Boruto being more westernized than Naruto may be hurting the series

Although Boruto and Naruto share the same universe, the two shows could not be more different than they already are. Due to the rapid technological advancements in the Shinobi world, most of the mystical aspects of the franchise were lost. The show went from the blonde Uzumaki barely having appliances to his son playing video games on a portable console.

Sadly, this sudden technological boom has not been well received by fans. Many members of the community have complained about the drastic changes. This could be one of the main reasons why the sequel is not nearly as successful as Naruto was.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for both Naruto and Boruto.

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Boruto’s technological advancements could be preventing it from being as popular as Naruto

Technological Revolution

Mastering a Jutsu in the past required months or even years of practice (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Despite having a few technological advancements, the world of Naruto was mostly devoid of inventions. Most ninjas preferred to rely on their skills, Chakra reserves, or secret techniques to win their fights. The ninja tools developed by Konoha were mostly used to enhance the abilities of already powerful individuals.

For example, the intelligence division of the village had a helmet that allowed Inochi to connect with every member of the Shinobi Alliance. Regardless of how many pieces of technology were introduced to the series, Naruto maintained the mysticism that characterized it. The show stayed true to its feudal Japanese inspiration by using technology as scarcely as possible.

Denki using a power armor (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Boruto, on the other hand, began its story by showcasing the technological revolution that occurred in Konoha. After the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Shinobi World started to rely more on advanced ninja tools. The fear left behind by Kaguya, and the Otsutsuki created the need for better and more effective weapons.

The first time we met Boruto, he was already being offered a tool that allowed him to use Jutsus without training. The years of training that were previously needed to master these techniques were replaced with a simple hand sign. Even though the show went on to punish Naruto’s son for relying on these tricks, it kept showing many more similar tools.

Delta, one of the androids (Image via Studio Pierrot)

This was the first issue many fans of the franchise had with the sequel series. Naruto’s story was one of hard work and perseverance. Sadly, this message was thrown away as soon as technology manifested itself in the Shinobi World.

During the latest arc in the manga series, a group of powerful androids was introduced. They were modified to be exponentially more powerful than most other individuals and were given extremely overpowered abilities. The fact that those abilities were given to them by technology and not innate talent has caused many fans to drop the manga.

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Konoha’s daily life

Ninjas used to use trees to move around (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The original series did a magnificent job of blending elements from Japan’s current and feudal eras. No matter how many elements from the current world were introduced, the series never tried to rely too heavily on them. For example, despite the existence of microwaves and other kitchen appliances, Naruto preferred to eat a traditional bowl of ramen.

Whenever the Shinobis needed to travel to another land to accomplish a mission, they would run to their destination. The only mode of transportation available for ninjas were boats, and even then, they were used only a couple of times in the series.

The people of Konoha now travel by train (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Once Boruto was released, fans immediately noticed that the feudal elements of the franchise had been forgotten. The new generation uses technology for almost everything. If the new generation is not seen eating a hamburger in the new fast food restaurant, they can be found in line waiting for a new video game.

If they need to travel long distances, there are motorboats or trains for them to move quickly without having to tire themselves. While these inventions have made their day-to-day lives easier, they have also driven many fans away from the series.

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Final thoughts

Boruto is not as traditional as Naruto was (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The industrialization of the Shinobi World was something that would take place sooner or later in the franchise. The Fourth Shinobi War brought a long period of peace between nations, which allowed them to focus on making their lives easier and better. This is not necessarily bad, as it made the sequel series feel unique.

Sadly, at the same time, it lost the magical elements that made Naruto so beloved among fans. The fandom was not expecting Boruto to be a show that relied so much on technology to move its plot along. If the series does not find a way to implement the fantastical elements that made the original so iconic, it will sadly keep losing followers along the way.

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