#pumpkintalks

Short update: Yes, I'm writing. I've been working on the sequel to the Sasuke & Neji scenario, I got it half finished a few months ago and it sat in my WIPs when I started a new job. There's also two other fun headcanon scenarios I have left over from 2019 that need to be finished, and a few others. Trying to not put too much pressure on myself or I'll fizzle out like I did in April.

I can't apologize enough to you all for the staggered return, it really feels like I'm edging you all. But the quality of my writing was always the most important aspect, and after so long I want this to be a sequel that lives up to the expectations. What I can say is it will be told in the same thematic style (the 'thump-thump' perspective shift) and it will be a fun midsummer night's dream scenario where you can expect a happy ending in trying times like this.

What would really help me release faster is to have someone who would be willing to edit/proofread my work before it gets posted, as that would help me have a third party compare my works with those from 2019.

Yes, anon! Both Might Gai and Rock Lee were based on Bruce Lee, who was definitely an icon for more than just his martial arts.

That’s about as close to the definition of a late 60s/70s heartthrob as you can get!

Also, Bruce Lee was reportedly beloved for his sense of humor and his approachability. Many of his acquaintances also remarked how they were often awestruck by the insight that came from the young man--a wisdom that surpassed his years.

Additionally, he was described as a teacher to be strict, but insightful and forgiving.

Fun Fact: Jeet Kun Do was a martial arts style conceived entirely by Bruce Lee based on his experience. The style reportedly can be taught but not ‘standardized’ (as other styles) because each individual has different needs.

A friendly attitude with acute wisdom, strict but firm teachings, and a personal style that meets his students where they are? Well, that sounds just like...

Thank you!!

If it wasn’t clear by now, the primary reason I oppose this pairing is that I’m extremely defensive over Tenten, her motivations, and the choices she’s made in the story. I can list Tenten’s flaws just as easily as her great qualities and, get this: it doesn’t detract from her at all. That’s a GOOD character! Kishi mentioned that he liked her design the most, but, in truth, screentime was the only place she really lacked. Kishi (intentionally or not) made a fantastically well-rounded and humanized female character.

Tenten is such an interesting character when you finally get deeper into her psyche. I don’t actually like the way that tumblr and fandom try to modify her to be something that she’s just not. She doesn’t need to be ‘buff, stronk, take-no shits domme who bench presses her team as a warm-up!’ because that isn’t the only kind of strong or admirable woman that exists.

As Tenten repeatedly asked herself in Konoha Gaiden, “Is it really okay for me to be this way?” (”Can I really be accepted for who I am?”) and the answer is yes, she is enough just as she is. That’s such a timeless question that women--and everyone--ask themselves. 

Good question! The problem at heart though isn’t that Tenten doesn’t want to be restricted by marriage, it’s that she doesn’t want to be married. 

No matter who people try to pair Tenten with or how they structure the relationship to be so she still has ‘freedom,’ people are forcing a relationship and their own romantic desires/expectations on a (female) character who has openly stated that she has zero desire for one.

If a celebrity openly states they didn’t want to be married and yet were constantly bombarded by fan images and the like of themselves with another person, it would be considered extremely disrespectful of that person’s life choices. 

If this celebrity is a female, realize that women in EVERY culture have ALWAYS been bombarded with the expectation that their primary goal be eventual “wife/motherhood.” It’s an indirect, perhaps unintentional and innocent, but double-dose of sexism in that I see people constantly insist that TENTEN needs a relationship or who "was robbed because she didn't marry/have children!" but then disregard entire casts of male Naruto characters who are STILL single.

Now, Tenten is fictional so creative domain exists and is accessible by all fans–it’s not as much of a problem. But in terms of the “character” Tenten, I don’t find it beneficial to her story to have a romantic plot because of exactly who she is:

She’s a woman who abandoned “a core part of womanhood [according to society]” and thrived in that same society regardless, and seems to be accepted by her friends as she is. For women worldwide that feel the same way–who defy feminine expectations, have goals outside of society's expectations, or perhaps identify as asexual/aromantic–Tenten is just like them. Tenten is their encouragement that you don’t need anyone to make you feel complete or have to be the woman that people demand that you be. 

Edit: Reminder that Tenten is also an (Eastern) Asian woman, which is HUGE for her character: in an area of the world where patriarchal traditions and expectations are very much engrained in society–and being covered up, if you review the Todai Admissions Scandal of 2018–being pestered to get married by family and friends is so deeply engrained that it's considered normal, even for East and South Asian women born abroad. Tenten being a career woman and being shown as being happy and fulfilled with NO mention to date about her marital status is still a very much countercultural idea that other women are still fighting to normalize!

