WARNING: This post may contain spoilers!
Reading Boruto: The Next Generation was like a cozy reunion with a good friend. If you loved the original Naruto manga, you’ll feel the same way. I strongly recommend reading it before Boruto. You’ll be familiar with the characters, terminology (chakras, bijuu, etc.), and know exactly what has happened.
The first volume of Boruto brings back a couple of the original characters with a new generation of ninjas including Boruto, Naruto’s son. Naruto is now hokage of Konoha village. Boruto doesn’t give a flip about his dad’s position. All he wants is his dad to spend more time with him and the rest of his family. Unfortunately, being hokage requires constant attention to matters of the ninja world. Naruto has to watch diligently over his village especially with a new evil creeping about.
Boruto’s a bit a brat but I’m sure he will grow out of it as the story develops. I understand he’s disappointed with his father’s absence but he should be happy to even have living parents. Naruto didn’t have doting parents present in his life. They sacrificed their lives to save Konoha a long time ago.
Boruto has potential to be the ultimate shinobi but lacks clear motivation. He plans on cheating in the upcoming Chunin exam with advanced shinobi technology. Plus, he asks Sasuke Uchiha to train him to become a better fighter to defeat his own father. He will encounter many lessons in order to become a great ninja
Boruto is part of shinobi cell Team Konohamaru with Sarada Uchiha and Mitsuki. Despite his training, Boruto has no plans of walking down the hokage path. He’d rather die than become hokage.
However, Naruto’s heroic deeds inspire Sarada Uchiha to become hokage. She takes her training seriously unlike Boruto. Sarada’s parents are Sakura Haruno and Sasuke. I have high hopes she’ll become an awesome female ninja in this series. What I like about her is her main goals doesn’t revolve around a love interest. I probably would’ve stopped reading if Sarada was in love with Boruto for the heck of adding some romance in this story.
When Sakura was her daughter’s age (11-12 years), her mission was to grab Sasuke’s attention. A quarter of her life was about Sasuke. I remember skipping some of Sakura’s chapters because it was mainly about her yearning for Sasuke. It was tiresome and repetitive! It wasn’t until 100+ chapters later Sasuke finally revealed any sign of affection towards Sakura (thank goodness).
Mitsuki is the most mysterious out of Team Konohamaru. No hints of his parents are mentioned anywhere. Why? Mitsuki’s an artificial human being. His creator may surprise you. His story only adds more spice to the main story.
The mix of old and new characters made me want to wait for the next volume. In the meantime, I’ll possibly watch the movie. Here’s the trailer if you’re interested. It’s okay if you want to start anew with this series without reading 72 volumes of Naruto. You’ll pick up the entire story line eventually.
Have you read Naruto and Boruto? Any ninja manga you recommend?
