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Boruto's Story Far Surpasses Its Predecessor In One Important Aspect
The Boruto series has often been criticized for its few but significant flaws, such as its nonsensical power scaling. Despite how amazing the series can be, these details have been enough for several fans to decide not to give it a chance. Lamentably, this means that the series does not get the credit it deserves for its astonishing contributions to the world of Naruto.
One amazing example of this phenomenon is the superior handling of romantic subplots that has been seen in the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga. Unlike its predecessor, whose pairings often came out of nowhere, the sequel does a phenomenal job establishing the feelings of its characters from the beginning. Moreover, these emotions have an impact on the story beyond foreshadowing what characters will be dating in the future.
Boruto’s Handling of Romance Overshadows Naruto’s
The Sequel Has Several Compelling Couples
Naruto is a series that revolutionized the anime industry when it was first released, completely changing how fans saw the Shōnen genre. Its storytelling, characters, and power system are still praised to this day for how genuinely impressive they were. Nonetheless, as with any other manga, it did have flaws, with the lack of compelling romantic stories being one of the biggest. The series did include some endearing and often heartbreaking love stories, but most of them occurred in the past or involved side characters. Most of the main heroes did not experience romance until their adventure was over.
The Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga series puts an admirable effort into correcting this issue by making the emotional development of the characters important for the story. This has been seen ever since chapter #9 of the manga, where an emotional Sarada jumps to hug Boruto, whom she had not seen in several years. Shortly after, the topic of her and Sumire having feelings for the boy became a key component of their relationship, with the manga going as far as to hint at a possible love triangle being in the works.
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The latest chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex proves that Naruto’s next generation of shinobi are not yet ready for prime time challenges.
The sequel does not want their eventual couples to feel as forced or undeserving as they did during the final chapters of the Naruto series. While Hinata and Naruto are one of anime’s best and most endearing couples, many fans complained when their relationship was made canon because it had almost no development. By hinting at the feelings of the characters and having them act on them from the start, the Boruto manga gives fans time to get themselves accustomed to the future couples they will be introducing down the line.
Feelings Are Relevant to the Plot
The Love Certain Characters Feel Pushes the Story Forward
While it is true that developing the romantic subplots early in the story makes them more compelling for viewers, this does not mean that they are important. The Boruto manga, taking this into account, has made sure to incorporate the emotions of the characters into the plot. The entire second half of the manga occurred due to the strong infatuation Eida feels for Kawaki, pushing her to utilize the strongest power in the series, Omnipotence, and changing his and Boruto’s places in chapter #79 of the original manga.
Most recently, Sarada’s love for the protagonist has also become a vital part of her motivation and powerset. During chapter #20, as the group of Konoha and Sunagakure ninja face the imposing Ryu, a mortally wounded Yodo speaks with Sasuke’s daughter. She tells her that her powers should be used to keep the most important person in her life safe, prompting Sarada to remember Boruto. Her feelings for the boy unleashed her Mangekyo Sharingan and allowed her to use its mysterious abilities for the first time in the series.
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Unlike Sasuke’s dark path to power, Sarada’s Mangekyo Sharingan shines with love and care, showcasing her as a true contrast to her father.
Sumire is another character whose love for the protagonist transforms her into an important player in the future of Konoha. She is aware of Kawaki’s weakness, as she was present when Amado used his failsafe for the android. As such, if Boruto is ever in any danger while fighting his brother, Sumire could use the secret code to stop the attack, saving the protagonist. Overall, the Boruto series has done an outstanding job incorporating romance into its story, completely leaving its predecessor behind in this aspect.
The Series Also Talks About the Dangers of Love
Eida’s Relationship With Kawaki Is Portrayed as Toxic and Abusive
The Boruto manga has done an amazing job developing wholesome and heartwarming love stories over the last few years, but it has also gone further by showing how dangerous this emotion can be. As most fans must be aware of, Eida is often considered one of the most tragic characters in the series, never being able to feel genuine love or affection due to her powers. Almost all the people she interacts with end up under her charming ability, becoming loyal followers whose emotions cannot be trusted. The only man able to overcome her powers is Kawaki.
Eida sees the adopted Uzumaki as her only chance for a real relationship, as his love for her would not be influenced by her skills in any way. Yet, Kawaki does not care about her and sees her as a simple tool he can use to make his vision of the world a reality. Eida has slowly become aware of this, as she has chosen to help Boruto over Kawaki on several occasions. Her desperation to feel genuine love keeps her trapped in the villain’s grasp, hoping she will one day feel something real.
Boruto and Sarada Are an Amazing Couple
Fans Cannot Wait To See Them Together
Even though this was likely not the main intent behind these interactions, the Boruto manga has already turned its main couple into a sensation among fans. Readers are aware that their chemistry interactions are already far better than those between Naruto and Hinata. As such, they are impatiently waiting for the day when the heroes will confess their love and become an official couple, despite this moment likely being years away.
It is true that Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has several flaws that need to be addressed before the end of the story. Nevertheless, its romantic subplots are several times more enjoyable for fans than their predecessors, something that should be appreciated more often by readers.
- Writer
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Masashi Kishimoto
- Writers
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Masashi Kishimoto
- Penciler(s)
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Mikio Ikemoto
- Inker(s)
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Mikio Ikemoto
- Colorist(s)
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Mikio Ikemoto
- Publisher(s)
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Viz Media
