History Manga / RockLeesSpringtimeOfYouth

* AntiVillain: Deidara. Although he rivals Orochimaru in the first half of Episode 30, he eventually enjoys himself in the second half while helping the heroes set up a festival, [[spoiler: even taking away his bomb so it doesn't destroy the festival as thanks]].

** The Thousand Years of Pain, Kakashi's ultimate attack. At one point, a {{mook}} straps sheet metal to his behind so he can block this. [[spoiler:Might Guy, Lee, and Kakashi use their combined fingers to defeat him anyway]].

* ComicTrio: Tenten is generally the the StraightMan, while Lee is generally TheLeader and Neji falls into the part of TheFool.

* ForgottenBirthday: The plot of Episode 31-B is kickstarted when Kabuto forgets Orochimaru's birthday. [[spoiler:He makes it up to him in the end though]].

* HeroicSacrifice: In the final episode, [[spoiler: Orochimaru of all people pulls this for Lee during Sasuke's attack! Then he does it again in the second half to the point that he just wants to look cool]].

* Episode 31-A, a mixed bath (set up by Orochimaru) to boot! However, the kids find a way around it using their Transformation Jutsu...and all turn ''male'' with Tenten and Sakura covered up, much to the disappointment of the narrator.

* KnightOfCerebus: Averted in Part A of the anime's finale. [[spoiler:Even as Sasuke appears to attack the village, complete with a dark and gritty atmosphere, the silliness still remains, even with a stylistic suck]].

* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: [[spoiler:Orochimaru takes the brunt of Sasuke's Kirin for this reason. To him, he's the only one who can destroy the Leaf, and no one else]].

* PowerPerversionPotential: [[spoiler: "Konoha's Perverted Wind!"]].

* ThirdActStupidity: Episode 38. While the entire Akatsuki Organization is unaware of Lee's spying, Pain wants to see the "new recruit"'s abilities. Deidara, [[spoiler:to open a chance for them to escape]], offers to fight. [[spoiler:Might Guy then steps in as a ''new'' spy and takes up fighting Lee. Believing this is his chance to use a smoke bomb, Deidara readies a bomb, only to be hit and have the ready-to-explode bomb land near Sasori. Sasori, in anger, tries to attack using a puppet, only to trip Kakuzu, Kisame, and Konan with his Chakra strings. After tripping them, Kakuzu proceeds to attack Sasori with his Tentacle Punch, but Sasori dodges it and hits Hidan and Pain in their faces instead. It all goes to hell, with every member of the Akatsuki fighting each other (save for Hidan), thus allowing the heroes to escape]]. It goes more-or-less the same in Chapter 16, save that Deidara is as oblivious as the rest of the Akatsuki members, and Guy doesn't intervene.

* WaxOnWaxOff: Discussed in Chapter 17/Episode 37 when Guy temporarily becomes the Hokage in chapter and passes some unorthodox decrees. [[spoiler:It's eventually subverted. The people of Konoha think it's this, when it's just Guy being his usual eccentric self]].

* YankTheDogsChain: At the end of the Episode 51, [[spoiler:Yamato announces the next episode called "Captain Yamato and Graduation Day", and "Captain Yamato's First Day of School". He explains to the viewers that he since he spent so long not speaking for the whole show, he has a lot of catching up to do, and that the episode was the perfect time to make up for all of it. However, Lee reminds him that the show has already ended, meaning that there would be no more new episodes]].

* LongTitle:
** The full title of the anime is "Naruto SD: Rock Lee no Seishun Full Power Ninden"[[note]]The original manga has the same title, but leaves out the "Naruto SD"[[/note]].
** The English anime title: "Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals"
** The 4th ending theme, "Icha Icha Chucchu Cappy Cappy Love Love Suri Suri Doki Doki" by Happy Birthday, which is the name of a Japanese girl group.

* OverProtectiveDad: Sakura's father, who gets so worked up about the prospect of Sakura sneaking off for romantic time with Sasuke in Chapter 25 that Naruto taps into his [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Fox chakra]] and Lee pops open five of the [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Eight Gates]].

* FlippingTheTable: Neji flips the table when his habit of crossdressing in this series (thus hurting his chances at winning a "Mr. Leaf Village" contest) is pointed out in Episode 24-B.

* AdaptationalWimp: Almost everyone are noticeably weaker in this series to the point a kage-level character like Gaara in one episode is easily beaten by a random hooligan. [[spoiler:Subverted in the final episode, which has Naruto, Sasuke, and Lee every bit as powerful as they were in the cannon series.]]

* AmbiguouslyBi: Orochimaru mistakenly believes a guy is interested in him and he seems both flattered and open to the idea. On the other hand, he tries to date women too before being turned off by their shallowness, as they were only interested in him for his(non existent) money.

