chroniclesofreading | Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Vol. 1: Uzumaki Boruto!!

TITLE: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Vol. 1: Uzumaki Boruto!!
AUTHOR: Masashi Kishimoto (Creator), Ukyo Kodachi (Story), Mikio Ikemoto
(Illustrations)
SERIES: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (#1)
RELEASES: April 4, 2017 by VIZ Media LLC
GENRE: Adventure, Fantasy
AGE RANGE: Teen
RATING: 2 out 5
SYNOPSIS:The ninja adventures continue with Naruto’s son, Boruto!

Naruto was a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He achieved his dream to become the greatest ninja in his village, and now his face sits atop the Hokage monument. But this is not his story... A new generation of ninja is ready to take the stage, led by Naruto's own son, Boruto!

Years have passed since Naruto and Sasuke teamed up to defeat Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra and the greatest threat the ninja world has ever faced. Times are now peaceful and the new generation of shinobi has not experienced the same hardships as its parents. Perhaps that is why Boruto would rather play video games than train. However, one passion does burn deep in this ninja boy’s heart, and that is the desire to defeat his father!

REVIEW: This is the story of Boruto, the son of Naruto.

In the years since Naruto and Sasuke defeated Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra and the greatest threat to the ninja world, the ninja world has changed dramatically. In the modern day, the world is peaceful, and the new generation of shinobi are not faced with the same hardships as their parents. That may explain why Boruto would rather play video games than train. This ninja boy, however, does harbor one burning passion, and that is his desire to defeat his father!

I have mixed feelings about this series. When Kishimoto released Naruto's one shot after Kaguya's defeat, I wasn't happy with the way he handled Naruto's future. I hate how miserable Naruto is, even though everything seems peaceful around him. Therefore, I hesitate to read his son's story.

Lord, give me strength.

Boruto is clearly a brat here, and he's acting like it. He believes his father is awful because he works all the time and never takes any time to pay attention to his children. Rather than learning a jutsu innately, Boruto cheats by using technology rather than devoting a few hours to it.

There is no doubt that Naruto deserves a family of his own. I didn't want to pick it up and see a middle-aged man who doesn't go home every day to see his family, a family that seems too forced together. I dislike that Hinata's character arc was diminished to make her a perfect "wife" for the main character.The same goes for Sakura. It is known from spoilers that Sakura and Sasuke's relationship is also a joke. All the female empowerment was stripped away by these writers to create children with a particular combination of abilities.

Is there a reason why Sasuke is training Baruto and not his own child? It's hard to understand why Sarada is so happy that her dad is helping Boruto. When one shot, she wants to have a relationship with her father.

There is too much pacing in this story. We barely get to know the characters before the Chunin Exam begins. It took time for the original. Team Seven introduces us to its dynamic members. Here, we barely know what dynamic Boruto has with his teammates Sarada Uchiha and Mitsuki.

The art style is so degrading. The art style bears no resemblance to Kishimoto's original, which is a shame since I enjoyed Kishimoto's style.

Ultimately, Boutro is a safe sequel. Although I enjoyed reading, it wasn't great. It plays it safe by sticking to familiar themes and characters, but it lacks the depth and originality of the original series. While it has its moments, it ultimately falls short of expectations.