Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, according to many fans, has managed to overcome many of the problems that Boruto: Naruto Next Generations was struggling with. Following an older Boruto Uzumaki as he runs from allies and enemies alike, this latest chapter of the shonen franchise has been making some big news under the creative mind of series creator Masashi Kishimoto. Despite the strength of the current storyline, pitting Konoha against the villainous Divine Trees, there are still some major elements of the manga that will need changing to make the Two Blue Vortex a resounding success.
Of course, Naruto fans are loving that they are able to see adult versions of some of the biggest heroes of the series return for the sequel series, but it feels like there’s something missing. The likes of Boruto, Sarada, Mitsuki, and Kawaki have gotten their fair share of page time in the manga so far, but it feels as though an entire generation is being held in the background. Two Blue Vortex needs to give more of these side characters battles and events to be a part of, as the original series would often find ways to inject characters outside of Team 7 into the trials and tribulations. The “Search For Sasuke” remains a prime example of how to best use the younger generation in an interesting fashion from the original series.
The Divine Trees certainly have an interesting “hook,” in that the villains gain their bodies only by taking over the bodies of heroes and villains that already exist in the anime world. Unfortunately, there still is something missing from many of these antagonists, and that’s more of an emotional component. Now, to be fair, Matsuri, the Divien Tree who took her form from the hero Moegi, did have some interesting back and forth with Konohamru, though the group at large is a long way from hitting the same heights as the Akatsuki. What worked so well when it came to past villains like Itachi, Pain, Madara, and more was their personal connections and interesting motivations, which the Divine Trees can sometimes lack.
One of the biggest twists of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been the spell placed upon the world by Eida, the world-altering ninja with wild reality-bending abilities. Thanks to her skills, the ninja world believes Kawaki is Naruto’s son, and Boruto has become a fugitive, as most believe he is responsible for the deaths of Naruto and Hinata (who are looked away in a limbo state.) While we have seen some amazing moments of Boruto fighting old friends, he has also had a steady track record of “snapping friends” out of the spell, such as current Hokage, Shikimaru. Boruto needs to remain a fugitive for some time to really hammer home the effects of Eida’s spell and show how different the ninja world is as a result. While reading Two Blue Vortex, you can get the sense that this element is preparing to come to an end, which would be a real shame.
Code as a villain has a lot of potential in the Boruto sequel, especially when you take into consideration his standing in the world. Now that the Divine Trees are the “biggest villains” of the shonen sequel, it almost feels as though Code has been pushed to the side, even though he has slowly been building a wild army all his own. Being the only remaining member of the original Kara Organization standing, searching for revenge for the death of his master Jigen, Code could be an effective wild card in this house of cards, but ultimately, feels like a third wheel.
One of the most effective changes in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex was the big reveal that Boruto’s sister, Himawari, was the inheritor of the Nine-Tailed Fox. While the return of Kurama is an interesting hook on its own, giving the fox a new host to reside in via Naruto’s daughter helps push her into the spotlight while also throwing a surprising firecracker into the mix. Of the many plot points that the Boruto sequel has conveyed so far, this is by far one of the biggest that has resonated with readers to date. While this doesn’t mean that everyone needs to have a Tailed Beast inside their bodies, this same level of change for lesser-seen characters would help add some spice to the story.
There are thirty-four chapters of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex that have been released so far, and it still seems like a major question as to how, or even if, some of these storylines will wrap. The Divine Trees, Code, Kawaki, Boruto’s status, Eida and Daemon, and so many other characters and situations are still running wild at this point. Considering the manga is released on a monthly schedule, it can sometimes feel as though not enough happens in each chapter to truly keep things fresh. While we might not see this sequel series end anytime soon, there needs to be a big element above all else that the characters are moving toward. There have been some hints as to who the “biggest villain” will turn out to be, though it’s anyone’s guess as to when they might make landfall,
Maybe some might see this as a cheat, but it’s far past time that the world of the Hidden Leaf Village returns to the screen. It’s been over three years since the final episode of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations aired, and there is plenty of material to at least give fans one or two seasons of anime material. Originally, Studio Pierrot was set to unleash four episodes of the original Naruto series the same year that the sequel ended, but has since delayed the installments. Pierrot has been taking a far more seasonal approach to its anime, including Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War and Black Clover, but so far, Boruto’s comeback is nowhere to be found.
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