* AssShove: The Thousand Years of Pain, Kakashi's ultimate attack. At one point, a {{mook}} straps sheet metal to his behind so he can block this. [[spoiler: Might Guy, Lee, and Kakashi use their combined fingers to defeat him anyway]].

* BigBrotherInstinct

** In Episode 3-A, Lee laments Neji's growth as a ninja and person ("Neji is in boxers while I am still in tighty-whiteys"), to which Tenten says to just buy his own. In the opening of Episode 3-B while he and Neji are sparring, he reveals that he's a new man -- and reveals that he's switched to wearing boxers.

** The girls realize that the recent food based episodes contributed to their weight gain in Episode 29-B, and Guy specifically flashbacks to the BeachEpisode when Tsunade tells him that his training is likely too hard on them.

** Temari's CurbstompBattle against Tenten is noted in Episode 36-A.

** Lee remembers his fight with Kimimaro when Jugo shows his abilities in Episode 47-B, which gets Jugo's attention.

** Lee reminds Sasuke that he the only time he used his Sharingan's copying ability was to imperfectly copy his taijutsu, something Sasuke considers an embarrassment and Suigetsu finds hilarious.

* DontTryThisAtHome: Episode 2 has one appear after Lee decides to force a kiss on Sakura.
** The Narrator says in Episode 25-A when [[ItMakesSenseInContext Lee tries to force a baby Yamato upon Neji]].

** In a HighSchoolAU comic [[spoiler:Sasuke beats Kiba with his shoe after stepping in Akamaru's poop, which Kiba had intended for Naruto]].

* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Carrying on from the original series, it doesn't matter how well things are going, or what plan he uses to do it -- Lee will never get with Sakura. Neither will Naruto.

* HotSpringsEpisode: Episode 31-A, a mixed bath (set up by Orochimaru) to boot! However, the kids find a way around it using their Transformation Jutsu...and all turn ''male'' with Tenten and Sakura covered up, much to the disappointment of the narrator.

* InteractiveNarrator: The previews for Episodes 9 and 33. Orochimaru also gives the camera a dirty look in Episode 7 when the narrator mentions the ViewerGenderConfusion that sometimes comes up with him.
** At times the cast has full on conversations with him, and then in Episode 33B the narrator comes down sick and Rock Lee replaces him. He's so annoying that most of the cast ends up tracking down the narrator's vacation spot in order to bring him back.

* LongTitle

* MundaneUtility

* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: In Episode 23 Lee in the body of Naruto uses the Transformation technique to turn into Sakura and does a “Monroe Jutsu” Cut to the real Sakura who shivers in revulsion.

** Taken to its extreme in Episode 26-B, where Team Guy hosts a test to see who would become one of their "ninja pals"...and all of the applicants were made up of one-shot villains from the last two seasons because according to Lee they assumed that the show wouldn't last longer than that. Cue Tenten telling him to at least leave some of the fourth wall intact...[[HypocriticalHumor and then asking why do the guest characters even know that in the first place]].

* NonIndicativeName: Episode 48-A, "Yamato's Solo Mission". Despite being referred to several times, Yamato barely appeared at all (it was more of a DayInTheLimelight for Sai).

* NotSoHarmlessVillain

* PaperThinDisguise

** Lee, Naruto and Sakura's Dad all disguise themselves as Sasuke in Chapter 25 of the manga. Despite their obvious distinguishing features, Sakura is still fooled.

** Whenever Team Guy participates in something, Murphy's law will always, always, ''always'' be in effect, and it doesn't just extend to them; usually when they try to help someone they end up doing a lot more hurting (both figuratively and literally) than helping.

* {{Sentai}}: Lee and the gang try to use the sentai genre to show Iruka's disobedient students the meaning of "friendship and effort, in order to achieve victory" in Episode 22. In the end, the kids end up learning how to Tsukkomi like Tenten, Ino and Sakura.

* ShipperOnDeck

* StraightMan: Tenten plays the role of the sensible character 99% of the time, and in the anime Deidara of all people fills this in Akatsuki.

-->'''Tenten:''' Can't we have an happy ending just once?!

** In Episode 47-B Juugo drops a ClusterBleepBomb prompting Tenten to worry about it being too much for TV.

* ThirdActStupidity: Episode 38. While the entire Akatsuki Organization is unaware of Lee's spying, Pain wants to see the "new recruit"'s abilities. Deidara, [[spoiler: to open a chance for them to escape]], offers to fight. [[spoiler: Might Guy then steps in as a ''new'' spy and takes up fighting Lee, and believing this is his chance to use a smoke bomb, Deidara readies a bomb, only to be hit and have the read-to-explode bomb land near Sasori. Sasori, in anger, tries to attack using a puppet, only to trip Kakuzu, Kisame, and Konan with his Chakra strings. After tripping them, Kakuzu proceeds to attack Sasori with his Tentacle Punch but Sasori dodges it and hits Hidan and Pain in their faces instead, and it all goes to hell, with every member of the Akatsuki fighting each other (save for Hidan), thus allowing the heroes to escape]]. It goes more-or-less the same in Chapter 16, save that Deidara is as oblivious as the rest of the Akatsuki members, and Guy doesn't intervene.

