Naruto/Boruto Griefing Thread

[Incecticyder]

Honestly, the pace is sluggish but it moves forward.

The first section of our story is something surprising. Flashbacks have consistently been the best parts of this story and were once again getting one. Boruto is sitting with Kashin Koji and he's going over Space-time ninjustu with him. He explains that in the future, Boruto learns to harness an Ootsutsuki version of this ability. By directly imbuing his chakra into metal objects, he can teleport to them. Future Boruto names this technique Flying Raijin, after his grandfather's Flying Thunder God. By focusing on these metal objects, he can teleport. The technique is easier when it's in his direct line of sight. However, teleporting to objects further away is much more difficult. Interestingly, this ability is not a true Flying Thunder God, which utilizes Minato's markings upon an object. It seems to be limited to metal objects. He also can't distinct one object from another. So, he came up with the idea of using symbols to help focus on where he wants to go. These are the metal symbols see on Boruto's clothes.

It is a good idea but they still needed a better design in my opinion for the main outfit. I get that they have to operate in the shadows but a more traditional ninja suit would be better for this. Not to the point he would not blend in with a crowd but still. This is a world where half masks are basic accessories for crying out loud.

......I'm genuinely floored. They actually gave a reason for Boruto's over designed bullshit. They didn't have to do this. They went out of their way to. Arguably, this has nothing to do with the rest of the chapter. They actually went out of their way to describe Boruto's version of Flying Raijin and tied it in with all those accessories he wears for seemingly no reason. Sure, it doesn't salvage any of this. But I'm shocked we even got an explanation for these things. What a twist, an actually good first few pages. And then we ruin it by Boruto instantly learning to teleport immediately after he's told about it...Whatever, I'm taking the win where I can get it.

Boruto has been established as a genius so it makes sense. Plus, who knows it might have been a few days and it takes time to practice it for battle anyway. Hardly a gripe, really.

Boruto asks Kashin Koji why they don't just tell everyone they know about the future. Koji says the more people who know about it, the harder it is to contain. If too many people know about the future, they won't act the same. "Singularity of Fates" ie, people who know many futures and exist outside of time, like Koji and Boruto need to act from the shadows. Too many people knowing the future make it uncontrollable and you lose the advantage of knowing the future. Which....is absolutely retarded. I can get where he's coming from, but seriously, couldn't say....Moegi know? Or Shinki? Maybe going "Hey guys don't get hit by Claw Grimes and turn into trees that destroy the world" wouldn't be too much to ask for. Sure it's an explanation, but it's a dumb explanation. Surely a third person knowing wouldn't hurt. I'm positive that's eventually where this story will go anyway. Bottom line is, act alone from shadows, Boruto. Be Batman.

No, I will have to defend Koji on that one. The more people in on the plan, the greater the chances of a fuck up. If one is told the future, then they might take different spontaneous actions while thinking about either altering or following the future. Butterfly Effect and what not.

Koji ends the flashback by telling Boruto that like him, he is a singularity outside of time now, and so is Eida, who will eventually see this conversation. We switch to Eida who's been watching this flashback in real time. Great transition by the way, we're on a roll today. Then we get something unexpected. Teen drama. Eida is sitting with Sarada and Sumire and tells them Boruto isn't saying much to avoid endangering the two of them. Sarada wants to help because Boruto is doing everything himself. However, Sumire asks her if she's ever thought of what Boruto wanted. Boruto hasn't involved them so he doesn't want them to know and maybe what Boruto wants them to do is not chase after him. Sarada says he nearly got killed, he needs help. Sumire says it's possible he got hurt only because they were there. She suggests Boruto probably doesn't like keeping things from them and to think of his feelings and pain, and hers. She pivots to how Sarada leapt at Boruto and hugged him despite knowing how Sumire feels about him. Sumire tries to be respectful of her feelings, why isn't Sarada respectful of hers. Eida thinks to herself that this is so awkward and tense, but the drama is fun. She gets contacted by Shikamaru to meet with him. Sumire storms out in a fit.

I have to side with Sarada for a bit. She saw her teammate for the first time in years, she was a bit spontaneous with the hug but the point is that Sumire is not the only one with feelings for Boruto (both friendly and romantic). I get that Sumire was hurt and thought of Sarada's feelings but she should not expect others to react to everything the same way she does, even if she means well. I do think that Sumire has a point with not being called by her name which could be argued as a form of distance and might have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

We cut to Eida and Shikamaru. She informs him on the situation in the sand village. There's a fifth Divine Tree named Ryu made from Shinki and he's after Gaara. This info is from hours ago though, as Bug can peer into her vision in real time and she now only view the past. She will not use her powers in real time anymore. She thanks him for aiding Boruto's escape. Shikamaru demands to know if Kashin Koji is the one helping Boruto. A toad pops out and confirms this for him. He tells him to send a team of Mitsuki, Konohamaru, and Sarada to the Sand Village to kill some Trees. Also, he says not to let Himawari out of the village under any circumstances. She's been targeted by Jura. However, Jura apparently actually likes Konoha and will not destroy the village itself. He tells Shikamaru that to tell store owners if he shows up in a book store, they should just treat him as a normal customer. Shikamaru is dumbfounded by this, but the road says it's vital they don't piss off Jura. The toad thanks him for aiding Boruto's escape and tells him to follow his heart and make a good future. Our final scene sends us to the Sand Village, Konohamaru's team spots Shinki and Moegi and are ready to engage.

I just hope that they actually train Himawari this time. She is a prodigy with the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist. She should not such this bad. She should have trained better. She will have Chakra Cloak 1 & 2 as well now. Why did Kurama not use that?

Overall, not a bad chapter. We got character moments which was nice. I can't get over how much EVERYTHING revolves around Boruto but it's still not a bad chapter. The Singularity stuff is dumb and only made dumber because I know we're inevitably heading towards everyone knowing Kashin Koji can see the future and others knowing it. The art during the Sumire argument is a little awkward. But overall, I think this might be the first Boruto chapter with more pluses than minuses. We're 16 chapters that are 40 pages each and that's longer than a Harry Potter book, but fuck it I'm going to give a first official "Good Job Kishi/Ikemoto".

This was my favourite chapter so far too. I have however another complain about the designs: Few actually make the characters feel older. I remember in Shippuden how much more mature Naruto looked as well as the rest of the cast looked like teens. We do not get that here. Especially Sarada who still looks twelve.

