Boruto Uzumaki

Boruto Uzumaki (Japanese: うずまき ボルト, Hepburn: Uzumaki Boruto), originally spelled by Viz Media as "Bolt",^[1] is a fictional character created by manga author Masashi Kishimoto who first appears in the finale of the manga series Naruto as the son of the protagonist Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga. He later appears as a significant role in the 2015 anime film Boruto: Naruto the Movie where he is training as a ninja to surpass his father, the leader of the ninja village Konohagakure. Boruto also serves as a protagonist in the manga and anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. In the manga, it starts off with the retelling of the Boruto film, while the anime begins with his childhood in the ninja academy where he meets his future teammates Sarada Uchiha, Mitsuki, and his teacher Konohamaru Sarutobi.

Despite Boruto's physical designs being similar to Naruto when he was young, their personalities are developed differently. Boruto's relationship with his father reflects Kishimoto's relationship with his children. In the Japanese version, Boruto is voiced by Kokoro Kikuchi in The Last: Naruto the Movie and by Yūko Sanpei in all subsequent appearances. Sanpei enjoyed doing the work of Boruto's acting, finding him endearing. In the English version, he is voiced by Maile Flanagan in The Last and by Amanda C. Miller in all subsequent appearances.

Boruto's character has received mixed critical responses. His relationship with his father has been criticized due to reviewers finding the concept overused in the Naruto manga. In Boruto: Naruto the Movie, his development was praised due to his action scenes and how he understood his father's actions.

Creation and conception

Yūko Sanpei voices Boruto in the movie and the anime.

Masashi Kishimoto created Boruto in 2013 when the manga Naruto was at its climax. The motivation for the creation was him wanting Naruto Uzumaki to become a father when the manga ends.^[2] In the finale of Naruto, Boruto makes a prank in the mountain of Konoha that shows all its leaders, the Hokages. Kishimoto wanted Boruto to act like his father, but at the same time, have differences between each other. Despite not wishing to reveal much about Boruto due to developments of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, he added that Boruto is not as direct as Naruto.^[3] Boruto's first name is a reference to the character Neji Hyuga as an homage to his death in Naruto while protecting both of Boruto's parents.

In Boruto: Naruto the Movie, Kishimoto developed Boruto and Naruto's relationship from his relationship with his sons.^[4] He wanted the film to depict the father and son relationship between Boruto and Naruto.^[2] The film's theme song, "Diver" (ダイバー) by Kana-Boon, serves as a reference to Boruto. One of the singers of the band stated that it reflects how the character constantly changes from the beginning to the end of the story.^[2] Boruto's mentorship by Naruto's rival and best friend Sasuke Uchiha was influenced due to the latter having few appearances in the Naruto movies. Kishimoto decided that he wanted Sasuke to have a major role in Boruto: Naruto the Movie, which he wrote. In the film, Sasuke becomes the teacher of Naruto's first son, Boruto, inspired by Piccolo from the Dragon Ball manga series by Akira Toriyama. A former enemy of Dragon Ball protagonist Goku, Piccolo becomes the teacher of Goku's first son, Gohan.^[5]

For the finale of the manga, Kishimoto originally intended to give Boruto the Byakugan, an eye technique which he would inherit from his mother Hinata Hyuga. However, the author forgot about it and instead gave him an unknown eye technique (it allows him to see chakra, an energy source within ninjas to perform jutsu) which is often shown on Boruto's right eye.^[6] During July 2017, one of the animators from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations revealed Boruto's eye is called Jōgan (浄眼, lit. "Pure Eye") and that its powers are related to the Byakugan and Naruto's ability to sense negative emotions. However, the animator refrained from explaining more about since the Jōgan would be explained later in the series.^[7] In the first few pages of the first chapter, Boruto's first encounter against Kawaki was briefly shown.^[8] The purpose was to attract more fans so they could look forward to the battle as it has a chaotic state to it.^[3] Due to the staff of the Naruto anime referring to Naruto and Sasuke as "legendary characters", anime developers Pierrot aim to carefully portray Boruto and his friends, the "new generation", as the new protagonists. They also seek to have them developed as the previous generation.^[9] However, Kishimoto is concerned about how Boruto and his friends could reach Naruto and Sasuke's strength as he finds it repetitive.^[10]

In the English version, he was voiced by Maile Flanagan in The Last: Naruto the Movie film as a toddler, and Amanda C. Miller in the Boruto film as a teenager. In the Japanese version, he was voiced by Kokoro Kikuchi in The Last as a toddler; for the Boruto film and anime, he is voiced by Yūko Sanpei.^[11][12][13] Sanpei was thankful for being offered this position and joked about how Junko Takeuchi became a "father" as her voice role was Naruto. Initially, Sanpei recalls having difficulties voicing Boruto; when she received her script for the film, she began to understand Boruto's concept as the boy who loves his father dearly, which helped her voice the character better.^[14] Please with the film Boruto, Sanpei asked Kishimoto to make another one which resulted in Kishimoto asking her to let him rest for another one.^[15]

Appearances

Boruto is a child who attends Konoha's ninja academy, inheriting his paternal families' short blond hair, blue eyes and "Believe it!" (だってばさ, dattebasa) verbal tic. He also inherits his maternal families' Gentle Fist technique despite not inheriting the Byakugan unlike his sister, Himawari. Like Naruto, Boruto commits mischief to get attention, but for different reasons. Due to his father becoming the Hokage (the leader of Konoha), he does not spend any time with him as he used to. From defacing the Hokage Monument during the events of the series epilogue of Naruto, his father stops him and explains that he needs to care for their village.^[16] He makes a brief appearance in Naruto Gaiden where he gives a meal to his comrade Sarada Uchiha to pass on to his father; she becomes motivated to become the Hokage after the day she had.^[17]

