Eternal Question: Befriending vs Therapy no Jutsu

[Corvus 501]

In terms of overall effect, whose favored method of percussive attitude adjustment is most effective, Uzumaki Naruto's, or Takamachi Nanoha's?

[Esquire]

Would you by any chance care to expand? What do all these words you're using mean?

[Corvus 501]

Sorry for not being clear. Naruto from the anime and manga of that name uses the so called Therapy no Jutsu or Talk no Jutsu to talk people into fallowing his ideals, even his previous enemies, usually after beating them up. Takamachi Nanoha of the manga MGLN tends to "befriend" former enemies after shooting them with a magical cannon beam that's set to stun. Both tend to cause massive changes in personalty for those who are targeted.

[Esquire]

Is this a magical power thing, or just people being persuasive? What are their methods? Is there any reason to believe they'd work if not for plot powers? Describe your question, it's meaningless at the moment.

[Ahriman238]

Would you by any chance care to expand? What do all these words you're using mean?

Is this a magical power thing, or just people being persuasive? What are their methods? Is there any reason to believe they'd work if not for plot powers? Describe your question, it's meaningless at the moment.

He's referring to two different manga/anime series, in which the protagonist has a reputation for befriending their enemies. It's not an in-universe power, AFAIK. I don't actually know much about Nanoha besides that it exists and is about an apprentice goddess trying to improve people's lives.

Naruto... in every battle, in true shonen fashion, there are flashbacks to the villains' detailed backstories and/or they take time from whaling on Naruto to expound on their philosophy of life. Naruto, having led a somewhat shitty life as an unwanted orphan and village pariah, is able to empathize and understand them, then demonstrate how he is like them only better for his vague beliefs (friends are awesome! Wanting to protect your friends/home gives you a limitless determination to succeed, and thus limitless strength!) or they somehow take their defeat at his hands as validation for his philosophy over theirs. Nobody ever walks away feeling they lost because Naruto had a trick in reserve or it was a bad matchup, he won because his beliefs made him too strong to overcome and they want some of that. In the various film adaptations, he also has a gift for inspiring timid or lukewarm allies by charging the "invincible enemy" over and over, leading with his chin. His courage in getting up to try the exact same tactic that failed half a dozen times already is seen as uplifting, rather than evidence he was dropped on his head as a child.

To answer the question insofar as I can, Naruto doesn't actually have that awesome a success rate, because he rarely tries it. Certainly never against Orochimaru or Madara, but when he does convert his enemies to his cause, he does so full-hilt. See Gaara and Pain, the only times it didn't feel forced. Gaara actually is Naruto as he could have been if he'd grown bitter and apathetic, so it makes sense he'd be impressed that Naruto beat him, through sheer grit, on behalf of other people. Pain's whole thing was that violence begets a cycle of revenge, so best to double-down on the violence til there's no one left to seek revenge, he also killed Naruto's mentor, his girl and leveled his home, so he's understandably confused when Naruto corners him and demands backstory, then forgives him.