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Several years ago, those of us who heard the news that the second Uzumaki generation would continue, we were filled with expectations and, at the same time, with a little bit of fear due to the several mistakes made by the producer, Pierrot, in charge of bringing the Naruto series to the screen.
There is no doubt that they did a great job with the main story’s animation, but at the same time, with their desire to absurdly lengthen the course of the plot, they only managed to lose much of the audience that they had obtained in the past. And now that Pierrot would be in charge of producing the long-awaited sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generation, many have doubts about whether it’s really worth taking the time to watch it (even though it has been broadcast for almost several years).
For this reason, I wanted to share my most sincere opinion (leaving aside any sentimentality), not only regarding the anime, but also the manga on which it’s based, whose creators are the mangaka Ukyo Kodachi and the cartoonist Mikio Ikemoto who, constantly supervised by Kishimoto, have published the volumes constantly and monthly through the editorial Shukan Shonen Jump and V Jump.
What Is Boruto?
The story of Boruto and his friends unfolds in a post-war world. What was once a ninja society full of wars and killings, are now modern continents, with evolved technological systems and normal problems. At this time, Shinobi villages like Konoha continue to rule under the leadership of the Kages, but with the slight difference that they care much more about political, economic and social issues.
What we knew no longer exists. Since the ending of the 4th Ninja War to date, the entire world has had to be rebuilt and the new 7 team, made up of Boruto Uzumaki, Sarada Uchiha (Sasuke and Sakura’s daughter) and Mitsuki (son of Orochimaru) must face new enemies that, while not reaching the level of Zabuza and Haku, make the anime entertaining enough for new generations.
Fortunately for us (but not for the characters) these times of peace that the Seventh Hokage has created thanks to unilateral alliances with the rest of the countries, is about to end. The imminent arrival of the Otsutsuki clan on earth and the birth of an organization called Kara, who uses the new technological ninja tools for purposes that haven’t been discovered yet, thus making this plot very interesting and keep the faithful of the Shinobi world glued to their screens.
But, if it weren’t for the fact that in the first chapter of the anime, Boruto is shown as an adult with an inexplicable power, fighting against the assassin of his father in a deplorable scenario of the completely destroyed village of Konoha, absolutely no one would have taken the time to watch this series. To date, all the manga’s revelations have left us with a lot of uncertainty, seeing how they give monumental beatings to the two most powerful human beings in the world (Naruto and Sasuke) who, in the past, could hardly seal an emotional woman ovni.
How Was It?
But … Is the anime really worth watching?
If you’re one of those who has followed the shinobi story from its inception, you definitely don’t need to watch the entire anime. Boruto is too modern, shiny and “kawai” shonen, focused on fairly basic missions that remind us of the much-hated Naruto filler, but raised to full power. Without a doubt, Pierrot has shown his love for money, lengthening the anime with useless content that doesn’t develop the story or its characters. And although the animation of the battles is excellent, this series will only be useful to attract a young audience and direct them, both to the previous sagas, as well as to the world of Japanese animation.
And the problem lies in that the anime focuses too much on showing the lives of all the new and old characters in the saga, placing them in little elaborated and somewhat boring situations. Too much prominence is given to the previous protagonists, which may seem good to many, but it is not the best choice when it comes to the natural order of the generational sequels of this genre. Still, seeing characters like Kakashi or Gai doing their crazy things is comforting inside of so much glitter.
However, the manga is completely exquisite. I follow each volume faithfully and can say that even the smallest line has been drawn with impressive passion and excellence. The development of the story is detailed. Authors take their time to show every detail and leave readers wanting more; not only because of the battles between ninjas, aliens and androids that take place; but for an exact measure of humor and feelings that overflow with each vignette too.
I’m really satisfied with what Kodachi and Ikemoto have given us and that is why I totally recommend Boruto manga and its canon adaptation in anime. And in this, if I have to highlight Pierrot’s work, is just because the little part that they have adapted from the manga (less than 30 canon chapters in a series that episode 149 has already broadcast) has been very detailed and with excellent quality. The brutality of the battles far surpasses Naruto Shippuden, taking full advantage of the characters’ potential and creating truly important moments for the development of the saga.
What Does It Represent?
Boruto: Naruto Next Generation is great for anyone who wants to start the Japanese animation Shonen genre; including those who haven’t knowledge of the previous Naruto’s sagas. The authors have managed to capture the past of each character in the anime to link their audience and introduce them to an ancient war world, contrasted with a modern society where the main concern of the minor ninjas is to take care of the citizens.
There is no doubt that we expected to savor that peace that the antagonists of the past never believed existed and that is now fully shown in this plot. And while it’s a shame it won’t last long, hopefully we’ll be there when it will be over.
