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Boruto: Naruto Next Generation is considered by most fans to be nowhere close to the original Naruto anime series. The latter series was the first one from the great mangaka Masashi Kishimoto, who spent years planning it and was entirely illustrated and written by him.
The Boruto series also had contributions from the original author but was mainly managed by Masashi Kishimoto's assistants, Ukyo Kodachi and Mikio Ikemoto. The purpose of doing this could be to pass the torch on to new authors as the series is nothing short of a masterpiece.
The former series has recently regained its spotlight with the Two Blue Vortex series, but the original series had some references to the original Naruto series which most fans miss out on. These references show how cherished the Naruto series was by the animators who couldn't help but pay homage to it.
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Disclaimer: This article might contain the author's opinion.
The Blood Prison arc, the opening songs, and 6 other times Naruto was referenced in Boruto
1) The Narutonic water
The Narutoic water was a drink that was introduced in the ending song of Naruto named, 'My Answer.' The song was fanservice for the viewers and became popular because of the drink that was introduced in the song.
The drink returned in the Boruto series, as most of the young shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village were seen drinking this water in their everyday lives. Definitely not the best reference on this list, but still, it's one of the coolest ones, to say the least.
2) Opening Songs
Besides its amazing story and amazing animation, the Naruto series was also known for its opening songs, which are still enjoyed to this day by every anime fan. These openings not only had catchy vocals but also amazing visuals like none other.
The Boruto series has paid homage to the original series several times through similar visuals in its opening songs, like the opening song 'Hajimatteiku Takamatteiku' and 'Baku' which share similar visuals to some openings from the Naruto series.
The latter's opening song also had the same singer as that of one of the most iconic anime openings, 'Blue Bird,' which was Ikimonogakari. This goes to show how much love the animators poured into this series while animating it.
3) Sasuke protecting the Protagonist
One of the best references from the Naruto series is when Sasuke saved Boruto from Isshiki. During the battle with the latter, Sasuke used his Rinnegan to protect the protagonist by coming right in front of the attacks.
This was a homage to the old series when Team 7 fought against Zabuza and Haku. As Haki attacked the protagonist with her sharp pins, Sasuke jumped right in front to save him.
4) The strength of Sakura
Sarada Uchiha is the daughter of Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Although she inherited her father's Uchiha powers (the Sharingan), she also inherited the monstrous strength of her mother.
Since the day she was introduced into the series, Sakura has had a strength that puts grown-ups to shame. This is because of her technique which allows her to coat her fists with chakra, thus making them pack a punch.
5) Naruto's quotes
During the Boruto anime series, Konohamaru quoted someone who said that there are shortcuts to becoming a Hokage. He told this to Mitsuki and Sarada who were interested in knowing it.
This was a homage to the old days when Konohamaru met Naruto for the first time, and the latter advised him to work hard and be ready for anything, as becoming a Hokage is certainly not something that can be achieved through shortcuts.
6) The Blood Prison
Boruto and Mitsuki were once branded as prisoners and taken to the Houzuki Castle. But in reality, they are here on a mission to find out the leader of a group of criminals, the Mujina Bandits.
This was a homage to one of the movies in the old series titled Blood Prison The Movie. In this movie, the protagonist is framed for murder and attempted assassination, due to which he is sent to jail at Hozuki Castle.
7) The worshippers of Lord Jashin
Ryuki was a minor antagonist of the Boruto series, who was introduced in episode 110. He was a worshipper of Lord Jashin and wielded a scythe. He used the Body Controlling Manipulating Blood technique which allowed him to inflict damage on his opponents through a doll when a connection was established.
This character referenced a character from the old series named Hidan. He was an Akatsuki member who was also a follower of Lord Jashin. His technique was similar to Ryuki with the only difference being that he injured himself to damage his opponent once he acquired their blood. He was also immortal, which was complimentary to his technique.
8) The demon wind shuriken
In the starting episodes of Boruto, Sarada used her Demon Wind Shuriken technique on an opponent to defeat him. But in reality, the demon wind Shuriken was the protagonist who transformed into the shuriken to sneak up on the opponent.
This could be the best reference from the old series where Sasuke used Demon Wind Shuriken in the fight with Zabuza. When the shuriken crossed Zabuza, it was the protagonist in reality who had transformed into the shuriken to get closer to Zabuza and attack him.
Read Also:
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10 times Boruto was a better anime than his father
10 strongest Uchiha clan members, ranked
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