#shinden

Artwork of the jet powered version of the Kyūshū J7W Shinden.

2024年度村正ラボ作品

Muramasa Lab Works for 2024

Godzilla is just gonna smash stuff. Every time. No matter what humans do. Award winning actors & big name directors can headline a story where elite military forces wield the most advanced tech on Earth, but none of that will matter. The franchise requires that the big lizard will prevail. There is always entertaining spectacle, but (for me) there's little emotional engagement, because humans are merely gnats buzzing around the feet of The Big G. And so, I prepared for the inevitable cocktail of uninvolving mayhem as the lights went down before the latest Godzilla flick.

However, GODZILLA: MINUS ONE gripped me from the very beginning and didn’t let me go. I was amazed by this. I’d always felt that the sheer futility of any human action in a Godzilla film was the reason that these films would always have little involvement, despite all their spectacle. However, this film defeats those dramatic problems by flying straight into the eye of the storm. The implacable force of Godzilla is flipped, in a judo-throw by writer/director TAKASHI YAMAZAKI, to tell a moving story about human frailty.

After a cataclysmic war, the protagonist (movingly played by RYUNOSUKE KAMIKI) deals with the shame of being a kamikaze pilot who came home. To a Japan utterly firebombed into ashes by Bomber Command. Much of the plot deals with remorse, survivor’s guilt, and people forgiving others & themselves. With loved ones all dead, new families form when complete strangers become attached to each other. Every character is trying to pick up the pieces, and all their stories are affecting. 

In this Godzilla film, the human story is the A-story, and Godzilla is actually the B-story, and that’s why it works so well. Here, Godzilla is just a force of nature. Like the earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons that frequently bash the Japanese archipelago. The A-story is about humans making sense of life after cataclysm, just as the Japanese people have done countless times over the centuries. The frailty of human life is the very point of this story, which seems to ask - are frailty, failure and futility the same thing? 

In fact, this could be a moving film about finding meaning amongst the ruins, even without any Godzilla at all. Adding in a rampaging radioactive monster heightens the drama & stakes when these new human connections have been made. Godzilla is the ultimate unstoppable chaos agent, and in the right hands, the perfect vehicle for telling a story about finding meaning after loss, tragedy & defeat. Staying alive by accident, or even cowardice, isn’t a disgrace if something meaningful is done with the life that remains. 

I often squirm when a movie is over 2 hours, but GODZILLA: MINUS ONE didn’t feel bloated at all. Every scene and each performance strengthened the whole. It both looked & felt like a blockbuster epic, but apparently cost less than 15 million dollars. It was very impressive indeed.

Best moments in Manga

Best moments in Anime(Boruto)

So, She has become a shinobi that people can count on, huh. Sasuke thought. Then, I can’t stop either. 

Source: Sasuke Shinden.

Sasuke always felt low-key pride in Sakura’s achievements.

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Source: Akatsuki Hiden

Her love is a "Spring Sunshine" to his dark life.

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"Sasuke looked over the two of them, and gave a gentle smile that he never showed anyone but Sakura."

Source: Boruto: The Novel

Sasuke doesn't mind Sakura seeing a vulnerable gentle side of himself, that he had shown to no one but her.

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Crossing her hands behind her waist,

«Welcome home, darling.» she — Sakura — said.

The wind that was blowing inside the house swayed her cherry blossom-coloured hair.

«Yeah. I’m home.» Saying these words to her again, after a long time, Sasuke had finally felt like he is home.

Source: Naruto Shinden: Parent and Child Day.

Sasuke was back in the village for hours, but only after seeing Sakura, and saying "I am home" to her, he finally felt like he is home. This further focused on in Retsuden - Where he calls Sakura, his home.

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Source: Naruto Shinden: Parent and Child Day.

The Haircut Scene. “I don’t need to be told about these things. Because, We are married.”

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"A hand stretched from behind and covered his eyes activated with the sharingan and rinnegan, was a soft hand, so Sasuke gave a little panic, fingers covering his eyelids...then recognized those hands. 

"No, don't be an idiot, she's not here” , that's not possible he tried to turn his head to look back, but his body was no longer strong, he was about to fall back, suddenly his body was trapped, trapped by a body that knew perfectly, to which he was already used to it. 

- Silence, Sasuke- Kun, you'll be fine - It was Sakura's voice, his wife."

Source: Sasuke Retsuden

I loved how Sasuke had Sakura's body memorized, and how it's explicitly mentioned that he knew her body perfectly, enough to know her touch, even when he is so far away from home. They are truely connected.

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When it comes to hard work, Sakura works harder, that's how she is. After a brief glance at her, Sasuke surrendered and sighed.

- I know, I get it. Just don't work too hard, okay?

- Of course! - said Sakura, as he smiled and looked toward his desk.

Source: Sasuke Retsuden

It's cute when Sasuke acts like a gentle caring husband who gets worried about his wife overworking herself.

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Source: Sasuke Retsuden

"This Doctor is MY WIFE."

No more Words needed. XD.

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Jiji looked at Sasuke's face as his serious expression morphed into concern.

- If the couple gets too far away, they'll lose their bond.

Sasuke didn't understand what Jiji was trying to say. Sakura was his family, no matter where he was, that fact would never change, he had never heard of a family member who ceases to be of your family. Even when he had such strong and negative emotions towards Itachi, he was always his brother, no matter what had happened in the shinobi world, he would always be ready to call him his brother. For Sasuke, Sakura was his family, his partner, whom He always returned to when he arrived at the village, they did not need a blood connection; their feelings don't change even though they can't be around each other often.

Source: Sasuke Retsuden

Sasuke says that no matter how far they are, or how for long they haven't seen eachother, Sasuke's feelings for Sakura will never change.

This has been said by Sasuke's Japanese voice actor also, that Sasuke's feelings had always been "consistent", even before the novel was officially released.

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Source: Sasuke Retsuden

Sasuke makes Sakura a ring out of his chakra to stop prisoners from approaching her thinking that she is single XD. Seeing Sasuke do these things for someone is adorable.

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Source: Sasuke Retsuden

The Lake scene is Retsuden is really heart touching. Sasuke being open and vulnerable about his feelings is just T - T.

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Source: Sasuke Retsuden

Sasuke being panicked at the thought of Sakura being Seriously injured, Sasuke hugging Sakura, wiping off her tears. Ahh, That’s too much for my KOKORO.

(If Gigi was here at this moment, who know what he might have done to him *Ahem* Zaku's dislocated Arm, Shin's crushed body *Ahem*).

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Were there some secret plans? Sasuke’s facial expression was the same as usual.

“Sasuke-kun.”

Suddenly, Sakura released both of her hands from the grip of the bike and stood up. The upper half of her body turned around and faced right behind. She seized the collar of Sasuke’s clothes and pulled him towards herself.

And then She presses her tied lips on Sasuke’s lips.

“Eh..“, Naruto opened his mouth when they suddenly exchanged a kiss on top of his head.

“Because I believe in You“, said Sakura.

Source: Naruto Retsuden

LOL. Makes me wonder if they kiss in front of Naruto more often XD.

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Source: Sasuke Shinden: Star Pupil

Sasuke and Sasuke like to have late night pillow talks. *And maybe more than just that XD*

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LOL...Sarada teases Sasuke for kissing Sakura. First Naruto, then Sarada. Aww Sasuke’s private life is not private anymore. XD. 

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Best SasuSaku Moments in the Manga

Not Getting Out Of This Chair

The meteor shower scene retold for Rainei? Shinden? whatever ship name we decided on for them. Read below the cut or on AO3