Here's the Fairy Tale checklist that started out originally as JUST "Gerard appears" "Surprise Dragon Slayer"… back when it was funny and before it was sadly true. In the course of a couple arcs it turned into this.
[ ]"We need to send out an elite team of badasses! Eh, I guess Lucy, Natsu, Erza, Gray and Happy will do, instead of any of our other 40 unique guild members."
[ ]"Oh shit! This is awesome! This is going to be the best arc to date!"
[ ]Gerard appears.
[ ]Surprise Dragon Slayer
[ ]Lucy fights another summoner
[ ]Erza handicaps herself so she can't solo the big bad
[ ]Maybe we should send Gazille in as surprise backup and have him be awesome.
[ ]Lucy gets naked/someone rips Lucy's shirt off
[ ]Surprise last boss
[ ]Manly tears
[ ]"This arc blows, I hope the next one is better. Maybe the end can save it."
[ ]Natsu wins by deus ex machina 1 time only powerup.
[ ]"The last arc was kind of lame. I hope the next one is better."
[ ]Arc ends, restart from #1.
I've stopped reading Fairy Tail, so no telling if it'll hold up, but, we can implement something like it to Naruto. Which isn't quiiiite as plot recycle-ey, but pretty bad.
Among them
[x]another week passes without dealing with Hinata's confession (82 chapters and counting)
[ ]female character declares they are useless
[ ]That fatal attack that connected was just an illusion
[ ]Gay innuendo
[ ]Naruto whines about Sasuke
[ ]Really gay innuendo
[ ]Rock Lee does something (so it can remain unchecked)
[ ]Flashback
[ ]Flashback of things we've already seen with no new information
[ ]Kakashi winds up in the hospital
[ ]Blatantly REALLY gay innuendo
[ ]Naruto uses shadow clones, rasengans, nothing creative
[ ]"Hey, your shoelaces are untied" is an effective strategy against elite ninja
[ ]A "believe it" speech turns the enemy around if a Naruto fight. A last second ass pull illusion if a Sasuke fight.
[ ]Sasuke appears, manga's suckitude increases tenfold
Anything else to add? if it gets too long it becomes unwieldy. ANd I think its only fair to give it THREE slots for gay innuendo, it'll fill up too quick otherwise.