Anime Film Review: Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015)

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Suz in Animation, Anime, Film & TV, Industry News, Reviews // 0 Comments

“This is the pinnacle of all my creations!”‘ — Masashi Kishimoto

A masterpiece penned by Naruto manga author Masashi Kishimoto, BORUTO THE MOVIE is the latest installment of the Naruto film franchise. Set years after the Great Shinobi War, Uzumaki Naruto (reprised by Junko Takeuchi) is now the Seventh Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. But after countless anime episodes and movies revolving our beloved hero and his journey to become Hokage — this isn’t Naruto’s movie at all. In fact, this is BORUTO THE MOVIE, and this film, is without a doubt, the best conclusion to Kishimoto’s work.

New Hokage, new generation, and a new industrial revolutionised society — Konoha is finally at peace but it is not the same village as we know it. For many Naruto fans, it is a refreshing insight into modern Konoha as the village embraces the latest technologies as part of their daily lives. And of course, leading this generation is the main character of the film (and also Naruto’s son), Uzumaki Boruto (Kokoro Kikuchi).

With the Hokage blood running through the family tree, Boruto is expected to surpass Naruto in many people’s eyes. But having a dad as a Hokage isn’t what Boruto expected it to be. Being Hokage now means great responsibility for Naruto, and as each day goes by, Naruto distances himself from his family much to Boruto’s disappointment.

Not knowing what to expect from this film, fans would have been very hesitant about a Naruto film that focuses on Boruto, Sarada and Mitsuki participating in the Chuunin Exams. But don’t let that deter your enthusiasm! Witnessing Boruto’s generation in action is an absolute delight as it serves as a nostalgic treat for hardcore fans. From Shikamaru and Temari’s son (Nara Shikadai) to Sakura and Sasuke’s daughter (Uchiha Sarada), it is a great opportunity to see whether the next generation can surpass their parents or not.

Wanting Naruto to acknowledge him at the Chuunin Exams, Boruto cracks under pressure and is coerced into utilising a banned device. Being the strict and observant father he is, Naruto reveals Boruto’s scheme in front of the audience and a huge fallout breaks out between father and son. Can Boruto turn back and learn his lesson before it is too late?

Boruto the Movie deals with a complex relationship between a rebellious son who wants to be acknowledged, and a father who must juggle between his role as a father and Hokage. While this film is about Naruto and Boruto’s bond, we also witness a great teacher-student relationship forming in front of our eyes, and to our great surprise, it is between Boruto and Sasuke (Noriaki Sugiyama).

As if Kishimoto heard our prayers, Sasuke – believe it or not – plays a significant role in Boruto the Movie. Not only does he lend his power to defeat the enemy, Sasuke also becomes Boruto’s teacher in which he offers guidance and trains Boruto to become stronger.

In typical Sasuke fashion, Sasuke will amuse fans with his light-humoured sarcasm and sharp combat skills, and for the first time ever, he spills some meaningful philosophies as well. Never before have we seen Sasuke shine so much as a character, and after everything he has done in the Naruto series, Sasuke redeems himself in Boruto in a whole new light.

A Naruto film with great storytelling cannot be complete without its stunning compilation of action scenes. Hiroyuki Yamashita, animation director on The Last: Naruto the Movie, makes his directorial debut with Boruto: Naruto the Movie. Possibly the greatest finale that we have seen in Naruto history, the quality of animation in Boruto was simply on point. After years of following battle choreography in Naruto, the climatic battle felt like an epic tribute to all the mind-blowing battles that we have seen throughout the series.

From the moment Naruto and Sasuke stepped onto the battlefield, fans knew they were in for something incredible. Boruto the Movie is visually spectacular on a grande scale that cannot be described in words. In a grandiose fifteen minutes battle, Naruto and Sasuke goes all out against villains Kinshiki and Momoshiki Otsutsuki. With its detailed attention to the animation and choreography, the endless action sequence will have you gripped to the point that you can’t even catch up.

But as much as we loved the magnificent sight of Naruto and Sasuke’s bromance, it was all about Boruto in the end. Insisted on joining the battle to make amends for his wrong doings, Boruto wanted to set the record straight and prove his strength to his father and teacher. But Boruto’s role in the climax was no more than an observer. Donning Naruto’s genin jumpsuit and Sasuke’s old forehead protector, Boruto eventually stole the show by defeating the enemy with a Rasengan.

Despite all of this excitement on the surface, the arrival of the Otsutsuki villains unfortunately threw Boruto and Naruto’s strained relationship out the window. Boruto’s wrong doings were strangely forgotten, however, it was nice to see Boruto having some sort of respect for Naruto and his journey to ‘coolness’. This conclusion to Boruto the Movie may seem cheesy but we cannot deny how heartwarming it is to witness the Will of Fire been passed onto Boruto and his peers.

Overall: BORUTO: NARUTO THE MOVIE is the ultimate Naruto film that fans have been waiting for. With the combination of an intricate plotline, intriguing new characters, and glorious animated sequences, Boruto the Movie is a strong reminder as to why we have fallen in love with the Naruto series after all these years.