Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Episode 146

Team 7's latest mission nearly reaches its end in this week's fast-paced, action-heavy installment. Despite not getting the signal from Sarada, the rest of the gang has faith that she's okay and proceeds to carry out the escape plan. However, things hit a snag when they discover that Benga has drained the prison's water supply. After reaching Hozuki Castle's underground exit, Boruto, Mitsuki, and Kokuri encounter yet another roadblock in the form of sealing tags designed to roast escapees who are bound by the Celestial Prison. Shortly thereafter, Benga arrives with his summoned beast in tow to quash the escape attempt once and for all, only to be thwarted by Sarada (who was rescued from certain doom by Kedama) and the timely arrival of the spring tide. Unwilling to accept defeat, Benga foolishly releases Tsukiyo from his cell and is promptly knocked out or killed by the felon. (The show is slightly unclear on this point.) Before Team 7 and Kokuri are able to leave the island, they're intercepted by the newly-released Tsukiyo, who, true to his name, is now at peak strength because of the full moon.

Although the tension is high as the gang carries out their escape plan, Kokuri is essentially the only character to display any real emotion or to react to unexpected obstacles in a realistic manner. In some respects, this makes sense, as Boruto and Mitsuki are trained shinobi. That being said, they're only genin, and while Mitsuki may possess an air of perpetual calm, Boruto doesn't exactly have a history of acting like a consummate professional in high-stakes situations. The fact that neither one of them seems particularly concerned about Sarada feels a bit off. They never seriously consider that she could be in trouble when she fails to give them the signal, nor do they entertain the possibility that she was unable to make the necessary preparations for a successful escape. Yes, she's rescued by Kedama just in time to save the day, but everything ultimately comes together as a result of happenstance instead of cleverness or careful planning. However, this wouldn't really be an issue if the kids reacted to the constant hiccups they encounter with anything resembling genuine unease.

On the plus side, episode 146 is briskly-paced, contains a couple of decent action sequences, and gives everyone a chance to strut their stuff. Even though they approach the task rather mechanically, every member of Team 7 plays an active role in carrying out the escape. Mitsuki, in particular, is able to use his Mr. Fantastic-esque stretchiness to great effect a number of times. While Benga never really rose above the rank of “standard-grade corrupt warden,” his summoned beast is reasonably cool, and the gang's skirmishes with it have been pretty fun, if very brief. (Why he thought letting Tsukiyo out of his cell would work out in his favor is beyond me, though.)

With Team 7 nearly home free, Boruto's latest adventure seems to be entering the final stage of its endgame. Since Tsukiyo's abilities have largely been kept under wraps until now, he's sure to pose a challenge to Boruto and company as he rolls out a plethora of moon-based jutsu next week. While there have been little skirmishes here and there, this arc has thus far been devoid of big battles, so here's hoping the gang's smackdown with the Mujina Gang's second-in-command makes for a satisfying finale.

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Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.