 

[Son of Big Boss]

The designs in Boruto are and always will be a mess.

Because they barely fit in with each other/the artstyle of Naruto.

Especially Eida and Damon... They look like characters from another series entirely.

If i didn't tell you these characters are all from the same series, you would never believe me.

And even returning characters were made worse, Boruto artstyle and design is just shit.

Gaara seriously what the hell happened.

 

[RybenZ999]

The designs in Boruto are and always will be a mess.
View attachment 6670709
Because they barely fit in with each other/the artstyle of Naruto.

Especially Eida and Damon... They look like characters from another series entirely.

If i didn't tell you these characters are all from the same series, you would never believe me.

And even returning characters were made worse, Boruto artstyle and design is just shit.

View attachment 6670711



Gaara seriously what the hell happened.

I gotta give them credit for kid Naruto's design. He's one of the most well designed protagonists out there. The spiky blond locks, the baggy orange, the blue headband and the whiskers all work so well together. Sasuke's outfits on the other hand were friggin gay with those weird dog collar shirts and shorts. And the blue highlights look kinda weird

Ironically enough, my opinion on their designs flip in shippuden. Sasuke had a pretty design and outfits in Shippuden (post Itachi being his best appearance wise) while Naruto just looks out of place alot of the time. His orange outfit had a ninja touch in the original whereas in part 2 it looks like a something he got from the thrift store to train for a high school track event.

 

[TerminalTryHard]

I gotta give them credit for kid Naruto's design. He's one of the most well designed protagonists out there. The spiky blond locks, the baggy orange, the blue headband and the whiskers all work so well together. Sasuke's outfits on the other hand were friggin gay with those weird dog collar shirts and shorts. And the blue highlights look kinda weird

Ironically enough, my opinion on their designs flip in shippuden. Sasuke had a pretty design and outfits in Shippuden (post Itachi being his best appearance wise) while Naruto just looks out of place alot of the time. His orange outfit had a ninja touch in the original whereas in part 2 it looks like a something he got from the thrift store to train for a high school track event.

Definitely this. It kind of felt like Naruto's design became so classic that he was afraid to really change post time skip.

 

[Son of Big Boss]

Naruto with the Sage Mode cloak was pretty fucking awesome tho. Should have kept that permanently after Pain.

 

[Incecticyder]

I gotta give them credit for kid Naruto's design. He's one of the most well designed protagonists out there. The spiky blond locks, the baggy orange, the blue headband and the whiskers all work so well together.

Definitely this. It kind of felt like Naruto's design became so classic that he was afraid to really change post time skip.

As good as it was, the design was just the tracksuit version of SSJ Goku. It was not a 10/10. The redesign could use some work but it was more original. Overall, I liked the OG design too but please do not worship it.

Naruto with the Sage Mode cloak was pretty fucking awesome tho. Should have kept that permanently after Pain.

Damn right! Unfortunately, Kishi had a hard time drawing the cloak so he ditched it. He should have settled for a design that was easier to draw in my opinion rather than stop drawing it. Perhaps a lighter color? He returned to the cloak design after a while with the Kurama Chakra Mode and he kept it for a while. The color change might have been the solution.

 

[Son of Big Boss]

As good as it was, the design was just the tracksuit version of SSJ Goku. It was not a 10/10. The redesign could use some work but it was more original. Overall, I liked the OG design too but please do not worship it.


Damn right! Unfortunately, Kishi had a hard time drawing the cloak so he ditched it. He should have settled for a design that was easier to draw in my opinion rather than stop drawing it. Perhaps a lighter color? He returned to the cloak design after a while with the Kurama Chakra Mode and he kept it for a while. The color change might have been the solution.

Speaking of KCM... I really disliked that design. It was just a rip-off SSJ and it also was kinda dumb that Naruto was the only Jinchuuriki to have a unique form.

The Kyuubi Chakra Cloak Version 2 was pretty cool, but Version 1 was the best look in my opinion.

 

[Incecticyder]

Speaking of KCM... I really disliked that design. It was just a rip-off SSJ and it also was kinda dumb that Naruto was the only Jinchuuriki to have a unique form.

I am impartial to it. I do like the design but it reinforced the feeling that the final arc was just DBZ fanfiction. The fighting system could be translated 1:1 with DBZ with little to no issue. Bleach and One Piece do not have that issue.

The Kyuubi Chakra Cloak Version 2 was pretty cool, but Version 1 was the best look in my opinion.

I believe Baryon Mode is what the KCM should have looked like.

 

[RybenZ999]

Speaking of KCM... I really disliked that design. It was just a rip-off SSJ and it also was kinda dumb that Naruto was the only Jinchuuriki to have a unique form.

The Kyuubi Chakra Cloak Version 2 was pretty cool, but Version 1 was the best look in my opinion.
View attachment 6674402

I wasn't a fan of KCM since Naruto becoming a glowstick just felt stupid to me. The Sage of Six Paths mode at least got rid of that.

 

[Party Hat Wurmple]

I believe Baryon Mode is what the KCM should have looked like.

I despise Baryon Mode's Design. I think it looks absolutely ridiculous. I think it's the eyes. It's just all wrong....It doesn't help the form was shoved in last minute just for one fight because Jigen was so op. The form sucked so much and was so limited the anime completely retconned it to make it Naruto's strongest form. Whereas in the manga, it was very much a gimmick for that life shaving thing. Borutofags to this day think Naruto can shave years off people's lives. Whereas in the manga it's very clear he's sacrificing years and years off of his life to shave a few hours off of Jigen's.

 

[Incecticyder]

I despise Baryon Mode's Design. I think it looks absolutely ridiculous. I think it's the eyes. It's just all wrong....It doesn't help the form was shoved in last minute just for one fight because Jigen was so op. The form sucked so much and was so limited the anime completely retconned it to make it Naruto's strongest form.

It is not everyone's cup of tea but at least it looked Kurama themed as opposed to KCM.

Whereas in the manga, it was very much a gimmick for that life shaving thing. Borutofags to this day think Naruto can shave years off people's lives. Whereas in the manga it's very clear he's sacrificing years and years off of his life to shave a few hours off of Jigen's.

Kishi has lost the ability to be creative. The mindset that allowed him to retcon at will has atrophied his creativity and Ike does not have what it takes to make up for it.

