So... my friend told me about this episode a few days ago, and he was like, "Wow... Naruto has really gone down the shitter. I couldn't believe what I was seeing." Now, after watching one-third of the episode (skipping through pointless plot parts, since I read the manga) I have to agree 100%. I actually think Shippuden is equally as bad as the fillers... because seriously, manga readers are starting to realize how much they're butchering it.

Let's begin with Deidara. To start, Kakashi used MS not once, not twice, BUT THREE TIMES against him. Correct me if I'm wrong... but in the manga, uh, didn't he only use it once before passing out? Plus... it wasn't a black hole, it was more like an explosion. And in the manga... geeze, it didn't blow off BOTH of his arms, did it?

Then they made Team Gai look like a bunch of pansies, despite having two Jounins and two Chuunins in their team. And then... oh god, I couldn't believe it, Deidara pulled a suicide bomber and then his explosion was absorbed in the MS.

I stopped watching right there. Can't believe this... after all the wait for Shippuden, not only do they drag episodes on forever, they add plot hole fillers as well.