Remember when Boruto first came out, and it wasn’t exactly well-received? Well, unfortunately, not much has changed since then. 2019 was particularly rough, but here we are in 2023, and the question remains – is Boruto still bad? Yes, it still sucks.
Boruto was a pretty bad sequel to begin with, but somehow, it’s gotten even worse. It has so many filler episodes, the pacing is terrible, the production is a disaster, and there is no consistency in power levels.
As someone who loved Naruto, I only watched Boruto to see the original characters grow up and mature. It’s been almost six years since it started, yet that’s still the only reason I’m sticking around.
Major Problems with Boruto: What’s Wrong with the Anime?
1. Endless Fillers
The manga’s recent chapters are like watching a train wreck in slow motion. They add nothing new to the story, making fans lose interest.
And don’t even get me started on the anime! It’s mostly filled with filler episodes, and only a tiny bit of it actually moves the story forward. Sure, Naruto had its share of filler episodes, but at least it had a solid plot.
Many fans have dropped the series until something of actual substance happens. Boruto is a mid show overall, and no one wants to see 700 episodes in a sequel.
2. Pacing Problems
One of the major issues with Boruto is that the chapters only come out 12 times a year, meaning that the anime has to create a lot of extra material to put out 52 episodes annually. This makes it tough to keep the pacing consistent and can result in some lackluster content.
Having a monthly manga and a weekly anime is a recipe for disaster when
it comes to quality. It’s hard to keep the story moving forward at a good pace, and the show can feel stretched out and boring.
Sadly, it doesn’t look like the anime will switch to a seasonal format anytime soon. The show is still making a boatload of money for TV Tokyo, so they have no incentive to change things. It’s disappointing for fans who want to see better content, but money talks, I guess.
3. Underutilized Characters
Boruto’s villains have been a huge bummer. They just don’t have the same spark as the ones we saw in Naruto. They’re one-dimensional, and we don’t get much insight into their motivations.
The side characters in Boruto are often treated as an afterthought. Why spend four episodes introducing a character if they’re going to be killed off and never mentioned again?
Even some main characters like Sarada and Mitsuki haven’t been utilized to their full potential. Fans were excited to see these characters in action, but they often played a relatively minor role in the story.
4. Poor Production
The production for Boruto is a mess. The art and animation are seriously lacking, and even the good arcs and fights are often hard to watch.
Have you seen the latest episode where Naruto looks like some weird goblin?
Apparently, the studio’s best animators got shifted over to animating the final arc of Bleach, and honestly, good for them. Bleach deserves a killer adaptation after all these years.
5. Bizarre Power Scaling
The power levels in Boruto are all over the place. Sometimes a character is supposed to be super powerful, but then they lose for no reason. Fans are annoyed because the show doesn’t explain how the villains are defeated.
Boruto is already way too strong for his age, and Naruto and Sasuke can even destroy planets now.
This makes the characters seem beyond human, it’s like they’re from another world. The characters’ charm is gone, and they no longer feel relatable. The power scaling is just too much.
6. What is Good About Boruto?
On the surface, the only good thing Boruto did was to start with a flashback which keeps people invested enough to force themselves to watch it.
However, it cannot be ignored that the show’s exploring some pretty interesting stuff thematically.
The Boruto anime incorporates modern technologies and changes in the world while maintaining the shinobi’s legacy. Even with all the conflicts in the world, the characters can find their paths and figure out what they want to do.
With Sasuke as his guide, Boruto learns the lesson of never giving up and becomes a real symbol of perseverance and someone who can help others in need. Naruto plays a similar role to Sarada.
Plus, Sasuke’s relationship with Boruto helps him bond with his dad and brings them closer together.
7. About Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is written and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto, and supervised by Masashi Kishimoto. It came into serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in June 2016.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is the series that follows the exploits of Naruto’s son, Boruto, during his academy days and further on.
The series follows the character development of Boruto and the looming evil that challenges the fate of him and his loved ones.
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