 

[Gorillion others]

https://ww1.mangafreak.me/Read1_Boruto_Two_Blue_Vortex_17

 

[Party Hat Wurmple]

https://ww1.mangafreak.me/Read1_Boruto_Two_Blue_Vortex_17

We're back to dumb again.


Boruto Chapter 17

Our cover for this chapter is the two Sand Ninja who were in last chapter. The guy's name is apparently Araya and he's....well, he's Sand Shino. I don't care for his outfit, he looks more like an urban explorer than a ninja. That being said, it's certainly a distinct look and the overall color scheme is pretty good. This is one of the better designs Ikemoto has made. The girl however is....not. Why does she have a g-string? How old are these two supposed to be? I'm guessing roughly around everyone else's age, 16ish. It's still weird, nonsensical, and fuck it. You're never beating these allegations Ikemoto. Yodo is dressed like an absolute skank and I hate it. It's a dumb design.

So we cut to Sarada thinking about what Sumire said last chapter about thinking about her feelings. In the present, they're spying on the Shinki and Moegi Trees. They appear to be tailing Boruto and found a frog of his. On a side note, Sarada now has her headband wrapped around her head. Why? Is it because the metal will reflect the sun and they're in a desert and helps her keep cool? Well, okay. Except it's metal, and facing the sun means it would do nothing but heat up and be a giant heat pad on her head. It's not important but a strange quirk, and I don't think it looks good. Either way, they're going over their plan. Yodo seems very eager to save Shinki by any means necessary. Araya tells her not to do anything rash. Which clearly means in a chapter or two, she'll ruin whatever they're planning. The plan is put into action and Sarada, Konohamaru, and Mitsuki all approach Moegi and Shinki casually. They say they're ninja tailing Boruto and ask what they're doing. Shinki suspects they don't know who they are and turns to Moegi to know what to do but...Moegi is awestruck and taken back at the sight of Konohamaru.

We cut to Shikamaru. He is explaining to Konohamaru about the Trees and the Soul Bulb things and how they name to save everyone who's become trees. Konohamaru challenges Shikamaru asking him where he got this Intel, but Shikamaru says it's a trustworthy source and above his clearance. However, Shikamaru explains the Trees are not intrinsically evil. Uh...excuse me? The part about destroying the world? Not evil? Pretty sure it was evil when Jura impaled Inojin. Or when he killed those innocent village guards. Or when Hidari went for kill shot against Sarada. Bullshit they aren't evil to at least some degree. Anyway, Shikamaru says they're like newborn wild cubs and as such he tells Konohamaru to befriend them. And then betray them. Well....That's wildly stupid. If they're just newborn cubs and can learn good from evil with the right guidance, why can't this be a possibility? While I like Shikamaru being a ninja for once, the idea of befriending them and betraying them is horrifically stupid. You're solely doing this because they're powerful and dangerous to humans? Why do the one thing that pisses them off and would make them a threat to humans?!

Cutting back to present day, Konohamaru suggests a team up to find Boruto but Moegi can't get a word out. She doesn't understand why. Shinki agrees to work together to find Boruto. Shinki splits off with Sarada and Mitsuki and he says that Jura has respect for ninja and while he planned to kill anyone who came across them, he's glad he didn't because they were nice. Moegi gets alone time with Konohamaru while he asks if she's okay. In the flashback, Konohamaru is told by Shikamaru that Moegi has feelings for him and he can use that to manipulate and get close to Tree Moegi. Dick move by the way. And a dumb one.

We cut to Boruto and Kashin Koji who are watching through Eida. Boruto wants to go hell but Kashin Koji tells him no. They can't lose Boruto or the world is doomed. This is one battle the future has said he can't partake in if they're to be success. Which effectively sidelines Boruto whenever the writers feel like it. "Well future events say Boruto can't do anything here." Convenient way to get him out of the story until he's needed, but I'm sure it will grow old soon. We end with a chunky looking Kawaki ambushing Amado looking to have his limited removed. Really? What happened to him in these panels? He's very thick.

I get where they're going with this, but it's a sloppy way of getting there. Also, on top of this- this all goes under the fact that Jura didn't tell them about Konohamaru being with Boruto when he attacked. But she and Shinki both were there when Sasuke was revived? So do they not share eyesight anymore? Do they not address the only way this plot works is if for whatever reason Jura never mentioned Konohamaru being around in his attack? That's ridiculous....I agree with giving the trees more attention, but I don't agree with buttering them up and stabbing them in the back, where if we assume aside from Jura, everyone else is mostly innocent. Dick move. This surely won't backfire 1000 fold.

 

[HodgePodgeRogerDodger]

My issues with the series is that a lot of it probably could be fixed with minor fixes or just dropping concepts. The series suffers from being written by the seat of its pants and a prequel series could probably rectify shit and be cooler than Boruto.

I don’t mind Kyuubi form being energy bullshit. I honestly liked Shukaku incarnating via sand and each host having their own unique full possession form would’ve been better than “I turn into the fucking Kaiju”. Some of the others felt lazy and I prefer energy bullshit to ripping off an Ozaru form.

Naruto being a lonely orphan is fixed if it’s only the Ninja population that knows rather than the general population. I think the series would’ve been better if you had some village just straight up use a Jinchuriki as a human bomb rather than train them to be a ninja and only B causes a paradigm shift. Otherwise they were unknowing bombs or like the 1st Hokages wife where they were non-combat focused.
You can kind of then have his ostracism be mostly younger generations angry at the attack rather than blaming it on Danzo.

The Third just being someone whose personal life is fucked and is unable to effectively lead and delegates away power would’ve been neat. In general a leader who acknowledges he’s not good at adapting to change, but he’s the only stable ruler and every alternative is worse or doesn’t want to be in his position. Blaming his failings on Danzo is bad.

Danzo himself feels like a character where he’s justified in some of his actions, but misplays his hand due to an inability for both him and the guy above him to agree. Someone who ultimately is necessary due to The Third not being the right man for the job anymore, but neither is Danzo being the deep state.

Naruto’s whole outcast in the Academy could’ve just been, like others have said, he’s the orbiter of the friend group that’s mostly Kiba, Shikamaru, and the fat one. He’s the kid of lower social standing and the other kids know it. Like Kenny in South Park.

I think it was anime only, but the child solider school had them spar. The whole rivalry with Sasuke could’ve been started as Naruto trying to improve his reputation by fighting the class prodigy every fucking time.

