When Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura finally managed to save the world from the threat of Kaguya Otsutsuki, theNarutostars were in for a life of peace as they ushered in a new generation of shinobi. Unfortunately for them, theBoruto: Naruto Next Generationsanime proved there’s more trouble brewing over the horizon. With a renewed threat of the Otsutsuki and the enigmatic Kara threatening peace throughout the land, Naruto entrusts a generation of shinobi, including his son Boruto Uzumaki, with protecting ninja-kind.
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With these renewed threats taking a toll on the likes of Naruto and Sasuke, the younger heroes seem to be growing more and more mature at a much faster rate, possibly returning to a war-torn world. Thankfully for theBorutoanime, filler episodes do exist that try to reveal more of the beauty of theBorutouniverse and show that the world isn’t as bleak as it seems.
10A Ninja’s Job (Episode 42)
Missions form the bulk of a shinobi’s life in theNarutouniverse, and a world at peace after the4th Great Ninja Warmeant a shinobi’s task has much less to do with combat and more to do with preserving the stability of the community. This has annoyed Boruto Uzumaki a bit, considering the high-octane action he got during his first mission with Team 7. However, his mentor Konohamaru reminded him that missions don’t just involve battles but also help them learn more about the Hidden Villages around them.
Deciding that life of a modern shinobi is rather dull, Boruto is surprised when Konohamaru calls for him and Mitsuki to stop a bank robbery. It wasn’t an ordinary bank robbery, however, as the robber decided to blow himself up. Boruto soon learns that the robber is Haguruma, a game developer that was falsely fired from work but became ostracized as a professional. Boruto manages to dissuade Haguruma and save the day, only to learn that sinister forces have convinced Haguruma to push through with his suicide mission in the first place. Despite the rather mundane nature of his episode, it served as a good lead-up to the Byakuya Gang Arc.
9Konohamaru Becomes The Hokage?! (Episode 257)
One of the most interesting aspects of theNarutouniverse is how films actually exist across the Hidden Villages - something first revealed in the “Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow” film featuring the actress Yukie. The existence of films became a more frequent occurrence in theBorutoseries, especially with “Konohamaru Becomes the Hokage?!” which showsKonohamaru taking the role of Narutoin a hit movie series called the Kagemasa.
Throughout the shoot, Konohamaru is greeted by one mishap after the other, especially with creative differences across the team over the reliance on more convenient CG effects than practical effects. With a downed Konohamaru disappointed in that he can’t show how cool Naruto is in action, he attempts to instead defuse an ongoing hostage situation involving the crew. Thankfully enough, Konohamaru manages to de-escalate the situation with a few awesome techniques. Despite how “ordinary” this episode seemed, a glimpse into the life of the Hidden Leaf Village without jam-packed ninja action - where a film crew may simply want to make an amazing film.
8Developing One’s Medical Ninjutsu (Episode 152)
The mere idea of Medical Ninjutsu was introduced only after the arrival of Tsunade in theNarutoseries, where she will be persuaded to become the Fifth Hokage. Much to the surprise of fans, not only is Tsunade a powerful medical-nin, but she is also the progenitor of the idea of a Medical Ninja Corps throughout the Hidden Villages. As such, it’s no surprise thather protege Sakurawould be responsible for establishing Medical Ninjutsu courses in the Academy, which “Developing One’s Medical Ninjutsu” explores.
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In this episode, Naruto and other grown-ups evaluate students with potential for Medical Ninjutsu, who Sakura and Shizune teach for a couple of days. Sarada is among those applicants and, unfortunately for her, exhibits struggle performing various Medical Ninjutsu techniques. When she fails the initial tasks, Sarada is visibly down and admits the pressure of being the daughter of Sakura, one of the finest Medical Ninjutsu of all time. However, Sakura and Shizune assured her that even Sakura took a long time to get to where she is - and Sarada would surely get there if she applied herself. This episode was a great way of “humanizing” Sarada’s character, providing her with room to learn despite her status as a prodigy.
7Blood, Sweat, And Namida (Episode 96)
Accompanying Naruto Uzumaki and Team 7 is the rest of the “Konoha 11,” a generational name for his batch of shinobi that were with him in his journey to become the Hokage. Most of these shinobi were first introduced on the sidelines, only to be expanded upon in stories that reflected their unique personalities. Boruto in theBorutoanime has his fair share of new allies as well, with Namida Suzumeno and Team 15 being comprised solely of new characters.
Led by Hanabi Hyuga, Team 15 is an all-girls team more than willing to prove their place among their batchmates with rather unique bloodlines. In “Blood, Sweat, And Namida,” fans see newcomer Namida struggle to control her Calling On Tears Technique to release sonic waves powerful enough to incapacitate enemies - much likea defensive jutsu. Unfortunately for them, an urgent mission involving protecting important wares of merchants would force Namida to explore her skillset outside her boundaries. New abilities always formed the action-based intrigue in theBorutoseries, and seeing Namida approach her techniques in new ways is a sight to see.
6Konohamaru’s Love Arc (Episodes 116-119)
Throughout theNarutoseries, it’s soon learned that Naruto’s mentor Kakashi Hatake was a young prodigy forced into a violent life as an elite shinobi among the ANBU Special Forces. In order to ground Kakashi to a more peaceful life, the Third Hokage tasked him to become the mentor of Team 7, theteam where Naruto belongs. In theBorutoanime, Naruto entrusts another Team 7, this time with his son Boruto, to Konohamaru Sarutobi. Compared to the quiet Kakashi, the bubbly Konohamaru served as Naruto’s protege and rival throughout the series, perhaps being equally as naughty as the current Hokage.
