasuKarin to the respective characters—and about its potential for the future.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcZraLMr8Y
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Because they are relevant, far from fodder, like many naysayers are so quick to ignorantly claim—and that brings me to the 3rd point I wanted to address because it’s always important to consider both sides of the coin to realize if there’s a hole in one’s standpoint.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHiPni0BEX
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Is there a hole in this, though? Let’s see.500Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiZkvxUHBe
III. COMMON ARGUMENTS AGAINST THEM
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