Sauske in general should have honestly met his parents again during the War arc rather than the Snake Guy being OP due to gene therapy. Some psychological shit where he brings back half the clan to fuck with Sauske. Feel like Sasuke’s whole resolution should have just been going back to say goodbye to Naruto without a big fight because he just feels like a puppet and wants to mull over his options and then an epilogue where they meet years later to spar to sequel bait.

 

[Incecticyder]

Our cover for this chapter is the two Sand Ninja who were in last chapter. The guy's name is apparently Araya and he's....well, he's Sand Shino. I don't care for his outfit, he looks more like an urban explorer than a ninja. That being said, it's certainly a distinct look and the overall color scheme is pretty good. This is one of the better designs Ikemoto has made. The girl however is....not. Why does she have a g-string? How old are these two supposed to be? I'm guessing roughly around everyone else's age, 16ish. It's still weird, nonsensical, and fuck it. You're never beating these allegations Ikemoto. Yodo is dressed like an absolute skank and I hate it. It's a dumb design.

Honestly, she does not look skimpier than what my classmates were wearing at that age. I do not get all the uproar. This is a manga aimed at teenage boys. Of course it would so teenage girls as eye candy. Sarada was too young pre-time skip but now it is a non-issue. The real problem is that she does not look like a ninja.

So we cut to Sarada thinking about what Sumire said last chapter about thinking about her feelings. In the present, they're spying on the Shinki and Moegi Trees. They appear to be tailing Boruto and found a frog of his. On a side note, Sarada now has her headband wrapped around her head. Why? Is it because the metal will reflect the sun and they're in a desert and helps her keep cool? Well, okay. Except it's metal, and facing the sun means it would do nothing but heat up and be a giant heat pad on her head. It's not important but a strange quirk, and I don't think it looks good. Either way, they're going over their plan. Yodo seems very eager to save Shinki by any means necessary. Araya tells her not to do anything rash. Which clearly means in a chapter or two, she'll ruin whatever they're planning. The plan is put into action and Sarada, Konohamaru, and Mitsuki all approach Moegi and Shinki casually. They say they're ninja tailing Boruto and ask what they're doing. Shinki suspects they don't know who they are and turns to Moegi to know what to do but...Moegi is awestruck and taken back at the sight of Konohamaru.

Sarada wears her headband like her mother used to. Also, yeah, it looks like the Motos are doing well keeping the tradition of "These kids are trained, veteran assassins yet they make amateurish mistakes all the time" alive since Naruto.

We cut to Shikamaru. He is explaining to Konohamaru about the Trees and the Soul Bulb things and how they name to save everyone who's become trees. Konohamaru challenges Shikamaru asking him where he got this Intel, but Shikamaru says it's a trustworthy source and above his clearance. However, Shikamaru explains the Trees are not intrinsically evil. Uh...excuse me? The part about destroying the world? Not evil? Pretty sure it was evil when Jura impaled Inojin. Or when he killed those innocent village guards. Or when Hidari went for kill shot against Sarada. Bullshit they aren't evil to at least some degree. Anyway, Shikamaru says they're like newborn wild cubs and as such he tells Konohamaru to befriend them. And then betray them. Well....That's wildly stupid. If they're just newborn cubs and can learn good from evil with the right guidance, why can't this be a possibility? While I like Shikamaru being a ninja for once, the idea of befriending them and betraying them is horrifically stupid. You're solely doing this because they're powerful and dangerous to humans? Why do the one thing that pisses them off and would make them a threat to humans?!

Cutting back to present day, Konohamaru suggests a team up to find Boruto but Moegi can't get a word out. She doesn't understand why. Shinki agrees to work together to find Boruto. Shinki splits off with Sarada and Mitsuki and he says that Jura has respect for ninja and while he planned to kill anyone who came across them, he's glad he didn't because they were nice. Moegi gets alone time with Konohamaru while he asks if she's okay. In the flashback, Konohamaru is told by Shikamaru that Moegi has feelings for him and he can use that to manipulate and get close to Tree Moegi. Dick move by the way. And a dumb one.

Shikamaru is yet again a genius written by idiots. And what is that I see? A plan that only a alumni of the esteemed "Danzo School for Counterproductive Betrayal Disguised as Pragmatism" could produce? Did not know they were still open. Betray them immediately without knowing their abilities/biology/personalities? No way that does backfire. Shikamaru is the most intelligent man in the world. I am eager to see him in person because that guy must be his TEMU body double. Seriously, Jura shows he has enough skill to enter and leave without Konoha being able to do anything about it. You kill two of his people, what do you think he will do next? He will invade one or two of the less guarded villages, capture their strongest ninja and transform them into Divine Trees and use them to invade Konoha. He cares about the village, but only up to a point. He might decide to take the hit and destroy Konoha and rebuild it using references and his own taste. Shikamaru is the smartest guy and yet he does not realise that without Naruto and Sasuke, they are too weak to pursue such a plan. The Trees are more sympathetic that the heroes at this point. Shikamaru need a ghostwriter for his plans.

We cut to Boruto and Kashin Koji who are watching through Eida. Boruto wants to go hell but Kashin Koji tells him no. They can't lose Boruto or the world is doomed. This is one battle the future has said he can't partake in if they're to be success. Which effectively sidelines Boruto whenever the writers feel like it. "Well future events say Boruto can't do anything here." Convenient way to get him out of the story until he's needed, but I'm sure it will grow old soon. We end with a chunky looking Kawaki ambushing Amado looking to have his limited removed. Really? What happened to him in these panels? He's very thick.

Actually, I agree with them on this. We need to develop the rest of the cast too. Naruto and Sasuke were the only ones that mattered by the end. It is good that they avoid it now.

I get where they're going with this, but it's a sloppy way of getting there. Also, on top of this- this all goes under the fact that Jura didn't tell them about Konohamaru being with Boruto when he attacked. But she and Shinki both were there when Sasuke was revived? So do they not share eyesight anymore? Do they not address the only way this plot works is if for whatever reason Jura never mentioned Konohamaru being around in his attack? That's ridiculous....I agree with giving the trees more attention, but I don't agree with buttering them up and stabbing them in the back, where if we assume aside from Jura, everyone else is mostly innocent. Dick move. This surely won't backfire 1000 fold.

