Boruto and Sasuke close out their trip to the past in the time travel arc's relaxed finale. With Urashiki vanquished and Naruto safe, Boruto and Sasuke use Karasuki (who was able to replenish his chakra thanks to the Nine Tails) to return their own time. To ensure that their actions don't have any impact on the future, Sasuke erases most of the key players' memories before heading out, and Jiraiya feeds Sakura a complex fib to explain the note Sasuke dropped. Upon returning home, Sasuke briefs Naruto on what transpired and vows to spend more time in the village now that every known Otsutsuki has been defeated. Shortly thereafter, Boruto visits Jiraiya's grave with Naruto and presents his old man with a gift given to him to by the younger Naruto: Ichiraku Ramen's super-rare special soy sauce flavor. The two then eat the time-displaced ramen on a park bench while debating the merits of richness vs. delicate flavor. As the episode ends, we see that the Uzumakis placed one package of their precious ramen beside Jiraiya's tombstone.
Although none of the Hidden Leaf 12 (outside of Sasuke, of course) have any recollection of what transpired, Boruto's latest adventure is liable to have a number of lasting impacts on the show's bigger picture. For starters, Urashiki, who had served as the series' Big Bad until this point, has been vanquished, and a new villain will need to step in to fill his shoes. Furthermore, Boruto, who couldn't be in the same room with his father for more than a minute without blowing up, now has a brand new respect for Naruto and a firsthand understanding of his childhood struggles.
Similarly, Sasuke, whose presence in the Hidden Leaf had been extremely limited, has a renewed appreciation for his family and desire to spend more time at home. Having seen how distraught Naruto and Sakura were over his defection from the Leaf, he finally has a better perspective on how narrow-minded he was in leaving everything behind. Whether this means the elder Uchiha will be more of a regular presence remains to be seen, but if he's meant to serve as Boruto's Jiraiya, it would certainly be fitting. As evidenced by the latest arc, Sasuke has lightened up significantly and doesn't take himself nearly as seriously as he used to. Not only has he acted as a dutiful guardian to Boruto throughout the course of the story, he's also served as a vehicle for comedy on multiple occasions. (His pained reactions to the ridiculous story Jiraiya spun for Sakura are particularly amusing.)
Episode 136 serves as a fitting epilogue to one of Boruto's strongest story arcs yet. It probably won't be long before our favorite Hidden Leaf heroes face their next big challenge, but with Urashiki gone and the Uzumakis closer than ever before, Boruto and the gang have earned a bit of downtime. While the final battle against Urashiki taking place in the past initially seemed a little out-of-left-field, it ultimately paved the way for emotional development in the main characters, exciting action, and some of the most amusing comedy the show has given us.
Takashi Shiina, Katsuyuki Sumisawa launched adaptation in September 2021― The seventh volume of the Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Hanyō no Yashahime) manga adaptation by Takashi Shiina and Katsuyuki Sumisawa revealed on May 17 that the series will enter the "final battle" in the eighth volume, which ships in fall 2024. Viz has the rights "to the digital streaming, EST, and home video" of the orig...
This is a good series to check out if you like more bite with your vampire romances.― Going into Bloody Sweet, I expected to find a fluffy rom-com about a girl and the vampire she accidentally gets attached to. Instead, I found a story about a bullied high school girl whose bullies are smart enough to evade all of the checks and balances the school has put in place. When Naerim accidentally awakens ...
In our brand-new column, Lynzee Loveridge comes clean about her backlog, starting with one of the most popular anime ever. Use this space here for critical finger-wagging and exclamations of disbelief.― I have a secret. A no-good, embarrassing, shame-inducing secret. I'm the executive editor at Anime News Network but there are, in fact, anime I have not watched. Not just forgettable mid-tier season...
Chiu shares how she brought the SEA simulcast service to the forefront after founding it at 17 years old.― Over the past six years, many streaming and simulcast services have catered to otaku in Asia, offering simulcasts of seasonal anime and theatrical anime screenings. One such service is Ani-One Asia, a Hong Kong-based Medialink Group brand that offers a competitive lineup of simulcasts every se...
'Eikyū -Tokoshie-' debuts in episode 2 on Sunday― The staff for the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc television anime confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday that HYDE×MY FIRST STORY is performing the new ending theme song "Eikyū -Tokoshie-" (Eternity -Eternity-), which premieres in the second episode on Sunday. Yuki Kajiura wrote the music and lyrics for the song, and also a...
The benefit of being committed to such a simple setup is that the story knows exactly what it needs to do to invoke the maximum emotional response for this type of story.― I Want You To Make Me Beautiful is a simple story that does everything it sets out to do. At its heart, it's a straightforward story about moving on from the pain of a bad breakup and reinventing yourself into something better. Th...
Masaaki Mizunaka, KENN, Daiki Yamashita, Maria Naganawa, more join cast― The staff for the anime of Kaoru Shinozaki's Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-level Spells (Hazure Waku no "Jōtai Ijō Skill" de Saikyō ni Natta Ore ga Subete wo Jūrin Suru made) light novel series revealed on Sunday the anime's ending theme song's title and artist, additional cast member...
Laid-Back Camp narrowly claims the top spot this week, but Delicious in Dungeon is having none of that and bumps it down in the cumulative. Find out where your favorites rank this week!― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind ...
Goodbye, Lara follows reborn mermaid, Ninja Skooler features ninja school― Kinema Citrus announced at its panel during this year's Anime Central event on Saturday that it is producing two new anime titled Goodbye, Lara (Sayonara Lara) and Ninja Skooler. Takushi Koide is directing the Goodbye, Lara anime with character designs by Shiori Tani. The anime is based on a concept by Kinema Citrus, and it t...
Honestly, you're getting a solid collection of character art with some disposable comic stories where you might get to enjoy some out-of-context obscure CAPCOM cameos.― As a lifelong fan of Street Fighter, it's easy to get excited about the potential of seeing my favorite fighters doing stuff in different mediums. The flip side is that Udon Entertainment's hold on the comic treatment of the characte...
The cast of the Demon Slayer stage play gave a memorable performance during the Japan Day Parade.― The Demon Slayer franchise continues to prove itself as an absolute powerhouse for fans worldwide. The hit manga by Koyoharu Gotouge has been adapted into multiple mediums, including anime, light novels, video games, and a stage play that has been running since 2020. Cast members of the stage play app...
Pokémon Horizons continues to display some of the best the franchise offers with great character work, creative setpieces, surprisingly strong direction, and a focus on a plot that continues to feel engaging.― Pokémon Horizons felt like a breath of fresh air as a new mainline Pokémon series. With a more timid and empathic main character and a stronger emphasis on the adventuring aspect of being a Po...
Sony and Square-Enix are both reorganizing, from new CEOs to staff cutbacks. Also, sad news about Penny Blood, more Cotton, and the latest video game news!― Welcome back, folks! You know, it's always nice to discover old stuff from a franchise you love that you didn't know existed. For example, I didn't know that the old Captain N: The Game Master cartoon had an episode that featured the world of Dr...
Ahead of the romance anime's second season, director Takehiro Kubota discusses the choices, the challenges, and balancing the story between the everyday and the supernatural.― My Happy Marriage began its life as a series of novels written by Akumi Agitogi, and it has since been adapted both as manga and, as of July 2023, an anime series simulcast by Netflix. Agitogi's tale, set in a nebulous time t...