In Boruto: Naruto the Movie, Boruto joins an examination to improve his ninja rank from low status Genin to middle status Chunin with his teammates. Before the exams happened, he was training to surpass his father. For it, he becomes a student of Naruto's best friend and rival Sasuke Uchiha who first challenges him to perform the Rasengan; not knowing how, he received help from his teacher Konohamaru to know how to perform it. Upon learning and mastering a small Rasengan, Boruto starts training with Sasuke after his acceptance to it. Later in the film, Boruto is told by Sasuke that he has potential of surpassing his father. In the exams, he cheats by using a device that uses ninjutsu due to his lack of training in traditional abilities. After being caught and disqualified, Naruto gets captured by Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki from protecting the leaf village. Upon being scolded by Sasuke, Boruto realizes his underhandedness and joins the rescue team to save the abducted Naruto, while finally gaining his father's compliance. With the help of Naruto and Sasuke, Boruto defeats the enemy Momoshiki with his Rasengan. Although he resented the Hokage position, Boruto becomes resolute to become strong to protect his village's leader and entrust Sarada to be a future Hokage instead of himself.

The manga Boruto: Naruto Next Generations retells Boruto's role in the movie and also shows him older in a foreshadow while wielding a sword and revealing he has an "Eye Technique" during a fight against Kawaki.^[8] Before Momoshiki's death, the enemy decides to give Boruto a "seal" in his right hand for an unknown purpose. After recovering from the fight, Boruto is given the mission of protecting Tentō Madoka, the heir to the Land of Fire's daimyō. As the two become friends, Boruto decides to teach Tentō ninjutsu which aids him in a future combat

In the anime version of the series, a younger Boruto starts reacting to his eye's power which allows him to see other people's contaminated chakra.^[18] As a result, Boruto becomes determined to know cause behind this "Ghost" and starts working with his friends and older ninjas to find the culprit. Outside manga and anime, Boruto also appears in the fighting game Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, first only in the ending and playable in the expansion pack Road to Boruto.^[19] He is set to appear in the video game Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker as a playable character.^[20] He is also featured in the Boruto light novel.^[21]

Reception

Amanda C. Miller's voice acting as Boruto in the English dub was praised by critics.

Critical reception to Boruto's character has been generally mixed. Upon first seeing him Ramsey Isler from IGN found him too similar to his father.^[1] On the other hand, Andy Hanley from UK Anime Network said despite his similar design and actions to his father Naruto, Boruto is not like him and has a different personality. Amy McNulty from Anime News Network and Hanley enjoyed Boruto's relationship with his father Naruto due to the differences in their childhoods and how that becomes the focus of the film Boruto: Naruto the Movie. McNulty also liked how Boruto develops as he became afraid of his father's fate during an attack from the antagonist. She praised Amanda C. Miller's role as Boruto's English actor, but feeling the voice often sounded more feminine that his Japanese counterpart.^[22][23] Christian Chiok from Japanator enjoyed Boruto's character development, his relationship with his father, and how heartwarming it becomes in the movie.^[24] Alexandria Hill from Otaku USA enjoyed Boruto's fight against the film's villain and his team up with Naruto and Sasuke.^[25] Chris Zimmerman from DVD Talk noted how the writers fairly conceived Boruto's poor relationship with his father and how it improves during the climax of the film.^[26] Rebecca Silverman from Anime News Network praised how the writers manage to develop Boruto's angst without coming across as "teen whinning" and how Sasuke Uchiha decides to train him upon seeing his similarities with his father.^[27]

McNulty expressed joy in how the viewer of the Boruto anime gets to see Boruto's days in the ninja academy which Naruto briefly showed and how Boruto does not have the same behavior as his father when being a child.^[28] While noting that Boruto has still to fight enemies possessed by "shadows" in the anime, Anime Now writer Sarah Nelkin found this more lighthearted than Naruto's actions in the first series such as his final fight against Sasuke Uchiha where both became friends after nearly killing each other.^[29] Upon the build up of the anime's first story arc, McNulty praised the fight between Boruto, Mitsuki and Sumire was praised for its animation with the reviewer also noting how Boruto inherited his father's ways of seeing on the good parts of his enemies in order to avoid violence.^[30] Viz Media senior director Kevin Hamric referred to Boruto described his differences with his father such as his lack of desire to become the village's leader and instead do other activities like playing video games. However, Hamric said he initially has the desire to surpass his father.^[31]

While the character development was met with praise, other critics seemed to felt otherwise. Richard Eisenbeis from Kotaku was critical to Boruto's development, as he felt that his bond with his father at the end of the Boruto film was unthinkable and weak.^[32] Chris Beveridge from the Fandom Post disliked the large focus between Naruto and Boruto's relationship on the first chapter of the Boruto manga. Nevertheless, he enjoyed the foreshadow of an older Boruto on a fight against an unknown character.^[33] For the anime, Beveridge remarked Boruto's characterization which he felt was superior to the one from the manga.^[34] Sam Stewart from IGN felt Boruto's personality was "far less enthused" as the reviewer commented he found the character's dislike toward his father misguided and finding types of stories too common in fiction.^[35] In a review from the manga, Nick Smith from ICv2 found Boruto as the weak part of the series due to his personality that contrasted the Naruto in the original Naruto series. He additonally said "The politicking within the power structure surrounding Naruto and Boruto becomes more interesting than Boruto himself" and as a result expected Boruto to change in upcoming chapters to make the series more appealing.^[36] As the character developed, Stewart enjoyed Boruto due to his childish personality as he starts acting like a hero from an action film he just watched worrying his family in the process. Additionally, the reviewer liked how Boruto's mysterious "Eye Technique" started making references to a previous Naruto film.^[37]

See also

• Anime and manga portal
• Fictional characters portal

References