* TotemPoleTrench: One of the disguises Orochimaru and Kabuto usesin Episode 7-A has them disguised as a shinobi visiting countries with Orochimaru on top.

* {{Tsundere}}

* ATwinkleInTheSky: Happens to Orochimaru and Kabuto when they were defeated in Episode 21. They even make a Pokémon reference as they were blasting off.

* WaxOnWaxOff: Discussed in Chapter 17/Episode 37 when Guy temporarily becomes the Hokage in chapter and passes some unorthodox decrees. [[spoiler: It's eventually subverted. The people of Konoha think it's this, when it's just Guy being his usual eccentric self]].

* WholesomeCrossdresser: Characters dressing up as the opposite gender happens once per episode. Usually it's Neji.

** In Episode 28-B Neji finally has enough and tries to give this up, but Hinata unintentionally convinces him to go back to going along with Lee's skits.

* YankTheDogsChain: At the end of the Episode 51, [[spoiler:Yamato announces the next episode called "Captain Yamato and Graduation Day", and "Captain Yamato's First Day of School". He explains to the viewers that he since he spent so long not speaking for the whole show, he has a lot of catching up to do, and that the episode was the perfect time to make up for all of it, and then Lee reminds him that the show has already ended, meaning that there would be no more new episodes]].

''Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth'' is a comical {{spinoff}} of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' written by Kenji Taira. [[note]]''Rock Lee no Seishun Full-Power Ninden'' is the Japanese/English name, ''Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals'' is the name of the anime in English, and ''Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth'' is the translation that was used for the English manga.[[/note]] As the title suggests, the manga focuses on Rock Lee, the HotBlooded {{ninja}} who solves problems using only his fists. Joining him are the other members of Team Guy: Neji Hyūga, the [[TheComicallySerious serious]], [[AwesomeByAnalysis intelligent]] prodigy; Tenten, the [[AnimeChineseGirl Chinese]] [[MoreDakka weapons user]]; and Might Guy, Rock Lee's [[LargeHam incredibly boisterous]] [[TeamDad sensei]]. Together, they solve problems and fight evil ninjas in incredibly hot-blooded and awesome ways.

** Lee was just a side character in the original series with occasional arcs. Here he is the main character.

** While not exactly in continuity, in Chapter 27 Itachi delivers the same BadassBoast to Kisame that he did to [[spoiler: Kabuto during the 4th Ninja World War]].

* IdiotCrows: Crows calling out "aho!" show up at least OnceAnEpisode. They tend to show up right after someone does something particularly boneheaded, voiced by said character's voice-actor as an added bonus. In Episode 29-B, they even pass by to [[GagCensor censor how many kilos the kunoichi gained]].

-->''Why? Why is it always me?''

** Neji, full stop. There's his [[KissingCousins "thing"]] with Hinata, he uses his Byakugan to peek at Kakashi's Makeout books and there's times where he completely forgoes the "covert" part -- when his mind is transferred into Sakura's body in Episode 23-A, the first thing he does is peek at Sakura's chest. In Chapter 36, he and Lee are blatantly undressing Kurenai in their minds.

-->'''Guy:''' You are in the springtime of your youths!

-->'''Tsunade:''' This is chakra, not alcohol. The PTA can't complain about this one!\\

-->'''Juugo:''' I'm gonna [bleep] your [bleep] up and shove it up your [bleep]!\\

* VillainDecay: With zany scheme after zany scheme, suffering the brunt of the punishment and even ''joining in'' on Lee's skits (and incorrectly calling them 'genjutsu' just like Lee), to say that Orochimaru's terrifying reputation in the main series has been hit hard by the spin-off's comedy would be an understatement. Kabuto lampshades it at one point[[note]] while adding some HypocriticalHumor as he is also prone to joining in[[/note]].

** In Episode 25-B, Lee reminds Neji of the time when they watched ''[[Series/CharliesAngels Charleston's Angels]]''. He also reminds them of the time they watched a 'space station anime' that was ''Anime/CaptainHarlock'' in all but name.

* BareYourMidriff: Mostly Tenten and Sakura in their regular outfits.

--> '''Orochimaru''': What's wrong with the women in this village? All they care about is money, money, money! They're so shallow! It's ridiculous! I don't want any part of it!

