Following its latest smattering of one-off misadventures, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations dives into a brand new story arc this week. When Kokuri, a former member of the Mujina Gang, is arrested in the Land of Grass and imprisoned in Hozuki Castle (the setting of Naruto Shippūden: Blood Prison), Naruto and other Hidden Leaf brass see an opportunity. Although the Mujina Gang has been creating chaos all over the Land of Fire, its leader's identity and ninja techniques remain a complete mystery. Since Kokuri had fled the organization after stealing money, he's a prime target for assassination—especially now that Tsukiyo, the gang's second-in-command, is doing time in Hozuki Castle as well. In return for protection, Kokuri has agreed to spill the beans, but since his temporary protection order is being held up by the Land of Grass, Naruto decides to send Team 7 to keep him safe until the government is able to sort things out. While Boruto and Mitsuki pose as inmates, Sarada enters the prison in the guise of an aspiring journalist. Shortly after Boruto makes contact with the perpetually timid Kokuri, a mysterious assailant who's in possession of one of Hozuki Castle's key cards is able to stab the would-be snitch in the shoulder and escape before the guards arrive.
As a table-setting episode, the latest arc's introductory installment is fairly solid. The show wastes no time in laying out the stakes, clearly outlining the gang's latest mission and introducing us to this adventure's key players. At no point do the proceedings feel too vague or like too much of an info dump, and the direction does a great job of creating a distinctly prison-like atmosphere. Naruto's rationale for assigning this mission to a trio of genin feels contrived, but they had to get these kids into Hozuki Castle somehow. Nonetheless, two young boys seem noticeably out of place in a facility full of adult convicts, but fortunately, no inmates see fit to remark on this. (Though it's weird how despite being undercover, Boruto and Mitsuki continue using their real names.)
This arc also marks the first time in a good long while we've seen Team 7 (sans Konohamaru) undertake a big mission together. Since Mitsuki and Sarada were largely absent from the past two arcs, it's satisfying to see the main trio function as a cohesive unit again. As is often the case, Mitsuki emerges as this week's MVP—first by turning the “finders keepers” rule around on his cellmate, and later by craftily using his snakes to obtain the Chinese lantern plants Boruto needs. Sarada feels underutilized thus far, but as this is only the introductory episode, it's entirely possible she'll play a more active role in the coming weeks.
Episode 141 is a strong start to what appears to be an intriguing story arc. While there's likely to be plenty of action down the road, this episode helps illustrate that Team 7 isn't all about brute force and is capable of stealth and deception under the right circumstances. Boruto's latest mission has all the trappings of a good prison intrigue story, and it's exciting to see where things will go from here.
Rating:
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is currently streaming on
Crunchyroll.
Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.
Anime News Network's editorial team is digging deep into their repressed anime memories to trudge up the moments that left them in tears. What was the first anime to make you cry?― Anime News Network's editorial team is digging deep into their repressed anime memories to trudge up the moments that left them in tears. Below are some of the most affecting moments, from major character deaths to bitte...
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...