English Dub Review: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations “The Parent Teacher Conference!”

Next episode: the ninja PTA.

Overview (Spoilers Below)

With the Ninja Academy Graduation Exam coming up, Shino is busy getting his parent-teacher conferences taken care of to make sure all the young ninjas are ready for their exam. Most importantly, he meets with Boruto and Hinata. The two basically confirm what Shino already knew, that Boruto is a very skilled young ninja, but that there is a deep concern he isn’t ready for the exam and it’s academic demands. Later, Boruto hands out with his friends but finds that unlike the rest of his comrades, he doesn’t have much of a reason to become a ninja. Aimless and down, Boruto runs into a young journalist named Sukea, who reveals that he’s using a video camera to do a story about the young ninjas of the village on the eve of their exams.

Sukea interviews Boruto’s classmates, and we see a little more about the ins and outs of what they all want out of their training as ninjas. This further shines a spotlight on Boruto’s own listlessness, but he still remains uncertain of who he wants to be. Boruto sees two of his classmates, Wasabi and Namida, having difficulties because Namida doesn’t want to be a ninja. Boruto convinces Sarada to step in and help them figure things out. In other village business, Naruto meets with Orochimaru to get Danzo’s data analyzed.

Boruto’s time with Sukea soon comes to an end, and on his way home, Boruto runs into Mitsuki, who shares a touching moment with the young ninja. He explains that it was Boruto’s example that made him want to be a ninja. Boruto replies by saying that he mostly just wants to be around all of his friends, and he’s willing to become a shinobi for that purpose alone.

Following this, we see Sukea meet with Iruka. Sukea then takes off his makeup to reveal that he’s none other than Kakashi in disguise, doing some intelligence gathering on the students to learn a little bit more about them before their big day. Kakashi explains that he has some doubts about the trainee ninjas, and that it will take quite a lot to pass this test.

Our Take:

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has always been a problem for me. It’s the failure to establish the likability of its main character and create a compelling cast of characters as the main issue, but also it’s intentions to create a “Slice of life” anime set in the world of “Naruto” feels like an enormous waste of the source material. The comings and goings of elementary school ninjas don’t do it for me, in the same way, that I’m not interested in what elementary schoolers do with their time in real life. Without a strong plot, hook to get the story moving, things just sort of stagnate.

However, I’m more happy with this episode than I usually am with this show because it actually takes the time to address a core issue that the program has had: Boruto. From the beginning, he’s made himself out to be a skilled, but ultimately pointless character. His motivations are unclear, and it seems like he only wants to piss off his dad and hang out with school buddies. This episode moves away from ignoring that integral character flaw and actually addressing it as a part of the story. This episode has it right on the money, Boruto doesn’t have a good reason to be a ninja, and despite his skills, without some real desires in him, he’s certain to fail. This makes the concept of the episode a win for me.

The concept is strong, but the execution is somewhat lacking. There’s very little development to this idea beyond its original introduction, as most of the episode is spent rehashing things we already knew about Boruto’s classmates. The twist with Kakashi at the end is pretty cool and I certainly didn’t see it coming, but it doesn’t amount to much in this episode. The whole subplot with Sukea feels like it’s just there to pad out the episode.

More than anything else, this is an “in-between” episode. It doesn’t have much value on its own, but it may have some value in the larger story depending on how well the next episode goes. The entertainment value is low, and a weak story doesn’t help keep viewer interest. It’s a start in the right direction, but that’s all it is.