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A sequel to the Naruto series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, has come a long way since its first episode was released on April 5, 2017. The animanga series has seen plenty of developments, with the future generation of shinobis ready to take on the responsibility of safeguarding their village.
Naruto is the Seventh Hokage, and his son is among many talented shinobis who aim to get stronger with the help of training. Since its release, the fandom has been quite divided on whether or not the anime was worth watching.
Let’s look at some of the positive aspects of the show that makes Boruto: Naruto Next Generations worth watching and some of its flaws that negatively impact the viewing experience.
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Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's views and contains Boruto: Naruto Next Generations spoilers.
Boruto: Impressive fights and four other reasons to watch the show
1) Female characters
Naruto is infamous for the poor handling of female characters. Sakura always needed help and showed very little character development in the original series. However, Sarada Uchiha in the Boruto series is a well-written character. She is analytical and calm and always attempts to make the best decision at any crucial moment.
Her ability to think quickly in tough situations makes her a great partner in missions. Similarly, characters like Ino and Sakura Haruno have shown how strong and crucial they are to the Konohagakure village. This is a massive step up from the original series.
2) Good plot progression in the manga
There is no doubt that the anime is receiving a lot of hate from the anime and manga community. However, the source material is far from bad. The manga has achieved good pacing, and there is a considerable plot progression as well. Based on what has been shown in the manga, the anime will be worth watching if they faithfully adapt the source material.
3) A few impressive fight sequences
While not all fight scenes have showcased the same quality of choreography and animation, a few stand out. The fight between Sasuke, Naruto, and Momoshiki is arguably one of the best fight scenes in the series.
Naruto vs. Isshiki, Sakura vs. Shin, Boruto vs. AO, and the new Team 7 vs. Boro are a few examples of impressive fight scenes in the series. All of the examples boasted good choreography, great angles, and top-notch animation to make the fights look fluid.
4) Characters from the original series
One of the primary reasons for watching this show is to see your favorite characters on screen again. Characters like Naruto and Sasuke have significantly impacted the sequel series since the original show was a gateway to anime for many fans. Being able to watch such characters in action once again was a big reason why people gave Boruto: Naruto Next Generations a shot.
5) A feeling of camaraderie
A prime reason for shonen anime series’ success is the sense of camaraderie it brings. Fans feel like they’re a part of the journey as opposed to being passive observers. The same goes for the Boruto series as you embark on a journey with the new generation of shinobis and watch them grow into responsible citizens of the Leaf Village.
The importance of teamwork and friendship is a recurring theme in this story, which aids in emphasizing the feeling of camaraderie.
Boruto: An abundance of filler episodes and four other reasons why you can skip the series
1) Excess of filler episodes
This is a problem that has been going on since the Naruto days. Fans have repeatedly stated their irritation towards the abundance of filler episodes. While the volume of filler content might not be as high as Naruto Shippuden, it certainly impacted the pacing from time to time.
There are about 48 filler episodes in the series. 16.3 % of the series is filler, which is quite high. The Boruto anime series would have been enjoyable if it had been seasonal and focused only on adapting the manga chapters.
2) Terrible pacing
Pacing issues can be looked at as an extension of the earlier point. The pacing of a series is determined by the number of chapters that any animation studio decides to adapt per episode. Squeezing too many chapters will result in the story being rushed.
On the other hand, if there aren’t enough chapters adapted in each episode, the pacing would be quite slow. Since the series does not have just canon episodes, the pacing is affected substantially. This is also why the Boruto manga is more enjoyable than the anime adaptation.
3) Lack of innovation
Since it is a sequel, fans expected it to be similar to the original series. However, there was nothing innovative about the Boruto series. It has the same elements as the original series with a shoddier execution. Despite the plot inconsistencies, the Naruto series had redeeming qualities such as great fight scenes and likable characters.
4) Inconsistent animation
One of the biggest problems with the Boruto series is its animation. Since the anime is not seasonal and puts out an episode every week, the quality has taken a massive hit.
In some cases, the animation was top-notch, as seen during the fight between Sasuke, Naruto, and Momoshiki. However, there were certain episodes in the series where the main character didn’t look like himself. There were plenty of memes that compared Boruto to pictures of Amber Heard from the trial that took place in 2022.
5) An unlikeable protagonist
Fans didn’t have a great first impression of the protagonist. He constantly threw tantrums and expressed annoyance at being compared to his father. Granted, he has a massive reputation to live up to, but that was no reason for him to behave the way he did.
Fans felt like he was a brat and didn’t appreciate his terrible attitude. He even cheated in the Chunin exams by using scientific ninja tools. This led to some fans dropping the series. With that said, the young protagonist has come a long way and proved to be a great shinobi with values.
