In the latest arc's second installment, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations delivers another by-the-numbers but wholly enjoyable half hour. Although Boruto is understandably unhappy about serving as Tento's bodyguard, it isn't long before the boys form a friendlier rapport and come to understand one another better. Being a full-fledged shinobi otaku, Tento requests that Boruto teach him ninjutsu. Despite being skeptical of the boy's abilities, Boruto relents and gives him a crash course in the basics of shuriken throwing, and after a full day of practice, Tento becomes surprisingly adept at tossing shurikens. After learning that Tento's obsession with the collectible card game stems from wanting attention from his busy father, Boruto begins to feel a kinship with his new friend, and by the time Tento's departure day approaches, the boys have grown much closer. However, the episode-ending reveal that Shojoji has switched places with Tento's butler, Yamaoka, would suggest that the story is far from over.
After having the worst of his traits showcased in the previous installment, Tento only spends a small portion of episode 149 in spoiled rich kid mode. Although it was clear from the onset that he and Boruto would eventually become friends, the show does a solid job of casting the character in a sympathetic light and making the evolution in the boys' relationship feel both organic and believable. In some respects, it might have been more effective to roll out Tento's character progression across multiple installments, but it's easy to see his same schtick from last week getting old fast. This way, the audience is more likely to empathize with the kid when he's faced with peril in the coming weeks. Not only is he likely to find himself in physical danger, but if Shojoji has taken on Yamaoka's appearance, there's a good chance the latter is dead, meaning Tento has lost one of the most important people in his life.
Despite his own maturity issues, Boruto steps into the role of mentor with ease and continues to demonstrate, on the whole, far more levelheadedness than his father did at the same age. He initially becomes frustrated in the face of Tento's snobbishness, but he's ultimately able to keep his cool and knows almost instinctively how to channel Tento's love for ninja into a lesson the kid takes to heart. Boruto gifting his protégé the Seventh Hokage trading card for which he's been pining as a reward for all his hard work is a particularly touching moment of bonding that helps bring the relationship full-circle.
Though largely uneventful on the surface, this week's installment contains tangible character progression for both the primary guest character and the guy whose name is in the title. Though Boruto is technically a child, too, it's great to see him step into the role of teacher and protector. By episode's end, we believe the bond between them will be strong when tested by whatever the Mujina Gang has in store for them next week.
Rating:
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is currently streaming on
Crunchyroll.
Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.
Visual revealed for new season― The staff for the Spy x Family anime revealed on Sunday that the anime is getting a third season. The staff also revealed a visual for the third season. Anime character designer and chief animation director Kazuaki Shimada drew the below visual. Art director Yuni Yoshida designed the visual. The first anime season's first half premiered in April 2022. Crunchyroll stre...
Amane Shindō, Rie Takahashi, Lynn, Kanon Takao voice new heroines― A special event for the television anime of Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa's The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You (Kimi no koto ga Dai Dai Dai Dai Daisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo) manga unveils more cast members for the new heroines, the January 2025 premiere, and a teaser visual for the second seas...
Momoiro Clover Z, MindaRyn to perform season's new theme songs― Bandai Namco Filmworks revealed more cast, a new key visual, a new promotional video, and a new commercial on Saturday for the third season of the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken) television anime. Bandai Namco Filmworks also announced that Momoiro Clover Z will perform the season's second opening...
Co-founder Hideaki Anno's current studio Khara acquires Gainax's trademark― Anime studio Gainax announced on its website on Friday that it filed for bankruptcy in the Tokyo District Court on May 29. The bankruptcy proceedings are happening just short of the studio's 40th anniversary in December. Gainax's Statement In its statement on Friday, Gainax explained that its financial situation worsened sta...
Lynzee slays the Nosferatu Arucard, but isn't sure if she enjoyed the experience.― Welcome back to The Anime Backlog, the column where I chronicle my journey to overcome a backlog of 100+ anime titles. After slaying my behemoth of shame, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, I decided to dive into the quintessential dark and edgy series of the aughts, Hellsing Ultimate. Hellsing Ultimate Why Is It Impo...
Synduality: Noir perhaps ends up better than other video game tie-in series, but in the larger mecha genre, it's still an also-ran.― This second cour started as a big fat question mark. While the first half of Synduality: Noir had occasional drama, most of its runtime was all about chilling with its extended cast as they got into cool robot fights. While that lent the show a lot of charm, it meant t...
Before Summer Game Fest truly kicks off, Jean-Karlo checks out the upcoming Yakuza TV series news and Gen Urobutchi's deceptively cute rabbit puzzler.― Welcome back, folks! In honor of the Astro Bot announcement, I spent some time playing Astro's Playhouse over the weekend. It's a cute tech demo disguised as a platformer, helped by Astro being an adorable little mascot. The historical angle of colle...
Anti-hero or villain? Scar and Magneto present evidence for either interpretation.― X-Men' 97 has now concluded its stunning first season, and those ten episodes highlighted the best and worst of Magneto — a man who's been both the X-Men's nemesis and leader. Introduced at the very beginning of X-Men in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's 1963 debut issue, the "Master of Magnetism" has changed a lot in his s...
Sound Euphonium 3 is now the top anime both in weekly and cumulative rankings! Find out how your favorite shows fared in our weekly user rankings.― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these rankings are based on how pe...
Chris and Steve make the highly questionable decision of watching all of Code Geass in 48 hours. Is the series just as good as it was nearly two decades ago?― Chris and Steve make the highly questionable decision of watching all of Code Geass in 48 hours. Is the series just as good as it was nearly two decades ago? Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are...
Unfortunately, Kengan Ashura isn't dumb fun often enough to be enjoyable, and its politics make it a slog to get through.― The back half of season one of Kengan Ashura — confusingly labeled "Part II" on Netflix and with episode numbers that reset to 1 through 12 — is better than the first part of the season. Unfortunately, that isn't saying much, as this martial arts anime opens with an incredibly w...