Can Boruto Live Up To Naruto And Fans' Expectations?

05/31/2017 10:14 am EDT

It is a simple question, that likely won't be easily answered: Can Boruto live up to Naruto -- or more importantly -- fans' expectations?

Earlier this year, the anime fandom found itself in an upset thanks to the end of Naruto: Shippuden. After years on air, the long-running anime came to an end when its 500th episode premiered. The action-packed series acted as a sequel to Naruto, a show which built up a world of ninjas along with hero Naruto Uzumaki. Creator Masashi Kishimoto has since stepped away from the franchise, but Stuido Pierrot wasn't keen on letting the popular franchise die so quickly. Just a few weeks after Naruto: Shippuden ended, a sequel came on air to take over its place. And, now, fans are beginning to wonder whether Boruto: Naruto Next Generations can live up to the great legacy which props it up.

Boruto debuted back in April, and fans have already noted the show has plenty of potential. Despite having been on air for just a month, the hype surrounding Boruto has been hard to ignore. The show caters to both new and old fans as it ties in legacy heroes like Sakura while still focusing on its newcomers. Boruto tells the story of its titular hero as Naruto's eldest son comes to terms with his ninja way. Boruto Uzumaki leads a very different life than the one his parents did, and it presents fans with a new look at the whole Naruto universe.

Still, that doesn't inherently mean Boruto gets a free-pass and automatically levels with Naruto or Naruto: Shippuden. There is still a lot of work left to be done for Boruto to reach its potential, but the show has already planted its seeds. In a way, the anime has only just passed its genin exams; If it were to enter into the chunin tournament now, Boruto would get played harder than Kiba did.

If Boruto wants to live up to the legacy which Naruto paved for it, the show needs to dive into singular plot - and it needs to do so soon. So far, Boruto has strung fans along with introductory material, but there has been little plot to tie things together. The sequel has just started to lead into an actual story arc as the anime is now addressing the mystery behind Boruto's ocular jutsu, but that won't be enough to tide fans over for long.

The charms of Naruto are hard to count, but one of the franchise's most enduring themes is camaraderie. Naruto Uzumaki was always depicted as a central protagonist, but his work with Team 7 and the rest of Konoha's ninjas was vital to his growth. Boruto has given its generational lead a support group and set up a confrontational dynamic with his family. Now, the show needs to bring in an overarching plotline which can sustain the show for multiple seasons.

If Boruto can't land on a compelling action driver, then the anime series is doomed to be a brief slice-of-life romp. But, as you may have guessed, fans are not interested in seeing the follow-up to Naruto: Shippuden roll over so pliantly. Fans want to see action; They want to see how the action of legacy heroes like Naruto fundamentally changed the world, and then fans want to know how new ninjas like Boruto will expand upon those accomplishments. In the premiere episode of Boruto, fans learned that a major threat is coming down the line - one that will threaten Konoha and even Naruto. It will come down to Boruto Uzumaki to stop the world from going down a path which his father prevented it from doing years ago.

Now, it's just up to Boruto to assure fans that it will start up that plot sooner rather than later.

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