Sumire’s character is written poorly in Boruto, explained

The female characters in Boruto don’t seem to be any different from the ones in Naruto. This is not surprising, as there are a lot of characters that belong to the two series. However, the similarities between the women in Boruto and Naruto extend beyond the same female characters. While two different creators make Naruto and the Boruto saga, the women are written the same way.

Ikemoto, who handles most of Boruto, writes his female characters as if they were doorposts or objects. This doesn’t come as a surprise, as his predecessor, Masashi Kishimoto, did the same thing. Kishimoto had this habit of introducing female characters into a story, just to use them as a sort of prop to their male counterparts. Kishimoto did it with Sakura, and he did it with Kurenai.

Ikemoto seems to be doing the exact same thing Kishimoto did with his female characters. Sakura, who is related to a major character, is already acting like an NPC, but the worst of all is Sumire. Sumire’s role in the Boruto manga is nothing more than a love interest. Her being in a love triangle with Sarada over Boruto seems to be the height of her character.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the author and may contain spoilers.

---

Why Sumire’s character in Boruto is a victim of poor writing

Sumire is given little to no exposition in the manga (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Sumire’s character in the anime has been developed properly so far, but in the manga, she has been relegated to the background. This is a complaint of many fans of the series, as they feel the manga never allowed readers to be in its world.

Sumire, who played an important role in the anime, is relegated to class captain in the manga, and this is terrible for two reasons. The first reason is that it catches viewers unaware; if any viewer has not followed the anime, Sumire being called the class captain would be disorienting.

She competes with Sarada for the young Uzumaki's affection (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Another reason why Sumire being called class captain is terrible is that it shoehorns her into a position and not a person. Ikemoto might have done this to set up the events of Two Blue Vortex, where she squabbles with Sarada over the young Uzumaki. However, without prior context or exposition on Sumire, her contest with Sarada feels meaningless.

Sumire in Two Blue Vortex doesn’t seem to have any development. Her character is tethered to the young Uzumaki, and it is reminiscent of how Sakura was written to perform that same role to Sasuke in Naruto. Viewers don’t get to see Sumire do anything other than worry and yearn, and that is terrible writing, because she is supposed to be a major character.

---

Final thoughts

Sumire’s character being one-dimensional is basically a problem seen in the manga. In the anime, her character is well-written and can be considered one of the best characters. She has agency, and her love for the young Uzumaki is not the central focus of her character. Her character also grows in the series.

---