Powers are being retconned left and right. Paying attention to this story is a punishing experience.

My issues with the series is that a lot of it probably could be fixed with minor fixes or just dropping concepts. The series suffers from being written by the seat of its pants and a prequel series could probably rectify shit and be cooler than Boruto.

That is what we all say. It started as small issues but Kishi's inability to commit to continuity and stop putting in every idea that crosses his mind with complete disregard as to how it fits the story is stupid.

I don’t mind Kyuubi form being energy bullshit. I honestly liked Shukaku incarnating via sand and each host having their own unique full possession form would’ve been better than “I turn into the fucking Kaiju”. Some of the others felt lazy and I prefer energy bullshit to ripping off an Ozaru form.

Again, whenever Kishimoto changes his mind, the universe of Naruto shifts. He cannot commit.

Naruto being a lonely orphan is fixed if it’s only the Ninja population that knows rather than the general population. I think the series would’ve been better if you had some village just straight up use a Jinchuriki as a human bomb rather than train them to be a ninja and only B causes a paradigm shift. Otherwise they were unknowing bombs or like the 1st Hokages wife where they were non-combat focused.
You can kind of then have his ostracism be mostly younger generations angry at the attack rather than blaming it on Danzo.

That makes no sense. Jinchuriki have to be ninjas to an extend at least as otherwise the beast will take over easily. Controlling their emotions and having combat skills are necessary for their purpose of protecting the village.

The Third just being someone whose personal life is fucked and is unable to effectively lead and delegates away power would’ve been neat. In general a leader who acknowledges he’s not good at adapting to change, but he’s the only stable ruler and every alternative is worse or doesn’t want to be in his position. Blaming his failings on Danzo is bad.

Danzo himself feels like a character where he’s justified in some of his actions, but misplays his hand due to an inability for both him and the guy above him to agree. Someone who ultimately is necessary due to The Third not being the right man for the job anymore, but neither is Danzo being the deep state.

Hiruzen was a bad leader but Danzo was worse. Part of what makes Hiruzen bad is his tolerance of Danzo. Hiruzen was at one point the right man for the job but Danzo never was. He was just a spineless coward who was lying to himself that he was competent and necessary. Hiruzen had his flaws but they did not justify the need for Danzo.

Naruto’s whole outcast in the Academy could’ve just been, like others have said, he’s the orbiter of the friend group that’s mostly Kiba, Shikamaru, and the fat one. He’s the kid of lower social standing and the other kids know it. Like Kenny in South Park.

Naruto should have some friends in my opinion. He can be an outcast but have him be friendly with some kids. Without such, how can he understand love and how can he love Konoha? Kishimoto tried to give him the most tragic life possible but did not think how that should turn him into an absolute misanthrope and all of Konoha unsympathetic.

I think it was anime only, but the child solider school had them spar. The whole rivalry with Sasuke could’ve been started as Naruto trying to improve his reputation by fighting the class prodigy every fucking time.

They did spar.

Sauske in general should have honestly met his parents again during the War arc rather than the Snake Guy being OP due to gene therapy. Some psychological shit where he brings back half the clan to fuck with Sauske. Feel like Sasuke’s whole resolution should have just been going back to say goodbye to Naruto without a big fight because he just feels like a puppet and wants to mull over his options and then an epilogue where they meet years later to spar to sequel bait.

I agree that he should have met them but I am glad we got the fight and got it over with.

 

[Party Hat Wurmple]

Powers are being retconned left and right. Paying attention to this story is a punishing experience.

It is. These are all necessary steps though, as dumb as they are. SOMETHING has to move the plot forward. Up until now we've been kind of just circling the drain with pointless fights that advance the plot at a snail's pace. We've finally gotten moving a bit and there's actual plot advancement. The problem is who is doing it. Shikamaru's character has repeatedly been bastardized by the Boruto series to the point he's buried in the damn ground and just kind of an ass hole 24/7. He's nothing like the Shikamaru we knew all this time from OG Naruto. We're not given a reason for this change either. He's just become Ike/Kishi's dedicated person for "making things happen". In narrative stories like this, there's always a character who makes the plot move along. The guy who makes things happen. Sometimes it's a villain, sometimes it's not. The problem is this character is often required by nature to do dumb things. In Dragonball, it's Vegeta. In Chainsawman it was Makima. In OG Naruto, we had Sasuke. In Boruto however, it's Shikamaru. Shikamaru is not a dumb character, so him consistently doing dumb things makes him seem uncharacteristically stupid. It's a big change for him and there's no context as to why. Shikamaru even says befriending the Trees is possible. He just doesn't want to do it. He knows how dumb and risky this is, but he's doing it anyway and putting his faith into Boruto and Koji.

I've had a running theory ever since the Ten Directions were introduced. I think the Ootsutsuki God or whatever his name is, is Kaguya 2.0. The Ten Directions are actually pulling a Black Zetsu. The future visions Koji is getting aren't there to help him save the world, but rather show him the events that lead to a future where Shibai or whatever his name is, is revived. Hell, I'll even go as far to say as "Ike/Kishi" are really stupid and will probably flat out say "The technique used to make Black Zetsu is a limited form of the Ten Directions". The future sight isn't actually future sight, but whispers to guide Koji to reviving Shibai as self preservation. Knowing Kishi/Ike, this won't be built up to at all either, it'll be mildly hinted at it but only if you squint your eyes to the point you turn Japanese yourself in order to see it. Point is, we've not been given any reason to trust Koji's visions other than "trust me bro". It'll be a last minute twist just like Kaguya.

