“I had cards and a skateboard. Still, it was a dozen nights later that I became hooked.”
(Auto-translated from Japanese)
My Story
As a matter of fact, I saw "NARUTO" many times on TV when I was a kid. Many of my classmates were obsessed with it, and I myself even had "Naruto" cards and a skateboard with Sasuke's design on it. But I wasn't really interested in anime at the time, and all I watched were Hollywood movies and dramas. To me, all anime seemed to be for kids or "for girls," and as a man, I didn't find them very interesting. That changed when I was 16 or 17 years old. Gradually I became interested in anime, and one day I came across "Death Note" on an "Anime Best 100" website. It is still one of my favorite works. Since then, I literally went crazy and watched hundreds of anime and became deeply fascinated with Japanese culture. However, at the time, I was only choosing newer works with beautiful artwork and had a hard time getting into older works. One night, when I had nothing in particular to watch, I remembered that "ONE PIECE" or "BORUTO" was being broadcast every week. I ended up not touching "ONE PIECE" because of the old drawings and unfamiliar design. On the other hand, the first episode of "BORUTO" looked Karafull and modern, and the story seemed dynamic and easy to watch. However, this is a sequel to "NARUTO. I reconsidered that it would be strange to skip the original work, and finally decided to take on the challenge of a large work of several hundred episodes. This was a very interesting experience, and I was really drawn in from the very beginning by the story, the music, and above all, its worldview. Within a few months, I finished watching all the episodes of "Naruto", including fillers and some OVAs and movies. After that, I watched tons of videos on YouTube discussing the anime, characters, ninjutsu, combat, and worldview. To avoid further spoilers, I moved straight into the main "Boruto" series. Watching "Boruto" was also a lot of fun, and the feeling of being reunited with old characters I had missed and meeting new ones was really great. I consumed related content in the same devouring manner and even caught up to the then latest episode, episode 150 (March 2020). After that, I couldn't help but wonder who had kidnapped Tento, and finally decided to start reading the manga. This was a milestone for me and the first manga I read in my life. Despite my initial unfamiliarity, I became completely engrossed in the story and before I knew it, I was deeply drawn in. In just one night, I read through the then most recent episode, episode 44 (March 2020), and reached the point where Amado showed up in Kinoha and started putting his own plans in motion. For me, this was a powerful turning point in the story. I read the theories and discussions in each chapter, always with strong anticipation of what would happen next. At the time, I still didn't fully understand the pain of waiting each month for a new chapter, but in hindsight, it was worth it. From that moment on, I could already self-identify as a "Boruto" fan. I even started a social networking account to discuss the chapters and episodes. Over the past six years, I have come to realize that it has not been an easy road. There are people who have not accepted "BORUTO" without Root (Anbu)consideration. I was lucky. Because I had little exposure to critical opinions until I encountered the series, I was able to form my own independent and objective opinion. Still, there are many kind and friendly people in the "Boruto" fandom who support the work and its creator. I feel that the best years for the fandom were 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2023. And fortunately, I believe the most interesting developments are yet to come. BORUTO -TWO BLUE VORTEX- is a new era for the series as a whole, with the potential to bring a second life to the characters and the world. Bolt himself has grown a lot as a character, becoming much more appealing than before. I am really looking forward to seeing how his relationship with Salad and the other characters will develop in the future. I hope that Ikemoto-sensei is in good health and will continue to entertain us with his manga for a long time to come.
Favorite scene / line
I have many favorite scenes from the "Boruto" manga and anime. [Manga. - The scene where Bolt says, "This is not my father's story, it is my story. He shows that he is going to take a different path like his master Sasuke and protect Salad, the future Hokage. Salad is embarrassed. - The scene where Bolt protects Tento and is portrayed as a hero. - A scene in which Bolt absorbs Kashinko's fire-escape with karma in order to protect Konohamaru. - The scene where Salad unleashes Chidori against Boro. - The scene where Sasuke uses Amenotaj Kara to deceive Jigen/Ishiki. - The scene where Amado captures Shikadai to set his plan in motion. - The scene where Kashininja fights Jigen. - The scene where Bolt saves Kawaki from Code. - The scene where Bolt loses everything due to the power of karma. - The scene where Bolt refuses to give up even after losing everything. - The scene where Bolt stomps on Code's face in "TWO BLUE VORTEX" after the 3-year time skip. - The scene where Bolt uses his ancestor's (Minato's) jutsu, the "Flying Thunder God Jutsu". - The scene in which Kashin Izushi says that he, Bolt, and Ada are the Singularity. - The scene where Sarada manifests Mangekyo Sharingan. - All scenes in which Jura appears. [Animation - Episode 1, the scene where Bolt first appears parkouring with Shikadai. - All the battles at the ninja academy. It was the best. - The battle between Bolt and the New Seven Ninja Swords, especially in the Hidden Mist Village episode. - Bolt vs. Kakashi in the chunin exam. - The scene where Bolt meets Sasuke for the first time and wishes to study under him. - The battle with Deepa.
Stories I'd love to see
I would like to read a manga or novella about Bolt and Sasuke's journey.
