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Good Or Bad: Is Boruto Worth The Hype As Naruto?

An attack left Naruto orphaned, and the villagers rejected him because they thought he was the Nine-Tails itself out of fear and rage. Naruto pledged that he would one day surpass all previous Hokages in the village

We all know this story right? Naruto has been a phenomenon in the Anime world. With a die heart fan base and a captivating animation style, it is without a doubt one of the greatest works of Anime or for that matter animation ever produced.

Boruto is the sequel to the popular Anime and Manga series Naruto. It has gained a massive fan following partially due to its predecessor.

But Is it worth watching? Before answering this question, we should start with a little synopsis of what’s happening in the series.

Naruto has married Hinata Hyuga, assumed the title of Hokage, and has two children: Boruto and Himawari Uzumaki. Unlike his father, Boruto has no interest in becoming a Hokage. Boruto merely wants Naruto to acknowledge him. Sarada Uchiha and Mitsuki will be Boruto’s allies, and together they will form a new, enhanced, and superior generation of shinobi.

Written byMasashi Kishimoto 
Directed byMikio Ikemoto
Total number of episodes till now270 
Released onApril 5, 2017
Information about Boruto
Borotu as a young boy, glancing furiously.
Contrary to his father, Boruto has no desire to become a Hokage.

Should I watch Boruto or Naruto first?

To comprehend the universe, you must first watch Naruto. Otherwise, a lot of what occurs in Boruto is illogical.

You must be aware that Naruto was appointed the 7th Hokage after the series for Kawaki‘s threat to have any real meaning. Otherwise, you never know who may have succeeded the Hokage.

Another crucial aspect is how Boruto struggles with the need to be a shinobi. It’s just a weird professional path that was previously required but is no longer so vital in his day.

In contrast to Naruto’s period, when everyone was just preparing for the next battle, war may start at any time, hence shinobi were essential.

Why do characters act menacingly while having no real significance to the plot? The finest illustration of this is Orochimaru, who is shown in the Anime entering and leaving Konoha regularly and drawing suspicion from everyone. 

How exactly do these abilities function in the first place? For those solutions, turn to Naruto. To someone unaware of their history, things like why Sakura is so powerful, why Hinata would attempt to save Naruto, why Sasuke acquired his other eye, why Naruto has a beast locked inside of him, and why Hinata would genuinely try to keep him.

So, in short, yes. Boruto is canon to Naruto, being a sequel to the Naruto Anime it is somewhat a must to watch Naruto before Boruto.

Naruto, as seen in the Boruto Anime series.
Since Boruto is a sequel to the Naruto anime and is considered canon to Naruto, it is recommended that you watch Naruto first.

Is Boruto worth watching like Naruto?

Yes, Baruto deserves to be seen. Considering, it’s a relatively new Anime and a lot of its content is still being adapted from Manga.

Since the Manga for Boruto begins much later than the Anime does, a central plotline was developed to provide much-needed background information on the Boruto characters and their formative years. The term “Anime canon” refers to these episodes that were included in the official plot of the Anime.

Do the official Anime episodes deserve to be watched? It’s a challenging question with a wide range of responses. They provide the characters and the various teams in Boruto with much-needed backstories.

You may understand these characters’ motivations and how their interactions with their friends, parents, and professors, as well as their earlier academy years and missions, have influenced them in the stories to follow with further character development.

However, these canon episodes are not liked by everyone and interestingly enough have been the most significant failing point of this Anime.

The biggest objection is the boring adaptation of these canon episodes that provide no valuable content. Rather, work as a drag for the series.

Why is Boruto not as popular as Naruto?

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, the highly anticipated anime series, premiered in the spring of 2017. The series is a continuation of the hit anime Naruto and chronicles the exploits of Naruto’s son, Boruto.

Despite the hoopla surrounding its release, Boruto fell short of expectations and received mixed reviews. So, what went wrong here? Here are some of the primary reasons why Boruto was not as successful as its predecessor.

  • A lack of creativity- Boruto mainly relies on elements found in Naruto, making it feel like a retread of the original series. While this may gratify die-hard Naruto fans, it left many viewers disinterested and disappointed.
  • Characters who are underdeveloped- Another significant problem with Boruto is that many of its characters are underdeveloped and lack depth. This is most noticeable in the case of Boruto, who comes out as a brat and entitled adolescent with few redeeming characteristics. When compared to Naruto, who was an underdog fighting against all odds to become Hokage, it’s clear to see why Boruto falls short.
  • Animation is mediocre– Although Studio Pierrot did a good job with the animation for Boruto, it still falls short of the high standards set by other recent anime series.

What if Minato Namikaze had not die?

I’m not sure how that could happen. Maybe Minato has another sealing jujutsu that doesn’t kill him (probably narrative armor), but if that happens, the story will be quite different.

Minato would first explain to the ninja council who was responsible for the attack. A mysterious Uchiha-wielding Mangekyou Sharingan held the Kyuubi under genjutsu and summoned it within the village. Madara is the only individual known to have accomplished this accomplishment.

Except for Danzo, the ninja council would probably believe Minato if he mentioned that the masked guy might possibly be Madara. Many people believed that Madara was still alive as far as the 4th ninja war and could still retain a lot of his strength.

Danzo cannot blame the Uchiha or confine them to the outskirts of the hamlet while the village is rebuilt. Danzo accomplished this by persuading the council elders to hold the Uchiha in check; he cannot do so here, not with Minato still alive.

If you recall, Minato left a hiraishin marker on Obito/Madara, which never fades (Obito is unaware of this because he was cut by Kcm Minato).

Which is better: Naruto or Boruto?

Boruto, who has spent his entire life aspiring to become the Hokage, serves as an example of the most significant outcome of Naruto’s battle.

Is Naruto superior to Boruto? Quick answer: No, although I don’t believe the two should always be contrasted. 

Naruto is a 500-episode-long series that has developed its character in depth and has given viewers satisfactory conclusions. However, Baruto has been fairly new with much less character development. Nevertheless, it is still developing as the show progresses.

Secondly, Baruto takes a different path; it doesn’t focus on Naruto and his allies as much; rather, it unfolds a new story featuring his son a lot more. 

However, Baruto has a unique animation that is slightly better than the prequel and is a bit more engaging. On the other hand, it lacks vital storytelling points. 

For example, weak villains, especially Kara, seem to be the biggest and cruelest antagonist of the series, However, lacking any actual depth to their character arc.

Coming Naruto, the story is very well crafted. I would say it is one of the best Manga adaptions to Anime out there. Nonetheless, Boruto has a slight edge here.

The most important conclusion to Naruto’s struggle is illustrated in Boruto as he finally becomes the Hokage, the position he has worked his whole life to acquire.

Want to dive further into the topic? Here’s an interesting video you can watch:

A video about Naruto vs. Boruto

Conclusion

  • Boruto is canon to the Naruto Anime series. It mainly focuses on Boruto, Naruto’s son and the next Hokage-to-be.
  • Boruto has been quite famous, but its popularity is not as strong as its prequel. It is due to the fact, The story is not as good, and the extra material is too much for the viewers.
  • Moreover, watching this series without knowledge of the prequel is a big NO!
  • However, despite all of its shortcomings, Anime is still watchable and a must for anyone who has watched Naruto before.
  • Our advice would be to skip all the fluff material (i.e. canon episodes) and continue directly with the main storyline.

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