I think insisting that, on a canonical level, Tenten’s brutally honest confession in “Konoha Hiden” didn’t matter or that regardless there are ‘hints’ otherwise to either ship treats Tenten exactly the way that those women are treated in real life: their truths ignored/dismissed, their wants and desires diminished in favor of highlighting what they provide for someone else, their male friends uncomfortably thrust upon them to fulfill an ‘ideal’ they find appropriate for her.

But as I’ve always said, shipping is perfectly harmless and I absolutely support people’s rights to do it. I just end up having issue when people try to argue about the canon because of what it erases: literally, Tenten: the woman who forged her own unique path to power AND womanhood and was accepted for exactly who she is.

So I mean, honestly, if you like a ship you think is great then you may as well say to hell with canon anyway and just go for it and make it the best damn shipcanon ever. But my reasons for validating Tenten's romantic decisions have much less to do with my feelings and more about where I identified she ended up in the story and where she was always trying to go. That part of Tenten is right where she needs to be and she certainly wasn't "robbed" of an ending where she got married to one of her teammates and had a few little half-and-halves that fandom would have spent all their time redesigning anyhow.

THAT IS SUCH A HIGH COMPLIMENT?? Thank you so much for that anon! 

I’d hesitate to say I understand any character better than the original author, but I certainly put more focus on those characters more than Kishimoto--hence the Team Gai blog. In one way, I understand that Team 7 was always the flagship on the series, but I certainly disagree with Kishimoto when it comes to their decided endings. 

As an author, I know that it can be overwhelming to manage multiple characters and to neatly tie up hundreds of plot points, but for characters that “broke out“ like Lee and Gai, I wonder sometimes if Kishimoto stifled his own creativity with those characters to keep Naruto in the focus. It would certainly explain why the ending didn’t seem to fit the original premise for many of his characters.

If I could give anyone general advice for writing any character that isn’t your original work, it would be the following:

If you are intending to keep their characterization as close to canon as possible (which is what I do to preserve the authenticity of the character that everyone already loves) I would like to stress the importance of looking for character qualities through a non-biased lens. 

What I mean is this: In fandom, we often like to create caricatures in our head of what characters are like based on a few of their major qualities. Hence, this is why Team Gai is always SO out of character when I see them written in the fandom. If we’re being honest, here’s a comparison chart of how Team Gai is portrayed versus how they actually are; Be warned that I was extremely blunt with these.

“Fandom” Team Gai vs. Reality:

Fandom!Might Gai: Springtime of Youth! TALKING IN ALL CAPS! KAKASHI, RIVAL! Portraying this man with sex appeal, ever? Either you mean it as a joke at his expense or you’re REALLY into KakaGai.

Real!Might Gai: Goofy, but with Sagelike Wisdom. Youth is a theme of his teachings and a catchphrase, but he acts like an adult most of the time. EXTREMELY Emotionally literate--Gai is not oblivious! He can read people really well! Will know if you’re hiding something, even if he can’t remember your face. Can lose his temper if his loved ones are threatened or if his direct teachings are disobeyed. Gai gets tired too--Lee can wear him out! Goofy old sensei who combines humor and wisdom with some of his eccentricities. 

Fandom! Rock Lee: Springtime of YOUTH, 2.0! Very Stiff Ways of Speaking! Lovesick! ‘Creepy’ if he’s not the love interest of the work. Cinnamon roll who would never get mad, ever. Feels like Gai 2.0. Woah when he takes off his weights he’s really cool!

Real!Rock Lee: A SERIOUS CHARACTER. Lee can be goofy with his friends as much as anyone, but Lee’s usual expression is serious! He’s self-motivated to an unreal degree. Diligent, tidy, and disciplined. Hopeless Romantic. Very gullible! Extremely idealistic, to the point of possibly deluding himself. Minor codependent behavior exhibited towards role models. Hot-Blooded. Adores cute things. Secretly envious of those around him. Lower self-confidence. Seeks approval.

Fandom!Tenten: Loves weapons, but does she have a personality besides that? Let me just fill one in. Portrayed often as either uptight and like a bully, or as a slightly more tomboyish Sakura. “The Tomboy” archetype. Tenten wants romance just like every other girl, what do you mean? Lovesick/heartbroken over Neji, stays single for the tragic romance. She was Neji’s training partner! She can’t stand Gai or Lee and looks down on them. Often has weak characterization because she gets sidelined into being a love interest. (...and then her entire character revolves around her (male) love interest.)

