Mamushi and Eida, not Boruto and Hidari, is the best-written Shinju-Shinobi dynamic

Modified Nov 07, 2024 02:30 GMT

Mamushi and Eida, not Boruto and Hidari, is the best-written Shinju-Shinobi dynamic (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The Shinju vs. Shinobi dynamic has recently become the main focus of Boruto Two Blue Vortex ever since Sasuke’s incapacitation, followed by Hidari's introduction. While Sasuke's role has been on hold since the first chapter of the series, Hidari's status as a stand-in for Sasuke, along with his relationship with the protagonist, has taken a much more subtle turn.

Sasuke and the protagonist had a bond since the beginning of the series, Hidari's introduction simply placed the protagonist in a position to eliminate a representation of his master. Although this dynamic could have been the best-written one in the story, the animosity between Mamushi and Eida—which starkly contrasts with their initial positions within the story—makes for a much more compelling dynamic, contrasting a background character against a key player in the series.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the Boruto series.

Boruto: Mamushi and Eida's dynamic might be the most thought out in the story

Mamushi and Eida as shown in the Boruto manga (Image via Shueisha)

Bug, the individual serving as the blueprint for Mamushi, has been one of the more recurring characters in the series, introduced alongside Kara as an underling working for Boro. While Eida was a cyborg augmented by Amado with abilities far surpassing regular humans, Bug was a simple human serving Eida, creating a power disparity between the "god" Eida and the human "Bug." This disparity was visually emphasized in the earliest panels of Eida and Bug, where Eida literally towers over Bug.

Although Bug was much weaker compared to any of the cyborgs—Eida, Daemon, and Code—Eida’s charm, which causes most individuals to submit to her and prevents anyone from harming her, did not fully affect Bug. While others submit to Eida’s demands, Bug's inner dialogue shows he resents her control, even calling her a "witch," suggesting his odd resistance to Eida’s charm despite his apparent compliance.

Code as shown in the Boruto anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

This power disparity was completely dispelled after Bug was bitten by one of Code's Claw Grimes, which marked Bug's symbolic death and rebirth as the divine tree Mamushi. Mamushi's introduction saw him nearly overpowering the protagonist.

Later, Mamushi’s introspection allowed him to sense Eida, who was monitoring their actions through the Senrigan, with paneling that now showed Mamushi towering over Eida in both power level and overall presence. While the Boruto vs. Hidari fight is guaranteed to eventually end in Boruto's favor, the inevitable fight between Eida and Mamushi is completely unpredictable, as the story has established both as characters who can be eliminated without disrupting the main narrative.

The Shinju as shown in the Boruto manga (Image via Shueisha)

In later chapters, Ryu’s complete domination over Code further solidified that the Shinju possessed abilities far surpassing those of the cyborgs. Altogether, these developments have inverted the initial dynamic between Eida and Bug, potentially making it one of the best representations of the Shinju-shinobi dynamic, especially given the themes of superiority and inferiority embedded in Bug and Eida’s relationship since their introductions.

Final Thoughts

Boruto Two Blue Vortex Chapter 16 will be released on November 20, 2024, focusing on the protagonist and Kawaki's next course of action after having allied specifically to defeat the Shinju. The Shinju themselves remain completely mysterious, especially due to the implications of their power levels, which far surpass the protagonist and any other character seen in the series so far.