Manga Review: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Volume 2, by Masashi Kishimoto, Mikio Ikemoto, and Ukyo Kodachi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 5, 2017

Volumes: 3+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The ninja adventures continue with Naruto’s son, Boruto!

Naruto was a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He achieved his dream to become the greatest ninja in his village, and now his face sits atop the Hokage monument. But this is not his story... A new generation of ninja are ready to take the stage, led by Naruto's own son, Boruto!

Boruto gets through round two of the Chunin Exam and receives praise from his father. But what Naruto doesn’t know is that his son is cheating by using prohibited ninja tools. What will happen to Boruto when the truth is revealed? Meanwhile, darker forces are advancing behind the scenes…

Review:

In the first part of the volume, the competition continues. Boruto does rather well, only to be discovered for cheating. It's quite bad character on his part, and his reaction to being discovered only makes it worse. On the other hand, during this, he seems to be making a step forward in his relationship with his father.

But then that gets interrupted by some people after the animal inside Naruto, and there's some fighting, a kidnapping and rescuing. It all happens rather quickly, honestly. At the end of the volume, we're admidst another big fight scene, in the middle of yet another big reveal by the bad guys.

I don't care much for this series. I didn't care much for the original, though, to be honest. Plus, Boruto is such a whiny kid. Supposedly he grew in this volume, but I don't really see it.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Boruto: Naruto Next Generation, Volume 1, by Masashi Kishimoto, Mikio Ikemoto, and Ukyo Kodachi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2017

Volumes: 3+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf (+ Gift).

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The ninja adventures continue with Naruto’s son, Boruto!

Naruto was a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He achieved his dream to become the greatest ninja in his village, and now his face sits atop the Hokage monument. But this is not his story... A new generation of ninja are ready to take the stage, led by Naruto's own son, Boruto!

Years have passed since Naruto and Sasuke teamed up to defeat Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra and the greatest threat the ninja world has ever faced. Times are now peaceful and the new generation of shinobi has not experienced the same hardships as its parents. Perhaps that is why Boruto would rather play video games than train. However, one passion does burn deep in this ninja boy’s heart, and that is the desire to defeat his father!

Review:

I didn't follow most of Naruto. I read several of the beginning volumes, and then I read a couple of random volumes later. I was never very into the series. But I'm willing to give Boruto a chance.

The artwork is done by someone else in this series, and it's just okay. I don't mind seeing what the characters have grown up into and what their kids are like—but then again, I don't actually know what they were doing at the end of the original series.

We're following Boruto here, and he's very clearly an angsty teen. He believes that his father is awful because he's always working and never pays his kids any attention. And, to be fair, he does make a clone go to a birthday party. Whilst all of this is going on, Orochimaru is also up to some bad things. I am intrigued by what is going on with Mitsuki, though, and would like to see more of that.

This was an okay start to a series. I didn't mind reading, but it wasn't great. It's not really my kind of series, though.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!