A better story teller would use this idea to create drama and maybe splinter factions amongst our heroes and characters. I mean, sure it's not like another IP hasn't done it before that would make it super easy to copy and paste, er...I mean draw inspiration from. Oh wait, it has. It's the plot of Marvel's Civil War 2. A guy with future sight sees crimes before they happen and they struggle with whether to stop them before they happen and prosecute them. Some immediately believe in him, others questions how accurate his visions are, and it raises moral questions about prosecuting crimes that aren't committed yet. I'm only harping on this because the story as they've laid out, perfectly mimics this scenario. Konohamaru right now could be a big character in this story and make a conscious decision not to follow Shikamaru's orders to kill Matsuri to save Moegi right away. Which he may or may not do. What I would do, is have him disobey, befriend Matsuri for a chapter or two but the Sand Ninja go nuts and ruin everything and try to kill the Trees and the Leaf ninja try to stop them. In the chaos, Matsuri gets fatally wounded, and chooses to willingly give Konohamaru her Soul Bulb thing, saying that while she doesn't understand love, she can tell Moegi holds a lot of love for Konohamaru and now that she feels it herself, she knows that it's wrong to separate them, even at the cost of her own existence. This act of kindness puts Ryu/Shinki on a path to question Jura's methods and his own existence and about their feelings towards these people they've chosen. Maybe Ryu could pair up with Hidari when they encounter Sarada inevitably again, and while Hidari makes a similar choice after learning what it means to be a parent, Ryu can betray Jura, since Gaara was like a father to him. Meanwhile Konohamaru falls out with Shikamaru over his methods. Shikamaru could tell Konohamaru about the visions and maybe he won't be silent about them. Maybe the scenario Koji feared of too many people knowing about the future visions he has will come true. Will this happen? Nope. These guys kind of suck with forethought for story. But something similar probably will happen.

 

[Incecticyder]

It is. These are all necessary steps though, as dumb as they are. SOMETHING has to move the plot forward. Up until now we've been kind of just circling the drain with pointless fights that advance the plot at a snail's pace. We've finally gotten moving a bit and there's actual plot advancement. The problem is who is doing it. Shikamaru's character has repeatedly been bastardized by the Boruto series to the point he's buried in the damn ground and just kind of an ass hole 24/7. He's nothing like the Shikamaru we knew all this time from OG Naruto. We're not given a reason for this change either. He's just become Ike/Kishi's dedicated person for "making things happen". In narrative stories like this, there's always a character who makes the plot move along. The guy who makes things happen. Sometimes it's a villain, sometimes it's not. The problem is this character is often required by nature to do dumb things. In Dragonball, it's Vegeta. In Chainsawman it was Makima. In OG Naruto, we had Sasuke. In Boruto however, it's Shikamaru. Shikamaru is not a dumb character, so him consistently doing dumb things makes him seem uncharacteristically stupid. It's a big change for him and there's no context as to why. Shikamaru even says befriending the Trees is possible. He just doesn't want to do it. He knows how dumb and risky this is, but he's doing it anyway and putting his faith into Boruto and Koji.

Shikamaru is becoming a tyrant. He is too focused on making hard decisions that he has started associating them with victory even when a softer decision might be superior. "Hacks' Guide for Strict Rulers" if you ask me. He is making harsh choices, not good ones.

I've had a running theory ever since the Ten Directions were introduced. I think the Ootsutsuki God or whatever his name is, is Kaguya 2.0. The Ten Directions are actually pulling a Black Zetsu. The future visions Koji is getting aren't there to help him save the world, but rather show him the events that lead to a future where Shibai or whatever his name is, is revived. Hell, I'll even go as far to say as "Ike/Kishi" are really stupid and will probably flat out say "The technique used to make Black Zetsu is a limited form of the Ten Directions". The future sight isn't actually future sight, but whispers to guide Koji to reviving Shibai as self preservation. Knowing Kishi/Ike, this won't be built up to at all either, it'll be mildly hinted at it but only if you squint your eyes to the point you turn Japanese yourself in order to see it. Point is, we've not been given any reason to trust Koji's visions other than "trust me bro". It'll be a last minute twist just like Kaguya.

Kaguya would have been better executed if she possessed Madara around the time he absorbed the Tree. Kishimoto waited too long. At least there is more of a set up this time. But do not marry your theory, things might turn out different. We do not know what is on their mind.

A better story teller would use this idea to create drama and maybe splinter factions amongst our heroes and characters. I mean, sure it's not like another IP hasn't done it before that would make it super easy to copy and paste, er...I mean draw inspiration from. Oh wait, it has. It's the plot of Marvel's Civil War 2. A guy with future sight sees crimes before they happen and they struggle with whether to stop them before they happen and prosecute them. Some immediately believe in him, others questions how accurate his visions are, and it raises moral questions about prosecuting crimes that aren't committed yet. I'm only harping on this because the story as they've laid out, perfectly mimics this scenario. Konohamaru right now could be a big character in this story and make a conscious decision not to follow Shikamaru's orders to kill Matsuri to save Moegi right away. Which he may or may not do. What I would do, is have him disobey, befriend Matsuri for a chapter or two but the Sand Ninja go nuts and ruin everything and try to kill the Trees and the Leaf ninja try to stop them. In the chaos, Matsuri gets fatally wounded, and chooses to willingly give Konohamaru her Soul Bulb thing, saying that while she doesn't understand love, she can tell Moegi holds a lot of love for Konohamaru and now that she feels it herself, she knows that it's wrong to separate them, even at the cost of her own existence. This act of kindness puts Ryu/Shinki on a path to question Jura's methods and his own existence and about their feelings towards these people they've chosen. Maybe Ryu could pair up with Hidari when they encounter Sarada inevitably again, and while Hidari makes a similar choice after learning what it means to be a parent, Ryu can betray Jura, since Gaara was like a father to him. Meanwhile Konohamaru falls out with Shikamaru over his methods. Shikamaru could tell Konohamaru about the visions and maybe he won't be silent about them. Maybe the scenario Koji feared of too many people knowing about the future visions he has will come true. Will this happen? Nope. These guys kind of suck with forethought for story. But something similar probably will happen.

Interesting theories but the story is too vague and slow to tell at this point. Kishi has a history of writing by the seat of his pants so maybe things will go differently. Still badly but in a different way.

 

[Party Hat Wurmple]

Ch 18. Just dropped so let's do it.

The cover art for this time is Moegi/Matsuri. And wow that is a color scheme. I don't like it. It's not a great cover honestly. There's something wrong where it looks like her head is turned further than it should be. Her hand looks like it's supposed to be on her hip, but for some reason it isn't. Her hat/head thing has bangs for some reason, which I don't really get. There's something just about the angle her body is turned and twisted at that just doesn't look right. The cover photos up until now have been mostly fine, but this one just looks off for some reason. Maybe Ikemoto rushed it or something. The way she's posed makes it look like she was supposed to be leaning on something like the title maybe, but they changed it last minute and used the model anyway for time. It's just an ugly cover and stands out in a string of cover arts that look mostly serviceable.