The “Konohamaru’s Love Arc” in the anime explores Konohamaru’s potential for having a love interest. After telling Boruto he has no time for love should he aim to become a Hokage like Naruto, Konohamaru stumbles upon a mysterious woman named Remon Yoimura, who is chased for reasons unknown. Despite the short arc, episodes dedicated to Konohamaru’s growth as an adult are a decent way of showing fans how much the irritable kid Konohamaru has grown into an admirable shinobi.
5The Super Beast Scroll Slump! (Episode 33)
One of the most interesting aspects of Inojin Yamanaka as a character in theBorutoanime is his heritage and how this reflects in his skillset. Being a Yamanaka, not only can he perform their signature Mind-Body Transference Technique, but he also boasts unique cooperative abilities with his teammates Chocho Akimichi and Shikadai Nara, where they form the 17th Generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Moreover, he inherits his fatherSai’s Super Beast Imitating Drawingtechniques, where they can animate the things they draw with ink.
And with one of the main themes ofBorutobeing evolution, it’s no surprise that Inojin would think of ways to innovate his craft before the Ninja Academy Graduation exams. In his head, being able to use copies of his drawings should work more efficiently, as they’re prepared in advance. Unfortunately, not only do his copies blunder in performance, but he starts to struggle drawing as well. It’s only with an adventure with the youngster Himawari Uzumaki that Inojin learns what he’s been missing: his drawings perform better when drawn with emotion, something that reinvigorates his passion for the arts. This episode was a decent way of expanding on the character arc of Inojin, who is usually considered a prodigy among his peers.
4Byakuya Gang Arc (Episodes 43-47)
Soon after the incident in the Konoha Bank involving Haguruma, Boruto and Shikadai are surprised to learn about ongoing unrest throughout the Land of Fire beyond the Hidden Leaf Village. As per new outlets, a team known as the Byakuya Gang has begun stealing from the rich and disseminating proceeds to the disenfranchised as a form of protest against the rich. This soon led to widespread protests where citizens of the Land of Fire cried foul against the modern system and allied with the masked gang.
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However, Boruto and Shikadai’s separate investigations have allowed them to realize the more sinister plot of the group from their leader, Gekko. It seems Gekko wants to cause unrest in order for the gang to infiltrate the Ninjutsu Research Centre, steal data on all existing ninjutsu, and sell them to the highest bidder. It’s thanks to the efforts of the youngsters that the Byakuya Gang is put to justice. Unlike other filler arcs, the Byakuya Gang Arc was a successful portrayal of shinobi stopping a crisis that doesn’t directly involve other shinobi and also revealing more about the world beyond the Hidden Villages.
3Shikadai’s Decision (Episode 97)
When fans are introduced to Shikadai Nara in theBorutoanime, he seems to be the spitting image of his father,Shikamaru - calculating but equally bored of an intense life. Whereas Shikamaru decides to be Naruto’s confidant and adviser, Shikadai pursues a life of being a shinobi. That is until recent political meetings with the Land of Wind reveal to fans that the Nara Clan is an active force in the Land of Fire’s politics.
Such was the pressure put in the presentation of the Nara Clan that Shikadai was almost persuaded to give up being a ninja and instead become a politician. Despite this endeavor lasting for an episode (so far), the revelation of the political intrigue across the countries in theBorutouniverse is a fresh takeaway from inter-Hidden Village politicking in the previous series.
2Chocho Arc (Episode 67-69)
Of the current generation of theIno-Shika-Cho trioin theBorutoseries, Chocho Akimichi is probably the least developed of them in terms of personality. Contrary to the bubbly yet weight-sensitive Choji in theNarutostory, Chocho is confident and self-assured - a trait she shares in common with her best friend, Sarada. Unfortunately, her self-confidence would be put to the test just as she became a teenager, as she would try her best to lose weight. The indifference her parents had to her dieting has almost convinced her she’s adopted, and the Chocho Arc was perhaps the climactic conclusion to this character arc.
In these episodes, Sarada’s Team 7 and Chocho’s Team 10 were assigned to guard actors Tomaru and Ashina of the soap opera Chocho loves to watch. As the teams investigate the threats that surround these actors, Chocho reveals that she has already gained mastery of the Akimichi’s Butterfly Mode, a chakra release method that transforms excess fat into excessive chakra reserves that come out as wings on their backs. These episodes were a great way of helping the growing teenage viewer get a neat boost in self-confidence, as Chocho would soon learn that her appearance shouldn’t define the way they looked at themselves.
1Fireworks Of Love (Episode 260)
Among the filler episodes of theBorutoanime, it seems quite surprising for “Fireworks of Love” to be considered on the top of the list when it barely contains anything relevant to the story. Simply put, this episode will have Boruto and Kakashi settle a dispute between two grandfathers hell-bent on insulting each other’s fireworks business. It doesn’t help that their grandchildren actually want to get married, with their grandfathers’ constant bickering unable to help them fully announce their weddings.
It’s thanks to the efforts of Boruto andTeam 7’s previous mentor Kakashi, with the latter commenting on how he’s constantly mediated fights between Naruto and Sasuke, that the two families were finally able to reconcile with a beautiful fireworks display. Despite the rather “basic” nature of the episode’s plot, this episode was a high point among filler episodes in the series. Instead of featuring an ordinarily-comedic episode, this episode instead had a short but sweet love story that provesBoruto’s new generation of ninja stories explored both the mundane and the high-octane.
