So that animation series idea about Depressed Ninjas from my Louis Lopez post.. Ok, it’s already a thing. But my series would be, like, different.

Anyways. Episode 328 from Naruto Shippuden, the way I see it, is a beautiful example of self-acceptance. For those not too tapped in to the world of Naruto, the Nine-Tailed Fox is a character that terrorized the Leaf Village who was then sealed away inside of Naruto by the Fourth Hokage. Because of the Nine-Tails’s reputation, Naruto was treated as an outcast by the villagers creating a series long aspiration to earn external acceptance by becoming the next Hokage (village leader/top ninja). Throughout the series, the Nine-Tails Fox was portrayed as an angry, evil demon (deep voice, sharp teeth/nails, red eyes) imprisoned within the dark depths of Naruto’s belly button.

Here’s my claim: the Nine-Tails Fox IS Naruto!

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

Or at least a representation of Naruto’s own self-hatred, anger, frustrations, pain, and all the other stuff that people associate with “bad” and would prefer to keep hidden in order to be liked by others. During this episode, Naruto practices acceptance of himself and the emotions that he had imprisoned for so long. There is a specific scene that visually represents this claim at 4:24 of the episode. He stares into the right eye of the Nine Tails Fox which is producing a reflection of Naruto and with a smile he says:

“Ya know, Nine Tails, I’m going to come after all that hate inside you as well some day!”

I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying. No, you know what, I AM crying. Acceptance. Thanks Naruto.

Here’s a great video I found on acceptance.