--> '''Hinata:''' I swear, I won't lose to you!\\

%%* ShoutOut: The anime and manga have so many they need their own page. %%needs examples

* {{Spinoff}}: Of ''Naruto''.

-->'''Tsunade:''' This is chakra, not alcohol. The PTA can't complain about this one!
-->'''Naruto:''' What's a PTA?

-->'''Juugo:''' I'm gonna [bleep] your [bleep] up and shove it up your [bleep]!
-->'''Tenten:''' ''[horrified]'' That was, like, every single word you can't say on air!

* {{Tomboy}}: Tenten has some masculine traits. So much that [[spoiler: she wins the "Mr. Leaf Village" contest]]. This trope is also the focus of Episode 3-B.

--> ''"Why don't you realize that if you act like you did in the main series, you could defeat Lee any time you wanted to?"''

* CharacterExaggeration: Neji goes from simply having BigBrotherInstinct in the original series to being a KnightTemplarBigBrother to Hinata here here. Neji explains that it's out of guilt for almost killing her during the Chunin Exams, but then again that doesn't explain his CrazyJealousGuy antics.

** In Episode 3-A, Lee laments Neji's growth as a ninja and person ("Neji is in boxers while I am still in tighty-whiteys”), to which Tenten says to just buy his own. In the opening of Episode 3-B while he and Neji are sparring, he reveals that he's a new man -- and reveals that he's switched to wearing boxers.

* CharacterExaggeration: Neji goes from simply having BigBrotherInstinct in the original series to being a KnightTemplarBigBrother here. Neji explains that it's out of guilt for almost killing her during the Chunin Exams, but then again that doesn't explain his CrazyJealousGuy antics.

* CriminalDoppelganger: Basically what causes Episode 20-B. A Rock Lee impostor named "Sock Lee" wreaks havoc on a mountain town that Team Gai happen to visit. They manage to lure him out by using Neji as bait, but then Tenten and Neji impostors show up.

* SlapstickKnowsNoGender: Female characters are not immune to being victims of comical violence.

* ShesGotLegs: According to Lee, girls having long legs is what drives a man.

* CoolPet: Episode 35-A focuses on Lee's team agreeing to look after most of the known pets of the cast. Despite not being included in the petsitting ensemble, Akamaru also shows up.

%%* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: No, not really. %%needs more context

** Whenever Team Guy participates in something, Murphy's ;aw will always, always, ''always'' be in effect, and it doesn't just extend to them; usually when they try to help someone they end up doing a lot more hurting (both figuratively and literally) than helping.

* Fanservice: While the art style and emphasis on comedy may mitigate the appeal, this Naruto-spin-off features the following:
* One chapter of the manga features Guy's team traveling to an island inhabited by doppelgangers of Hinata with tanned skin dressed in hula outfits. Neji enjoyed it as part of his running gag. Given what series this is, it's also part of a FanDisservice gag where they meet doppelgangers of Guy in the same outfit.

** Lee and Might Guy have both always been hot blooded, but is [[UpToEleven taken to eleven]] in this manga and anime.

** At times the cast has full on conversations with him, and then it's taken UpToEleven in Episode 33B where the narrator comes down sick and Rock Lee replaces him. He's so annoying that most of the cast ends up tracking down the narrator's vacation spot in order to bring him back.

* MySisterIsOffLimits: UpToEleven in Neji and Hinata's relationship as Neji froths at the idea of his cousin being romantically involved... although it's clearly implied that Neji [[KissingCousins has his own personal reasons why he doesn't let anyone get close to Hinata]].

The manga is found in Saikyo Jump, the little brother to ''Magazine/ShonenJump'' that features similar shonen spinoff manga like ''[[Manga/{{Toriko}} Gourmet Gakuen Toriko]]'', ''[[Manga/OnePiece Chopperman!]]'', and ''[[Franchise/DragonBall Dragon Ball SD]]''. It also had a 51-episode anime adaptation, which premiered in Japan on April 3, 2012, replacing ''{{Manga/Bleach}}''.

** Whenever Team Guy participates in something, MurphysLaw will always, always, ''always'' be in effect, and it doesn't just extend to them; usually when they try to help someone they end up doing a lot more hurting (both figuratively and literally) than helping.

* SchizoTech: Always lampshaded.
-->'''Tenten:''' Wait, do we even have electricity and gas in this world?

** Rock Lee himself. Although his crush on Sakura is as strong as ever, he also seems to think Neji looks cute in drag. Also, at one point, he mistakenly believes Orochimaru is hitting on him. Lee seems genuinely overwhelmed at this, ut then profusely apologizes to Orochimaru for not being able to reciprocate, not because Orochimaru is a guy (or because he is, you know, the archenemy they're constantly doing battle against), but because he is already in love with somebodey else! Begs the question of what his response would have been if he had been emotionally unattached...