A review by angrybooklady
Naruto, Vol. 22 by Masashi Kishimoto

4.0

This is actually one of my favortie arcs in the series, simply because Naruto takes a backseat in it. I like Naruto but, as with most fictional works, I tend to gravitate toward the side characters. This is where several of the lesser developed characters shine. Neji's fight is great and it even manages to tie in his relationship with Naruto. I'd have to say Chouji's story was my favorite though. It would have been easy for Kishimoto to just make Chouji "That Fat Kid" who is useless and the brunt of all jokes. But here we really got to see that his size is something that is important to his life as a ninja. Chouji wouldn't be nearly as strong without his fat, and I think there's a nice message of body acceptance to be found there. I also love his relationship with Shikamaru. (Of course, I love anything involving Shikamaru.) Their friendship doesn't get much exploration, but it feels so real that it doesn't really matter.