We open with Sumire, who looks a little down from the last time we saw her. Nice detail on Ikemoto for once. However, it does make me question when this scene takes place. Nitpicking aside, she's going to see Amado and she enters the room to find Kawaki with Amado pinned up against the wall. Kawaki tells Sumire not to worry, he's perfectly sane and then immediately tells Amado that he doesn't care that Amado is tinkering with his body, but will kill him if he doesn't make him stronger. You know, things a sane person would say and do. Amado says Kawaki's trigger word which gives him an immediate automatic shutdown just like with Delta. So, Amado could've done that at any time, huh? Even when he's being intimidating, Kawaki sucks.

We cut back to the desert and Yodo is glaring at Ryu and it's freaking him out. We then switch to Konohamaru and Matsuri who says "Well that's the situation, what do you think?" and it seems like they're wrapping up some deep conversation....Wait...did we just gloss over their conversation? Did I miss something? Nope. I went back. We skipped whatever conversation they were having and it happened OFF SCREEN. Seriously Ikemoto? We want character development and you're going to fucking SKIP IT?! WHY?!?!?? Whatever. She says she feels more normal talking with Konohamaru and asks if she can call him Konohamaru-chan. He remembers Moegi though upon hearing this and is now having problems.

We cut back to Ryu who uses his Iron Sand to scan the area looking for signs of Boruto. He senses a serious bloodlust coming Yodo though and his iron sand only confirms it. Mitsuki asks why they're looking for Boruto. Ryu however, has no clue. He says that Jura told them to because Boruto knows too much about them.

We cut to Kawaki again and Amado tells him he will only help him if he agrees to imbue his daughter with his Karma to revive her. He imbued Kawaki's Karma with Akebi's data and prepared a new body for her. He claims this is his only purpose in life and always has been. Kawaki says if his revived daughter turns out to be an Ohtsutsuki he will kill it no matter what. Amado says that's fine, but he will fight him over it. However, Kawaki says he will not accept these terms. The problem he has is with the order of events. In an actually fairly reasoned moment for Kawaki, he can't risk creating another enemy at the time being. Amado says that Kawaki currently has near immortal levels of defenses and he did this protect him so Akebi's data doesn't go with him. If he alters Kawaki into an offensive force, he can't guarantee his survival and his chance at reviving Akebi dies with him. Kawaki doesn't care though and says to use whatever means Amado has to turn him into a powerhouse to take on the Trees, Code, and Boruto. He won't revive Akebi until they're all dead. Which, to his credit isn't a bad idea. There's no point in reviving Amado's daughter especially if the Trees destroy the world anyway. While it's not said in the chapter, it's implied this process might severely cost Kawaki his powers or his life, so I do agree with his decision.

Back in the Sand, things are going south. Matsuri is delighted having talked with Konohamaru until he asks her not to call him Konohamaru-chan. Rather only one person can call him that. Matsuri not being dumb, puts two and two together realizing he's referring to Moegi and has a freak out, demanding to know what Moegi is to her. Meanwhile, Sarada convinced Ryu to use the thorn bulb to bait out Boruto, which he does. Unfortunately for everyone, Yodo can't contain her shit anymore and leaps for it. Turns out Ryu set a trap for them and binds everyone with Iron Sand. We end with Araya drawing his sword and feeding Sarada from attacking Yodo. Apparently it's called the Loadstone Sand Sealing Blade which was made to counter Shinki's Iron Sand. Neat.

Ikemoto really rushed things along this chapter. I have no problems with the Kawaki scenes, but the Sand scenes we seemed to just skip over important character development moments just to get on ahead to the fighting. Which, I'm sorry but this whole plan was dumb to begin with. They're terrible at duping the Trees and fall into very easy traps. This little betrayal idea should've been on for a little while longer. It's like Ikemoto is allergic to bottle showing and is pressed to keep things moving. It's just fight after fight after fight and I'm tired of it. There's no meaning to this clash with Ryu. I know they want us to think there is, but this was completely avoidable by our cast simply not doing the obvious traitorous things. Of course Ryu will notice your intentions, Yodo is a loose cannon who should've been left home. Sarada has the subtlety of a freight train. If they weren't NINJA I wouldn't be complaining but for NINJA, they're horribly fucking bad at deceiving people. It's been confirmed for awhile now that, Kishimoto no longer works on Boruto. He was kicked off the team other than maybe consulting here and there. This is all Ikemoto's show moving forward. I get where he wants to go....but he refuses to take the time to get there.

 

[Incecticyder]

We open with Sumire, who looks a little down from the last time we saw her. Nice detail on Ikemoto for once. However, it does make me question when this scene takes place. Nitpicking aside, she's going to see Amado and she enters the room to find Kawaki with Amado pinned up against the wall. Kawaki tells Sumire not to worry, he's perfectly sane and then immediately tells Amado that he doesn't care that Amado is tinkering with his body, but will kill him if he doesn't make him stronger. You know, things a sane person would say and do. Amado says Kawaki's trigger word which gives him an immediate automatic shutdown just like with Delta. So, Amado could've done that at any time, huh? Even when he's being intimidating, Kawaki sucks.

Kawaki has no charisma nor charm. Everything that is wrong with him stems from that.

We cut back to the desert and Yodo is glaring at Ryu and it's freaking him out. We then switch to Konohamaru and Matsuri who says "Well that's the situation, what do you think?" and it seems like they're wrapping up some deep conversation....Wait...did we just gloss over their conversation? Did I miss something? Nope. I went back. We skipped whatever conversation they were having and it happened OFF SCREEN. Seriously Ikemoto? We want character development and you're going to fucking SKIP IT?! WHY?!?!?? Whatever. She says she feels more normal talking with Konohamaru and asks if she can call him Konohamaru-chan. He remembers Moegi though upon hearing this and is now having problems.

I do not know if I will miss a badly written scene that was skipped. Same "genius" that wrote the rest of the show would write this too.

We cut back to Ryu who uses his Iron Sand to scan the area looking for signs of Boruto. He senses a serious bloodlust coming Yodo though and his iron sand only confirms it. Mitsuki asks why they're looking for Boruto. Ryu however, has no clue. He says that Jura told them to because Boruto knows too much about them.

I like this Ryu fella. By telling them that Jura did not tell them about his plan, he stopped further probing. Unusually smart for this manga. Unless he truly does not know. Then he is just boring.

