Boruto, the infamous sequel to Naruto, has received praise as well as hatred, and there are valid reasons behind why fans can’t love it as much as its parent series. Masashi Kishimoto wasn’t properly involved in the initial stages of Boruto‘s creation. It was the brainchild of Ukyo Kodachi, illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto.

Had Shueisha not vehemently proposed a sequel, Naruto would have remained a standalone series. However, the series just couldn’t be left alone and thus popped out Boruto, the series that nerfed every original character fans fell in love with. Masashi Kishimoto did return to serialize the manga, but he had a far better option at hand to reshape the plot.

Naruto’s Journey and Ending Did Not Need a Do Over in Boruto

Naruto’s sacrifices were rendered useless in Boruto | Credits: Pierrot

It was the ending of the Fourth Great Shinobi War that cemented the conclusion of Naruto. It was the perfect finale as both Obito and Madara were defeated and Kaguya was sealed away. Naruto had defeated the big bad in the world, and an era of peace was about to begin. However, once Boruto introduced new threats, it suddenly seemed like all of Naruto’s efforts were wasted.

Even worse, he was nerfed beyond repair and had to say goodbye to Kurama. However, there have been enough gripes about the OG characters being ripped off already, so let’s focus on something new. Instead of introducing new conflicts and enemies, Masashi Kishimoto had a much better way to go about with Boruto.

Related: ‘Boruto: Two Blue Vortex’ Can Bring Naruto Back for One Final Face-Off Against His Biggest Rival

The author could have easily made Boruto a slice-of-life spinoff of Naruto. Although the Fourth Great War had ended, fans were not able to glimpse the promised peaceful life in Konoha. Additionally, the wedding of Hinata and Naruto was made to be the ending, which could have ideally been in Boruto.

Fans would have cherished a slice-of-life approach to the new series, and the married life of Naruto and Hinata, Sasuke and Sakura could have taken central focus. Additionally, Boruto’s daily activities and mischief in the village could also have been highlighted.

A Grounded Story Could Have Helped Boruto More

Naruto went through a lot to bring back peace to Konoha. He lost his family, friends, sensei, and too many things he held dear. He had to face one powerful enemy after another ever since he was a boy. There was absolutely no space for Naruto to enjoy his life carelessly; instead, he spent his entire life training.

He finally achieved everything he and everyone else could have hoped for. For what? Only for a greater threat to emerge and to lose to his son? That hardly seems fair. Naruto’s story is over, yet he can still be found fighting day after day, almost as if that is his entire fate. Had the story not introduced powerful villains, Naruto would have been able to reap what he sowed.

Related: ‘Shippuden’ was Already Stealing the Limelight From Naruto Before Boruto Arrived

The show could have shown the characters adjusting to a relatively peaceful life with far fewer threats. Of course, minor villains or even missions and adventures could have been introduced. However, a God-level threat hardly does Naruto any justice. Instead, the emotional growth and journey of Naruto, his family and friends could have added far more value to his achievements and his story.

Do you think Naruto deserved better than never-ending battles? Would you have liked a slice of life story too? Let us know in the comments.

Boruto anime is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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