Review of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
This is an unnecessary sequel Like so many sequels, there was no point in making Boruto. Naruto ended by wrapping up everything it set out to do. Did it do it flawlessly? Far from it, but this sequel doesn’t do something that makes it worth continuing the plot. It ruins everything the first protagonist managed to accomplish by trashing the world peace he achieved at the end of the series. The only reason it was made for is money, because people want to see more Naruto (aka it was made to sell based on nostalgia), and it fails even there since it hardly makes the moneyof the first series. It also doesn’t develop the themes any further. It just rehashes the same old stuff in a far more boring way. Why?
Because this anime is 80% filler
The fans can dub it anime original all they want and it won’t change the fact there is nothing of interest going on for most of its duration. The original content goes nowhere and the supposed fleshing out it offers to secondary events compared to the source material (the manga) doesn’t make anything better. It just makes it slower and more boring. Why?
Because Boruto is mostly slice of nothing happens
Most episodes are completely skippable, since you won’t miss a thing if you don’t watch them. The bullshit excuses of ‘you guys are being impatient’ cannot be used when it is expected from you to tolerate hundreds of episodes of nothingness. An excuse many were using is how the fillers are needed for making us like the characters, so we will eventually feel sad when they die once the flash forward happens. Although a legit reason, outside the main three none others managed to be likable. Why?
Most side characters are boring
The new generation is mostly cloned from the previous generation, and most episodes are just rehashing ideas from Naruto with none of the tension or the plot continuity to make them worthwhile. This is a generation that was raised to be pampered and spoiled, with Boruto being essentially a zoomer. A spoiled brat with no actual problems in his life, who hates his father despite him doing his best to love him and to maintain world peace. He is a shallow piece of shit with first world problems who keeps nagging despite being highly privileged and overpowered thanks to the genes of his father. And even this aspect gets forgotten after awhile, turning Boruto into a generic kid who just wants to eat hamburgers and play videogames.
The older characters overshadow the newer ones
Since the older generation is still present, it makes you wonder why they didn’t just make fillers about characters the viewers actually care about, and instead focus on their clones which have done nothing and have gone through no adversity to make you give a damn. Watching hundreds of episodes just for (somewhat) liking a few minor background characters who are just clones of already established characters is just not worth it. You can’t even accuse the viewer for expecting more than what he was promised. Why?
Because the first episode is baiting you with an event you never actually see in present time
The series began with a flash forward that builds up a lot of expectations in terms of action and suspense. Then it flashes back to present time where nothing of significance happens and stays there forever. The plot never gets to that moment. The writer did it because he knew people won’t be interested in slice of nothing happens and wanted to somehow keep them around by promising bullshit about the future. The result was disappointing for everyone since almost nobody would stick around for hundreds of boring episodes, and the few who did never got what they were anticipating for several years.
Most fights are also boring
There is action from time to time, but none of them are interesting since they don’t pose any actual threat. With Naruto and Sasuke around it feels like the bad guys can be defeated whenever those two feel like it. Even the strongest baddies are beaten with crappy power ups that come out of nowhere instead of being the result of training. Also, the animation is usually very lazy and doesn’t allow the fights to be exciting. As a result the action ends up being as boring as the daily activities. Even if you somehow like some of the better animated fights, they too get ruined by a very serious problem.
Lack of consequence
The biggest offender is Boruto himself, who despite cheating in the chuunin exam and getting exposed in front of everyone by his own father, gets away with it and carries on like nothing of importance has happened. Then he runs around with an alien ninja ghost inside him, who can possess him at any moment and kill everyone, and nobody gives a damn.