Boruto Time skip cover drowns One Piece Gear 5 hype within 12 hours of release

The highly anticipated Boruto chapter 81 is scheduled for release on August 20, 2023, at 12 am JST. Fans have been eagerly awaiting this new installment, not only because it marks the first release after a months-long hiatus but also because it will kickstart the post-time skip storyline that had been teased from the very beginning of the series.

Ahead of the release of part 2, a new Boruto time skip design was released. This artwork has generated a lot of excitement among fans, as evidenced by social media trends.

On the other hand, the most recent episode of One Piece, which was one of the most significant moments of the series till now and showcased Luffy’s amazing Gear 5 transformation, unfortunately, failed to generate the same level of hype.

There could be several reasons contributing to this situation, one being the comparatively smaller audience of One Piece in contrast to series like Dragon Ball or Naruto, which gained early recognition. Another factor is mangaka Eiichiro Oda's art style, which many find to be too goofy. Finally, the sheer length of the series also discourages newcomers from picking it up.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.

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Kishimoto’s new Boruto time skip design has fans excited for the upcoming chapter

Boruto (Image via Twitter/Kishimoto)

Mangaka Masashi Kishimoto has left his fanbase in awe by releasing the cover for the forthcoming chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex on his official Twitter account. This latest artwork portrays the young Uuzumaki, who has noticeably matured. Part 2 is set to begin after a four-year time skip, so the protagonist will now be a 16-year-old teenager.

The look on his face was somber, perhaps indicating that living with Sasuke has rubbed off on him, although this is mere speculation. He also dons a cape and wields a sword that bears a remarkable resemblance to Sasuke's. Hopefully, he and Sasuke were able to find a safe place to rest and train during this time.

In the final few chapters of part 1, readers saw Kawaki seal Naruto and Hinata within an alternate dimension, followed by his identity being swapped with Boruto’s thanks to Eida’s omnipotence, which can rewrite reality. Finally, the young Uzumaki and his mentor were forced to leave Konoha. Before departing, he expressed his resolve to reclaim what he had lost through sheer hard work.

Fans did have a general idea regarding the post-time skip design of the yellow-haired protagonist, as this look was teased in a flash-forward scene at the very start of the series where he faced off against Kawaki. Moreover, Kishimoto created a sketch of him and Kawaki and several additional sketches of characters such as Sarada, Sumire, and Himawari in their post-time skip looks.

However, given the proximity of this particular cover image of the young Uzumaki to the upcoming chapter's release date, the level of excitement has soared to unprecedented heights. Thus, without any further delay, here is how fans have reacted to the new Boruto time skip design on Twitter.

Fans react to the new Magazine cover (Images via Twitter/@Karursou and @Buffeteater in response to @kishimotomasshi)

Twitter user appreciates Kishimoto's art style (Image via Twitter/ @SpiderBro2∅99 in response to @kishimotomasshi)

Twitter user praises the Young Uzumaki's mew look (Image via Twitter/@fredbear526∅ in response to @kishimotomasshi)

Twitter user loves Boruto's new look (Image via Twitter/EctoplasmaGeng1 in response to @kishimotomasshi)

Twitter user loves Boruto's look in the new cover (Image via Twitter/@bat8798 in response to @kishimotomasshi)

Twitter user loves Boruto's look in the new cover (Image via Twitter/@TendouYu)

Many fans that loved the new Boruto time skip design experimented with it by trying things like changing colors or backgrounds to make the artwork better or more to their liking.

Fan edits and retouches (Images via Twitter/@KaisenKaze and @TendouYu)

Twitter user gives new backgrounds to Kishimoto's artwork (Image via Twitter/@sharnzzooo)

It does not imply that everyone liked the artwork. The series was criticized for tarnishing Naruto's legacy for a long time. However, in the last few chapters, the series managed to engage the readers' attention by introducing a sequence of surprising plot twists.

Twitter user criticizes the artwork (Image via Twitter/naruto9tail in response to @kishimotomasshi)

Twitter user prefers the original anime version over the new post-time skip art (Image via Twitter/@Shikama∅94∅3∅56 in response to @kishimotomasshi)

Twitter user thinks Boruto is overrated (Twitter user Image via Twitter/@EatsElons in response to @kishimotomasshi)

With only a few days left for the new chapter of the series to release, fans are surely excited about the direction it will take. There is still much to look forward to, including the young Uzumaki's whereabouts, his plans for the future, and the various kinds of challenges he will encounter. Moreover, the fates of characters such as Sarada and Himawari too remain uncertain.