Konoha Crush

Konoha Crush Episode 1: A Humbling Beginning

We're here with the episodes 1-3 of Naruto: a straightforward and competent first episode of a shonen adaptation, and a pair of comedically focused one offs that establish more of the show's cast, but struggle under the weight of needing to adapt 20 page stories with one joke into 22 minute episodes without adding new jokes. Join us for discussions of unremarkable antagonists, a show thats still figuring itself out, and the foundation of one of anime's most underwritten love triangles.

Konoha Crush Episode 2: School’s School

With episodes 4-6, we watch the show take shape as the thing we recognize with alarming speed, and in this episode of the podcast we try to get into form too. Join us as we meet Kakashi (he's cool), watch the formation of Team 7 while developing some questions about formal ninja education in the Hidden Leaf Village (seems less cool), and embark on a journey to the Land of Waves for the beginning of the show's first (and one of its best loved) arcs.

Konoha Crush Episode 3: The Coolest Guy In Naruto

It’s all battle all the time as we get our first real taste of what it means to be covering a shonen action anime, which is to say "we're talking about one big fight scene all episode". Don't mistake that for us complaining though! We get to talk about Zabuza Momochi (the Demon of the Hidden Mist, maybe you've heard of him), cool ninja tricks, and dangerous mystery children as we watch the action unfold.
Covered this week: Naruto Episodes 7-9

Konoha Crush Episode 4: Nice Gato

Our heroes put weapons down to recover and train, but we can't relax when the downtime gives us this much to discuss. Ninja education! The political and economic situation in the Land of Waves! Gender! And of course, on top of it all, real and significant characters like Zori and Waraji. We just can't forget about those guys.
 
Covered this week: Naruto episodes 10-12

Konoha Crush Episode 5: Kekkei Genkai

The battle on the bridge begins, and you'd better believe its gonna keep going. Its time for four action packed episodes where perhaps a little less happens than we'd like, but most of it involves Haku so it works out pretty well for us in the end. True to the goals of the podcast, we give even the weakest of these episodes as fair of a shake as we can, all while finding time to talk about ninja bloodlines, the resolve to kill, and the beautiful bond between bros.
Covered this week: Naruto episodes 13-16

Konoha Crush Episode 6: Save Haku

The conclusion of the Land of Waves arc comes with Naruto's best episodes so far, with some great material in the extremely capable hands of Toshiyuki Tsuru and Hirofumi Suzuki! We've got a whole lot to cover here at the end of an arc, as we get real sad about haku, talk about the tension between two halves of a story that aren't pulling equal weight, and get excited about just how sick this show can look.
Covered this week: Naruto episodes 17-19

Konoha Crush Episode 7: A Fresh Start, The Chunin Exams!

After the visual highs and dramatic peaks of last week, we return to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, where everything is once again very Normal... but how long can that be maintained in the face of an explosive growth in the size of the show's cast? The chunin exams are imminent, but before they start it’s time to talk about baby bullshit missions, ominous rude children, and your boy and mine: Rock Lee.
Covered this week: Naruto episodes 20-22

Konoha Crush Episode 8: Ninja Info Cards!

This week sees us doubling up on bits of Naruto that linger in the minds of people who sort of remember watching the show on Cartoon Network: the one-two punch of Ninja Info Cards and the first stage of the chunin exams! Along the way we talk about properly meeting the rest of the rookie nine and putting torture experts in charge of children's education, but when it all comes down to it? This episode of the podcast is about how cool it is to cheat on tests.
Covered this week: Naruto episodes 23-25

Konoha Crush Episode 9: Naruto’s Sus

We're here at the forest of death, the second stage of the chunin exams where, as the name might suggest, children are allowed to kill each other. The show places more moving pieces than ever before on the table, and we find ourselves wondering about how well it can balance them in between musings about what exactly our place within the world of Naruto is and bewilderment over the show's attempt to introduce everybody's favorite funny little orange ninja to a new audience. 
Covered this week: Naruto episodes 26-29

Konoha Crush Episode 10: Sakura’s Time To Shine??

In a first for the podcast, Naruto is basically not in any of this weeks episodes! While he's unconscious, the show takes the time to shine the spotlight on a few other characters: Sasuke gets our coolest fight scene yet, Anko has a bad time, Rock Lee puts his beautiful ideals to the test, and... well... ostensibly there’s a Sakura focused episode in here somewhere.
Covered this week: Naruto episodes 30-32