You may hate me for this, but Boruto’s worldbuilding returning to franchise roots isn’t a good thing

Boruto is a series that has become known for many things. One of the most noticeable aspects is how the story has gradually moved away from the traditional shinobi concept to technology. While this divided the original Naruto fandom, it represented an attempt at progress and evolution.

This is something that the sequel's worldbuilding has ignored in the recent time-skip in favor of more mythological elements.

The Otsutsuki are a mix of science fiction due to their alien nature and mystical value. Boruto writer and artist Mikio Ikemoto has made the series return toward a more magical and mystical direction with the Ten-Tails and the Shinju clones that have emerged from it. However, this is a chance that might not help this sequel move forward since it removes an element of uniqueness.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime and reflects the opinions of the writer.

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Explaining why Boruto's worldbuilding should return to its franchise roots

Most people who have followed this series from the beginning would have noticed how Mikio Ikemoto has slowly moved the shinobi world away from its traditional ninja methods toward a more sci-fi approach. This is evident through the usage of technology to gain an edge in battle. This is perfectly summarized through the character of Amado and how he offers something different in terms of knowledge.

However, after the Two Blue Vortex time-skip, there has been a stronger emphasis on the mystical worldbuilding, which fits with what author Masashi Kishimoto did in the original Naruto series. The Shinju clones are connected to the concept of the Ten-Tails. Elements such as Himawari gaining Kurama's powers and Sarada Uchiha's use of her Mangekyo Sharingan are things that were established in the older lore of the franchise.

This shift isn't something that benefits the story moving forward. It seems that Ikemoto is trying to move away from the variable of technology progressing, which gave this sequel its own feel. Furthermore, it presented the concept of shinobi being phased out, which could have generated some interesting debates in the story as a whole.

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What could happen in the near future

Jura is leader of the Shinju clones (Image via Shueisha).

It is difficult to predict whether Ikemoto is going to bring back the sci-fi anime element into Boruto. However, there is no denying that the story is now focusing heavily on the characters of the Shinju. This is exemplified by the fact that Jura has become arguably the biggest threat of the entire sequel thus far, and audiences still know very little about him.

Moreover, many fans have theorized that Shibai Otsutsuki will appear at some point in the story. With Ikemoto, now aided by Kishimoto as well, is going to establish that figure as the main threat of the sequel. There are even some people who are speculating that Shibai is a future version of the titular protagonist, although that remains purely a theory at this point.

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Final thoughts

There is no denying that Ikemoto started this sequel, moving away from what Kishimoto established in Naruto. His version gave a lot more focus to the sci-fi elements of this new story. However, it is also fair to say that he has ignored said changes in the time-skip, which robs this sequel of having its own uniqueness.

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