Boruto Introduces Major Naruto Movie Tie-In with Latest Arc

These days, Boruto is in a much better place. The manga has been on a high for some time now, but the anime couldn’t shake off its detractors. Now, the show is looking to buck them all off with its new arc, and the canon story has a tie to a Naruto film which debuted nearly a decade ago.

For those caught up with the anime, you will know the show has entered an important arc. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has started to delve into the Mujina Bandits arc, a fan-favorite story that was first seen in the manga. Now, the story is playing out on the small screen, and it makes some major references to Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison.

The most recent episode of Boruto made the connection between the anime and film clear. It was announced that Boruto and Mitsuki would be sent to Hozuki Castle to follow up on a lead. The pair would pretend to be criminals so they could enter the jail and locate a member of the Mujina Bandits whose life is being threatened. The massive prison has caused Team 7 some serious issues so far, and Naruto Uzumaki knows all about that.

After all, the hero was thrown into Hozuki Castle in Blood Prison back in July 2011. The movie put Naruto in jail after he was framed for attacking the Fourth Raikage. The entire mission was created so Naruto could learn the secret behind Mui, the prisoner’s leader, and their sacrificed child. By the end of the ordeal, Naruto is able to finish his mission, and Boruto is sure to follow in his steps. Luckily, he will have the help of his team for this mission, so here’s to hoping Boruto lives up to his promise.

Did you catch this tie-in or…? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Created by Masashi Kishimoto for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, Naruto follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The series ran for 700 chapters overall, and was adapted into an anime series by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex that ran from 2002 to 2017. The series was popular enough to warrant a sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations which is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story.