We cut to Kawaki again and Amado tells him he will only help him if he agrees to imbue his daughter with his Karma to revive her. He imbued Kawaki's Karma with Akebi's data and prepared a new body for her. He claims this is his only purpose in life and always has been. Kawaki says if his revived daughter turns out to be an Ohtsutsuki he will kill it no matter what. Amado says that's fine, but he will fight him over it. However, Kawaki says he will not accept these terms. The problem he has is with the order of events. In an actually fairly reasoned moment for Kawaki, he can't risk creating another enemy at the time being. Amado says that Kawaki currently has near immortal levels of defenses and he did this protect him so Akebi's data doesn't go with him. If he alters Kawaki into an offensive force, he can't guarantee his survival and his chance at reviving Akebi dies with him. Kawaki doesn't care though and says to use whatever means Amado has to turn him into a powerhouse to take on the Trees, Code, and Boruto. He won't revive Akebi until they're all dead. Which, to his credit isn't a bad idea. There's no point in reviving Amado's daughter especially if the Trees destroy the world anyway. While it's not said in the chapter, it's implied this process might severely cost Kawaki his powers or his life, so I do agree with his decision.

Kawaki fucking sucks! He wants to be made into a glass cannon when he should ask for a more balanced stat distribution. He will hit hard but even a lucky shot from a goon would bring him down or he will break down by pushing his body to 100%. If we did not know that he will survive due to the opening chapter of Boruto, this plan would have been a failure. Kawaki is their attempt to make a second Sasuke and it does not work. Sasuke worked only because he fit Emo culture's idea of cool (which was popular at the time) and the moment it passed, he was ridiculed.

Back in the Sand, things are going south. Matsuri is delighted having talked with Konohamaru until he asks her not to call him Konohamaru-chan. Rather only one person can call him that. Matsuri not being dumb, puts two and two together realizing he's referring to Moegi and has a freak out, demanding to know what Moegi is to her. Meanwhile, Sarada convinced Ryu to use the thorn bulb to bait out Boruto, which he does. Unfortunately for everyone, Yodo can't contain her shit anymore and leaps for it. Turns out Ryu set a trap for them and binds everyone with Iron Sand. We end with Araya drawing his sword and feeding Sarada from attacking Yodo. Apparently it's called the Loadstone Sand Sealing Blade which was made to counter Shinki's Iron Sand. Neat.

They saw the sand be spread around them, they should have noticed he was well defended even if his thorn bulb was exposed (and no one on their right mind would take that opportunity to attack when it is clear bait for foe and "friend" alike). They assumed he was as stupid as they are. Big mistake.

Ikemoto really rushed things along this chapter. I have no problems with the Kawaki scenes, but the Sand scenes we seemed to just skip over important character development moments just to get on ahead to the fighting. Which, I'm sorry but this whole plan was dumb to begin with. They're terrible at duping the Trees and fall into very easy traps. This little betrayal idea should've been on for a little while longer. It's like Ikemoto is allergic to bottle showing and is pressed to keep things moving. It's just fight after fight after fight and I'm tired of it. There's no meaning to this clash with Ryu. I know they want us to think there is, but this was completely avoidable by our cast simply not doing the obvious traitorous things. Of course Ryu will notice your intentions, Yodo is a loose cannon who should've been left home. Sarada has the subtlety of a freight train. If they weren't NINJA I wouldn't be complaining but for NINJA, they're horribly fucking bad at deceiving people. It's been confirmed for awhile now that, Kishimoto no longer works on Boruto. He was kicked off the team other than maybe consulting here and there. This is all Ikemoto's show moving forward. I get where he wants to go....but he refuses to take the time to get there.

The major flaw of this setting is that these teenagers are supposed to be veteran ninjas yet still make obvious and amateurish mistakes like some smack on the first day on the job. Falling for obvious bait, hesitating to kill, inability to play the long game etc etc. This is amateur hour and they are expecting as to believe this kids get paid for this?

I will say this though: Kishimoto is better than Ikemoto. Ikemoto has all the flaws of Kishimoto but lacks his ability to generate emotion that masks his flaws and made Naruto seem like a great series.

 

[Party Hat Wurmple]

I do not know if I will miss a badly written scene that was skipped. Same "genius" that wrote the rest of the show would write this too.

I know it's badly written, but from what I expect is coming later based on what has happened, kind of relies on us feeling something for Matsuri. If we don't feel anything for Matsuri, why should we care when she's ultimately defeated? They're building the Trees up to be sympathetic to some degree, but we need those scenes to really cement them as tragic figures. Without them, or just glossing over them, there's just no point.

I like this Ryu fella. By telling them that Jura did not tell them about his plan, he stopped further probing. Unusually smart for this manga. Unless he truly does not know. Then he is just boring.

He doesn't know. He was literally born a few days ago. If Jura does have some kind of grand plan, he's not telling anyone about it. The last few chapters have tried to paint the trees as unwitting pawns in Jura's game. But to be honest I don't know what Jura is after or why.

If we did not know that he will survive due to the opening chapter of Boruto, this plan would have been a failure. Kawaki is their attempt to make a second Sasuke and it does not work. Sasuke worked only because he fit Emo culture's idea of cool (which was popular at the time) and the moment it passed, he was ridiculed.

Kawaki is just the worst. I understand the logic behind his idea, because I think he does understand the Trees might destroy the planet to some degree. He has a tendency to get slapped in every chapter either physically or through commentary. I don't know if that stops after this event or not, but I'll miss it.

They saw the sand be spread around them, they should have noticed he was well defended even if his thorn bulb was exposed (and no one on their right mind would take that opportunity to attack when it is clear bait for foe and "friend" alike). They assumed he was as stupid as they are. Big mistake.

To be fair, I don't think any of them intended to attack. It was JUST Yodo. I don't think any of them expected her to lose her cool and leap in. It just happened because Yodo is retarded and a danger to this mission. Which, if she's this hot headed, why send her on this mission at all? Although, Konohamaru didn't fair off much better when he lost his cool....

The major flaw of this setting is that these teenagers are supposed to be veteran ninjas yet still make obvious and amateurish mistakes like some smack on the first day on the job. Falling for obvious bait, hesitating to kill, inability to play the long game etc etc. This is amateur hour and they are expecting as to believe this kids get paid for this?

I think what makes it worse is that this Boruto Shippuden and by comparison, neither parts of Naruto had the characters act this incredibly stupid.