Real!Tenten: Loves weapons of all kinds, especially Kunai. Impulsively buys weapons she likes. Doesn’t understand many of the girlish inclinations like love and delicacy, but is not anti-feminine. Has canonically stated that she has never been interested in love or relationships. Has never had a crush on anyone. [Also, she was not Neji’s exclusive training partner, she was simply his training partner for the third round of the Chunin exams. ALL of Team Gai regularly trained together or in different pairs at any point in time. This was a comment that was taken way out of context by shippers and has spread false information ever since. This fact is no more real than Lee "balding."] Is tactless, but definitely not a bully. She loves to investigate and play pranks, especially when older. Balances work and rest. Is the “glue” of her team. Cares about her self-image. Has deep insecurities about how others perceive her, and constantly compares herself to her team.

Fandom!Neji: “Destiny Boy.” Either a brooding, calloused douchebag or a brooding, “bad boy” douchebag. Goes out of his way to say mean things OR doesn’t utter a single word for the entire story. His and Shino’s personalities are indistinguishable. No emotion. Stiff. Not empathetic in the slightest. Unhealthy portrayal of his personal relationships, even his friendships. Who would want to be around this guy? I’ll just make him the ‘strong and silent’ type with anger issues and snarky one-liners and call it a day.

Real!Neji: Disciplined and traditional. Reserved, not emotionless. Has a WIDE range of emotional expression and communicates primarily on the nonverbal level. Speaks in either metaphors or to the point--it depends. Some modicum of patience for foolish behavior. Master of projecting his problems. Is only a ‘bully’ pre-exams, but was already on the comedown by the time we’re introduced to him and his team. Deeply emotional at the core, but can be overwhelmed in his by own emotions, especially when it comes to his ego. Learns to maturely manage himself later on. Very perceptive of his surroundings. Cares very deeply for Hinata, his team, and his close friends. Hinata is his closest female relationship whether you like it or not. Witty and sometimes blunt, he doesn’t go out of his way to be a jerk once he’s older. Fits into the respected "big brother" role for both Hinata and his friends.

The Conclusion

When reading through characters and their actions, I cannot stress enough that you often have to let go of your preconceptions of a character and actually look at what they are thinking and doing and how. Your idea of a character's canon personality should be measured up against their canon. Do not measure a character’s canon against your caricature.  

Again, fandom will always do what it wants and take creative liberties where it chooses--as is their right as an audience--but discussing canon and ‘accuracy’ of a portrayal is another thing entirely. 

My assertions about Team Gai focus on their canon portrayal of their personalities and the goals they had within the story of Naruto. My headcanons are always kept separate, and my assertions about their character arcs and endings have to do with how to approach--through the literature--their internal/external conflicts and to reach an appropriate resolution that makes sense within the story.

Anon, me too! 

While known predominately for their “youthful” shenanigans, Gai and Lee are also the definition of self-motivated!

Might Gai

When it comes to being a supportive best friend, Might Gai is the more emotionally literate of the two by far. It remains to be seen whether or not Lee has improved his emotional intelligence to Gai’s degree in his adulthood. 

One would expect that Gai treats his close friends much like he does Kakashi–he’s not shy at all about seeking out his friends, finding creative ways to spend time with them, challenging authority on their behalf, and saying what needs to be said–with tact, of course. 

Though there are times (that we see with Tenten) where Gai can say something with best intentions that comes off as insensitive, he’s the type of friend to sincerely apologize and amend his ways. 

This makes him an ideal friend for emotionally intense types like Neji and Kakashi. Where others have difficulty perceiving the strong emotions that both men cover with “cool” facades, Gai is too emotionally literate to be fooled. He can read most people exceptionally well!

Rock Lee

Rock Lee is a friend that will go to the ends of the earth for people he cares about.

Using “Prologue of Road to Ninja” (Episode 311) as an example, we see that Lee at least possesses some of Gai’s ability to read others. He can discern that Naruto is feeling under the weather and subsequentially assembles a hot springs trip with all of their friends. 

Lee is the kind of friend to rally your support system and to personally gather all the things that you need to succeed. He’s not shy about cheering his friends on, either, as we see his constant encouragement of Tenten in both the exams and as training partners! 

Based on his friendly relationship with Gaara post-exams, we can also discern that Lee has little trouble forgiving others and moving past old wounds. Remember that he and Gaara weren’t even friends before their fight–and post Sasuke retrieval and all the anxiety that Lee dealt with due to his injuries, Lee forgives Gaara with no more than a few words. He’s the kind of friend that focuses on building a better future rather than lingering on the past.

And, based on his relationship with Neji, it’s also clear that Lee’s character flaw of ‘envy’ does not affect his friendships. Lee is hinted to harbor jealousy towards both of his major rivals–Naruto and Neji–but we never see Lee intentionally treat either of them with contempt or sabotage. In fact, both men are Lee’s closest relationships! This does all the more to highlight just how ‘good’ his heart really is. 

In a lot of ways, Lee’s personality alone is inspirational for those looking for friends that will help them ~grow~