Naruto Anime Analysis

Season 4: Episode 168

Source: Wikipedia

"Mix It, Stretch It, Boil It Up! Burn, Copper Pot, Burn!"

"This episode pays tribute to cooking-themed anime series such as Chūka Ichiban and Yakitate!! Japan. Naruto, Chouji, and Sakura volunteer to help Teuchi, whose daughter, Ayame, was kidnapped by a band of cooking ninjas. To save her, they must come up with the ultimate ramen recipe. Teuchi tries to teach them how to cook, and the three take advantage of their ninja techniques to make the perfect bowl of ramen. When they rescue Ayame, she has grown fat due to being unable to resist the cooking ninjas' food. To bring her back to her regular self, she eats Teuchi's diet ramen, which appears to be designed to make people lose weight by eating it. The episode ends by showing almost every single female ninja in the show lined up for ramen. However, in the end, it shows Teuchi eating the diet ramen and losing too much weight."

Analysis

After some hectic episodes, this episode is light-hearted. Every Genin is taking a break from the missions they had to endure. Therefore, since it is a tribute to the cooking-themed anime series, this episode is mainly focused on cooking ramen.

It's important to note that Teuchi (owner of Ramen Ichiraku) is also one of the people who never treated Naruto like an outcast. Whenever Naruto came to order ramen, he always treated Naruto like a valued customer. He was never afraid of Naruto, so in a way, he is one of the most important people in Naruto's life.

The episode starts with Choji and Naruto wanting to order ramen at his shop. However, when they arrived at the shop, they found it closed. Before they could leave, they could smell ramen in the restaurant. Therefore, they found a way to get into the shop, where they found Teuchi cooking a new recipe; hence, they concluded that's why he closed the shop. They assumed that he wanted to figure out a new menu; however, they would later find out the real reason why he was cooking a new recipe. Teuchi gave Naruto and Choji the new ramen he was working on. Choji said his soup was delicious, but his noodles tasted the same. While Naruto and Choji were eating, he gave a hint about what happened to Ayame. After saying these words, he passed out.

After he passed out, Choji and Naruto took him to see Sakura. Sakura noted that he passed out due to exhaustion, so she gave him some supplements. Teuchi will be okay once he gets some rest. Sakura, Naruto, and Choji also noticed some marks on his hand. This is due to Teuchi overworking his arms, so he must take a break from the shop. Naruto said he mentioned something about Ayame and Ronin, whereas Choji said Ronin is a term used for ninja chefs. When Teuchi woke up, he told them that the ninja chefs had kidnapped his daughter.

Teuchi said, "Looking back, it all started two weeks ago. It was Hakkaku, a figure from my past. Long ago, we apprenticed under the same ramen master, but we chose different paths: I became a ramen shop owner, and he was a ninja chef." Hakkaku wanted a phantom recipe from Teuchi, but Teuchi didn't have a clue what he was talking about, as is evident in his words, "I didn't have a single slightest clue what he was talking about, but Hakkaku left my shop convinced as ever that I was just playing dumb." As a result, Hakkaku left a note saying, "I've taken the liberty of kidnapping your daughter. If you want her back, you'll hand over the phantom recipe without delay!!" Teuchi didn't report this to the Hokage because he didn't want to risk his daughter's life. He also mentioned that there was a second option in the ransom note. If he could whip something up that knocks Hakkaku's socks off, he would give up on his crazy phantom recipe thing and return his daughter to him. Therefore, that's when Choji, Naruto, and Sakura decided to help him.

Naruto, Chouji, and Sakura volunteer to help Teuchi, whose daughter, Ayame, was kidnapped by a band of cooking ninjas. To save her, they must come up with the ultimate ramen recipe. Teuchi tries to teach them how to cook, and the three take advantage of their ninja techniques to make the perfect bowl of ramen. While the Genin were learning how to make noodles, Teuchi noted that it takes five years to become an accomplished chef. However, as they arrived at a rocky place to meet Hakkaku, their ninja techniques proved to make the perfect bowl of ramen. While Teuchi was making the soup, the Genin were kneading the dough to make noodles. First, Naruto activated his Shadow Clone Jutsu and used the Rasengan to knead the dough and ingredients together. The chakra pulls the ingredients together into a sublimely uniform dough. Second, when Naruto provokes Sakura by playing with the dough, she gets angry and kneads the dough fiercely with her fists. The needles will have the perfect firmness. Last, Choji used Partial Expansion Jutsu, where his hands are huge. He used his huge hands to evenly make noodles.

Before Teuchi could boil the noodles, Hakkaku stopped them and said that the first guest to arrive was also the first guest to whom they served any food, and since 100 ninja chefs arrived at the same time as Hakkaku, they must find a way to serve them the ramen all at once. Therefore, Naruto activates his Shadow Clone Jutsu to serve them all at once. When Hakkaku and the ninja chefs eat the ramen, they find it to be quite exquisite, so Naruto, Choji, Sakura, and Teuchi win the cooking challenge.

Hakkaku explains the reason why he wanted the phantom recipe. He and the ninja chefs wanted the phantom recipe so it wouldn't affect a ninja's performance or gain weight. They were afraid that they would lose their role as ninja chefs if they didn't have the phantom recipe, hence why they went to the extremes of kidnapping his daughter. It turns out Teuchi did have the recipe, but it wasn't called the Phantom recipe. Teuchi had the skim recipe, not the phantom recipe or scum recipe, hence why he was confused in the first place. He called it the scum recipe at first because he thought about the layer of gunk on top of the soup. In other words, it was just a misunderstanding on the part of the ninja chefs who failed to get the correct name of the recipe. After clearing their misunderstanding, Ayame revealed herself, and she gained some weight.

When they rescue Ayame, she has grown fat due to being unable to resist the cooking ninjas' food. To bring her back to her regular self, she eats Teuchi's diet ramen, which appears to be designed to make people lose weight by eating it. The episode ends by showing almost every single female ninja in the show lined up for ramen. However, in the end, it shows Teuchi eating the diet ramen and losing too much weight.

The episode wasn't that hectic. It was fun, interesting, and entertaining.