Boruto: Naruto Next Generations continues its foray into prison intrigue this week as our heroes find themselves a few steps closer to unraveling some of this arc's core mysteries. In an effort to protect Kokuri from future attacks, Mujo, the lord of Hozuki Castle, proposes that the would-be snitch be relocated to Boruto's cell following his recovery. Unfortunately, these efforts are shot down by Benga, the prison's corrupt chief warden. Hoping to learn Benga's weakness, Boruto appeals to Doragu, Hozuki Castle's foremost information broker, who agrees to help in return for Boruto swiping a bulb from one of the prison's watch towers. Despite being set up to fail, Boruto is able to carry out the task and, per the deal, receives detailed written records of Benga's shady dealings with inmates. Upon seeing these records for himself, Mujo decides to move Kokuri into Boruto's cell against Benga's wishes. However, following Kokuri's arrival, Team 7 concludes that the person who stole a key card and attacked Kokuri is one of Boruto and Mitsuki's three roomies: Arai, Kamata, or Kedama.
Since last week's installment did most of the heavy lifting set-up wise, episode 142 allows Team 7 to tackle their latest assignment in earnest. While this show and its parent series have experimented with action-light mystery arcs in the past, the results have been decidedly mixed. Based on what we've seen so far, the latest storyline represents a franchise high point for this type of plot. With Boruto and Mitsuki pretending to be bound by the Celestial Prison, their opportunities for using ninjutsu are limited, but at no point do the proceedings feel hindered by the relative lack of action. For example, the sequence in which Boruto narrowly evades detection while stealing the watch tower bulb is memorable, tension-fraught, and exciting despite the limited animation.
For the second week in a row, Sarada isn't given much to do. Although her eavesdropping uncovers a key piece of information, it's disheartening to see her simply listening in on a private conversation instead of uncovering pertinent info through investigation and subterfuge. Since this “aspiring journalist” has essentially been given free rein of the Naruto-verse's most notorious prison, it seems like there should be more opportunities for her to use her unique gifts.
With multiple mysteries up in the air and Kokuri's safety still at risk, Boruto and company have their work cut out for them. Solid screenwriting and direction make a seemingly simple prison infiltration feel every bit as perilous as Team 7's most harrowing adventures. Even the elements that are commonly found in stories of this type—corrupt wardens, abundant red herrings, assorted wild cards—feel fresh and original in Kishimoto's world. Whether things are exactly as they seem or more twists and turns await, I look forward to what the gang uncovers next.
Rating:
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is currently streaming on
Crunchyroll.
Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.
Train to the End of the World and Voice Actor Radio are getting a lot of love these last few weeks! Discover which other series stand out in our weekly user rankings!― 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 that these rankings...
Crystal Kay previously sang themes for 2004's Fullmetal Alchemist and Nodame Cantabile― Recently, Anime News Network was able to sit down with singer-songwriter Crystal Kay and talk about not only her involvement with anime over the years but also what it was like to grow up in Japan as the child of a Korean-Japanese mother and an African-American father. Anime fans likely know of Crystal Kay throug...
The plot is excellent in the romance camp. Everything that happens is to get Eui-joon and Gunwoo together, and it works pretty well.― You can read The Dangerous Convenience Store in English two ways. The first is to read it on the manhwa site/app Manta, which has all seventy-five chapters and four bonus stories available. The second is to read Seven Seas' print (or ebook) edition, which, as of this ...
Some older mysteries inch closer to resolution as the true nature of the Abyss slowly comes into view, and long-posed questions start to be answered.― Sometimes, being a fan of Akihito Tsukushi's acclaimed Made in Abyss series means acclimating to suffering. Like many Western devotees, I was introduced to this bizarre, squishy, disturbing world via the 2017 first season of Kinema Citrus' fantastic a...
60th, final episode of previous anime streamed on YouTube on Friday― The official Twitter account for the anime of Penguin Box's Odekake Kozame (Little Shark's Outings) manga announced on Friday that the manga will get a new anime series. Update: The staff revealed a visual for the new series in a press release on Saturday. The previous anime series debuted on YouTube last August, and its 60th and f...
Recently ended manga follows middle school student living with mysterious bird-looking creature― Shogakukan announced on Friday that Akira Konno's Kujima Utaeba Ie Hororo manga is inspiring an anime. The "bird(?) home comedy" manga's story starts when first-year middle school student Arata Kōda meets a mysterious bird-looking creature named Kujima in autumn. Hungry and craving Japanese food, Kujima ...
As Slam Dunk reached its final stretch, I can see why this series is considered the sports classic that it is today.― This is the largest batch of Slam Dunk episodes that I've reviewed thus far. Originally, I wanted to review the show in more even seasons, but given its overall pacing and release, it wasn't easy to find a moment where it felt right to stop and start again. However, as we approached ...
James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY.― Yatagarasu Gets Violent! James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu, in which Wakamiya plays his hand to find out the truth behind his older brother's scheming to obtain the throne. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY; Hunter x Hunter manga is on its ...
Making a sequel to Code Geass is a daunting task. But with its fantastic main character and a story that doesn't undercut what came before, Rozé of the Recapture is on the right track.― Making a sequel to Code Geass—especially one set close to the end of the series—is a daunting task. Any story that involves an ongoing war massively undercuts both the finale of the original anime and the sacrifices ...
The Switch sequel console is finally happening! The details are scarce, but you can find out more in this week's column. Also: an interview with El Shaddai's Sawaki Takeyasu, Microsoft layoffs, and more.― Welcome back, folks! What a wild week this has been for the gaming industry. We'll go further into it, but jeez. This past week also saw the disappearance of Capcom's Dark Void and Dark Void Zero. ...
The Code Geass creator discusses his new project with Web3 company Azuki, Enter the Garden, and his hope that this new path could help the medium evolve.― Los Angeles-based Web3 anime-styled brand Azuki and advertising conglomerate Dentsu debuted the first nine-minute episode of their joint anime endeavor, Enter the Garden, on April 30. The episode, which has already racked up a quarter of a million...