Boruto was a highly anticipated follow-up series to the classic and beloved Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, and while fans had high hopes for the series, it did not always live up to their expectations. The story follows the son of Naruto Uzumaki, Boruto Uzumaki, who becomes a genin and helps in the long campaign against the Otsutsuki, powerful beings introduced at the end of Naruto: Shippuden.
From doing beloved characters dirty to changing significant elements of the lore, worldbuilding, and setting, Boruto has introduced change after change, and not all of them are successful in the hearts and minds of fans.
10 When It Gave Characters A Glow Down
Since Boruto is the continuation of an older tale, the show naturally includes some reoccurring characters that fans of the prequel have come to know and love. However, these characters are older, wiser, and different looking from when they were teenagers during the previous series. Not all of these changes are well received, though.
Among the characters whose new designs have been criticized, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Gaara, and even Shino Aburame have been criticized for seeming less cool and even goofy compared to their former designs. This is especially frustrating for those who were supposed to be part of the cool-guy or mysterious-ninja archetypes.
9 When It Made Old Characters Less Powerful
To have the new generation enter the spotlight, the older characters, who had already undergone their character arcs and became the strongest versions of themselves, had to be nerfed. Otherwise, nothing would stop characters like Naruto and Sasuke from continuing to be the series’ main focus.
These characters lost some of their most important powers (especially Naruto). On top of that, they became weaker in comparison to the villains, who outmatched even the most powerful villains in the previous series. It felt like a poor decision, but it was the only one the writers’ had to combat power creep that had been established well before Boruto‘s start.
8 When It Treated Some Characters Like Jokes
Some characters’ personalities and looks became so different and goofy that they felt more like gimmick characters or running jokes than they did formidable ninja. One of the most apparent instances of this was with Shino Aburame, who used to be a terrifying master of parasitic bugs who remained in the shadows and wielded terrible powers.
However, in Boruto, he not only becomes more talkative and extroverted enough to lead classrooms of rambunctious children, but he also becomes a plushie-loving, eccentric, oddball teacher. It is not bad, but in comparison with his former personality, it is so polar opposite that it feels unconvincing and contrived.
7 When Boruto Cheated Against His Friend
Naruto was the paragon of honor, friendship, and compassion, which is why it was so incredibly mind-boggling to watch his son, Boruto, cheat during the chunin exams, and against his best friend, no less. A constant theme in the prequel series was trying one’s best to defeat rivals and villains with one’s own power and hard work.
However, this was not so for Boruto, who seemed ready to take the easy way out when the time called for it. While fans can see underhanded tactics being used to survive battles with powerful enemies such as the Otsutsuki, it is hard to let Boruto off the hook for cheating the chunin exams.
6 When Naruto Was A Bad Father
It was not all Boruto’s fault he had a tendency to be a bad apple, and his father was not helping things. As the Seventh Hokage, Naruto was often absent, being forced to deal with the troubles and responsibilities of being the leader and protector of an entire village of both shinobi and civilians.
However, because Naruto was not able to pay attention to his son, Boruto began to act out in a bid to get his father’s attention, which is what led Boruto to cheat in the chunin exams in the first place. Naruto not only let Boruto down in doing this, but he also let fans down, too.
5 When Sasuke Was An Absent Father
Sasuke Uchiha was even less present for the childhood of his own daughter, Sarada Uchiha, who went through the Academy without her father’s help. Like Naruto, Sasuke was also doing his best to protect the village by hunting down information on the Otsutsuki. Unfortunately, this made him miss out on Sarada’s life.
Fans were already tired of how noncommital Sasuke was to Sakura Haruno (now Sakura Uchiha), but his absence after having a child was crossing a line that many fans drew. Sasuke did eventually come back, but he has a lot of catching up to do to get back in both fans’ and Sarada’s good graces.
4 When It Killed Off Beloved Characters
One of the most dramatic turns in Boruto was the loss of a key figure and proponent of much of Naruto’s inherent power, Kurama, also known as the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit. Once a force of destruction, the spirit had become a true friend of his jinchuriki and had helped aid the world against the Otsutsuki.
It is unsurprising that losing this character was deeply upsetting to many fans, and it not only weakened the man who was once the most powerful shinobi on the planet, but it also got rid of a voice that had become a significant part of the story.
3 When It Changed The Genre To Feel More Sci-fi
The introduction of the scientific ninja tools was another controversial addition to the Boruto series. After Naruto became the Hokage, technology seemingly ramped up at an alarming pace, and it led to the creation of a mechanism that could help close the gap between powerful shinobi like Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura and the new villains.
However, not everyone was as convinced by the scientific ninja tools as the writers and characters seemed to be. In a way, the addition of these apparatuses brought the series closer to a sci-fi-like tale, something that was drastically different than what fans of the previous series were used to.
2 When It Gave Fans Unlikable Protagonists
While there were a lot of grievances with characters such as Sakura and Sasuke throughout the duration of the Naruto series, the rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke, the inspiring nature of Naruto’s goals and aspirations, and the deep bond between those characters made them more compelling than the protagonists of the new series.
People also have a lot of grievances with Sarada, Mitsuki, and Boruto for different reasons. On top of that, their bonds do not seem as strong, their rivalries are not as compelling, and their attitudes can sometimes grate on fans’ nerves.
1 When It Waited Too Long To Get Serious
The first moments of Naruto had blood, betrayal, action, and loss. However, the first 100+ episodes of Boruto have plushies, trading cards, burgers, and camping. While Naruto had its moments of levity, absurdity, and calmness, and Boruto has its moments of seriousness and hardship, it is obvious there is a huge difference in tone between the beginning of Naruto and the beginning of Boruto.
For many fans, this got the series off on poor footing as the stakes did not feel high, the episodes were forgettable or less compelling, and the mood felt off.
About The Author