When I was in High School there were about 3 things that got me through depression, low self-esteem and kept the suicidal thoughts away.
The first one was heavy metal. I have to say before high school I only listened to Daft Punk, back in the day, 2003. Listening to Slipknot, Linkin Park and other creaming bands to shake the sadness out of my system. The next one was art. I was really into drawing. Mostly anime. I really liked character design and that was because of Tetsuya Nomura, the character designer and director of Kingdom Hearts. Last but not least, it was anime. Thank god for anime.
Sure I was one hell of a nerd but being raced without mother or father really hurt and I was afraid of being homeless. So like most people I escaped into another world.
One of the top animes that touched my heart was Naruto.
Sure there is Dragon Ball Z, but it DBZ was more about action. Dragon Ball Z does not focus much on story unlike Naruto. Naruto has both story and ninja action.
But is not the ninjas that I love about Naruto but rather the character himself.
Naruto’s struggle was similar to my struggle. He was an underdog. No father no mother to take care of him and he caused trouble and drama to get attention because he felt left out. He swore to become Hokage and I swore to become successful someday.
While girls love Sasuke because he has the sex appeal and more attractive, Naruto worked harder than Sasuke and in the end ended up kicking Sasuke’s ass and become as strong as Sasuke.
In the end, Sasuke turned to the dark side while Naruto became a beacon for the leaf village. So the tables turned. The Uchiha that everyone thought would be the top student betrayed them and Naruto, the one that everyone curse became the hero.
It was a twist of fate and one of the most historical anime’s.
Naruto exploded in popularity alongside Dragon Ball Z and heck even Sailor Moon. That is right my friends. It quickly became one of the top anime in the world. It is not because it was an anime about Ninja’s but because the characters were so relatable that people became so attached to them.
There was a character that everyone could relate to. Although it was a Shonen Anime even adults found themselves watching it.
So Why Wont Boruto Be As Popular As Naruto?
Thank you for asking.
You see the next generation is suppose to do better than the last. Sure that is true. However, that does not apply to every individual of the following generation.
The problem with Boruto is that is about Boruto trying to be better than his father. It is not as interesting as the original Naruto. Think of Naruto and Boruto as the Will Smith and Jaden Smith of the anime world. Nobody cares about Jaden Smith, he is just there with his father. The only reason why Jaden Smith is famous is because of his father but people don’t think so greatly of him as they do of his Will Smith. People respect Will Smith more than they respect Jaden.
In other words, Boruto was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
I am sure that he is a great Ninja judging by the series episodes. Boruto unlocked the Byakugan eyes from his mother’s side, the Hyuga clan. However, there is not much story there.
The only reason many people still watch Naruto is because they want to know what happened to other loved characters from Shippuden and the Original Anime and Manga. Characters such as Jiraiya. Is Jiraiya still alive? Also there are many mysteries that need solving such as, why did Orochimaru really attack the leaf village?
The older fans want to know solve mysteries as to the new fans to them is probably just another anime.
It is difficult to keep up the story without it running out of INTERESTING ideas. I mean I feel that the show is really dragging with Boruto. introducing new characters while trying to solve old mysteries. Trying to appeal to new fans while simultaneously appealing to the older fans of the show.
Its hard for the creators.
Think of it like Apple inc. When Steve Jobs died, the company Apple Inc stocks started going down and all the company could do was release new phone technology. The company is lacking in innovation because Steve Jobs is not around.
Same thing with Naruto.
Another problem with the anime and manga is that the old Naruto is gone. The adult Naruto is busy filing papers and working with other Ninjas on missions and basically doing presidential work. Is not as exciting.
Boruto sucks. The story just does not have the same juice.
Naruto had a purpose behind it. A story without a purpose is just not as strong.
Boruto is just a spoiled kid that wants to be better than his father. If I watch the anime is only for the action. There is just not as much story anymore. At least good story telling.
As a writer is my job to make a story interesting and I have found that after the third or second book or movie in any media, the story starts to die down. The long a series continues, the more its purpose starts to die down.
Naruto had 72 volumes divided in two parts, the original Naruto and the continuation, Naruto: Shippuden. The third installment, Boruto, just does not match up.
Boruto lacks purpose as oppose to Naruto. Naruto was full of purpose, aspiration, especially with characters like Itachi Uchiha.
In order for a series to be successful even if it has 20 seasons, the characters must continue to have a purpose, the story must continue to have a strong enough purpose. Otherwise if the story is written for the sake of continuing the franchise, the love for it wont be as strong and people will get bored of it.
Nothing will beat the original
