Facebook
Reddit
Email
Has Boruto ended? Discover the current status of the anime and manga, the possibility of the anime making a comeback, and more.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has been nothing short of a rollercoaster of highs and lows – well, mostly the lows. As the successor to the Naruto saga, which is one of the most popular and culturally significant shonen series of all time, the Boruto anime had extraordinarily high expectations to live up to – and it failed miserably at doing so.
In fact, it quickly became a punching bag for both manga and anime fans, who wasted no opportunity in bashing the series for its poor adaptation of the manga. Amassing about 293 episodes in all, the anime received a staggeringly low rating of 6.00 on My Anime List.
After the anime concluded in 2023 with no follow-up announced, a question formed on everyone’s mind – has Boruto ended? Technically speaking, no – Studio Pierrot did not outright cancel the anime. Instead, it went on an indefinite hiatus, while the manga is still ongoing via the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex sequel.
The Current Status of the Boruto Anime
The Boruto: Naruto Next Generations anime began airing on April 5, 2017. It concluded its run almost 6 years later on March 26, 2023, with 293 episodes aired. However, after the anime concluded, Studio Pierrot announced that the anime would be going on an indefinite hiatus.
No matter how terrible fans considered the anime adaptation to be, most were glad that the anime wasn’t outright axed by the studio. Even though two years have passed since the anime’s conclusion, fans can still find solace in the fact that Boruto hasn’t completely ended.
The exact reason for the hiatus wasn’t explicitly stated by Studio Pierrot. However, it isn’t that hard to guess. The anime had an abnormally high amount of filler episodes, which made up the majority of its episode count. Additionally, the enthusiasm around the anime was dwindling, which probably added to the studio’s decision to take a break and consider new strategies.
As for the quality of the anime – it was a complete disaster from a storytelling standpoint. Studio Pierrot’s decision to heavily pad the series with filler episodes made the anime feel like a drag. Unlike Naruto, which at least had the excuse of waiting for the manga to catch up, the Boruto anime had no justification for dragging things out. After all, it was adapting a monthly manga – meaning the anime was always going to catch up way too fast.
As a result, a staggering 74% of the Boruto anime’s runtime was filler. To make things worse, the filler episodes and arcs weren’t even that good and were widely criticized for their poor writing and focus on irrelevant characters. It basically took the Naruto saga’s worst quality and somehow amped it up to an 11.
The Current Status of the Boruto Manga
The Boruto manga was much more well-received compared to its anime counterpart. Part 1 of the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga concluded with 80 chapters on April 20, 2023. After a brief hiatus, it continued with its second part in the same year, titled Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. It is still ongoing and has released 20 chapters so far.
Although the manga was sometimes polarizing due to multiple creative shifts, it remained relatively consistent, unlike the anime. It was initially written by Ukyo Kodachi, with Masashi Kishimoto later taking the reins himself.
One of the biggest criticisms that fans had about the Boruto manga was that it never really felt like its own story. Instead of carving out a fresh story, it leaned too much on the past while simultaneously disrespecting beloved characters by either pushing them to irrelevancy or nerfing them to an abnormal extent.
That said, the manga finally regained its footing with the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex series. It is no longer plagued by issues of the past, and has actually garnered comparatively high reviews from the fanbase. It’s still divisive in some parts of the fandom, but at least it actually feels like the story has some direction now.
How Much of the Boruto Manga Is Left To Be Animated?
If the Boruto anime were to ever return, and that’s a big “if”, it certainly has a lot of catching up to do. That is, of course, unless Studio Pierrot decides to pad the episode count with fillers once again. For those who believe a Part 2 of the anime would immediately pick up with Two Blue Vortex, that is unfortunately not the case.
As surprising as it may sound, Studio Pierrot adapted only 70 chapters of the manga in 293 episodes. The final episodes of the anime covered most of the Code’s Assault arc. However, the studio still has to adapt one more chapter (chapter 71) in the anime to completely wrap up the arc.
Therefore, if Boruto were to get a Part 2, it would have to first adapt the last 10 chapters of the manga’s first part. After that, it can move forward with Two Blue Vortex, which has released only 20 chapters till now.
Will the Boruto Anime Ever Return?
Will the Boruto anime ever make a comeback? That’s a question a lot of fans have been asking over the past two years, with no definite reply in sight. Two years have officially passed since the anime went on an indefinite hiatus. Despite Boruto Part 1 being a complete disaster, some fans still look forward to seeing Boruto get a decent adaptation this time.
One thing that everyone should keep note of: Studio Pierrot hasn’t cancelled the anime yet. Therefore, there’s still hope for the anime to make a comeback. However, it likely won’t be until a few more years. This is because, as of this moment, the anime only has 30 chapters left to adapt in a potential Part 2. As such, it’s a safe bet that Studio Pierrot will likely put the anime on hold for a couple of years more so they have enough content to adapt.
It’s also possible that the studio may choose to wait till at least 2028 to announce a return for the Boruto anime. After all, it’d almost guarantee that they’d not repeat the same mistake they made with Boruto Part 1 – adding over 200 episodes of fillers for a 70-chapter story.
Conclusion
So, has Boruto ended? Well, technically, no, but it might as well have. The anime is currently on a long break, but the manga is still alive and kicking. As a whole, the entire series is kind of in a weird limbo. Things may seem bleak for fans of the anime right now, but it’s possible that the situation may finally see a positive development in the coming few years.
Looking For More?
Thank you for reading the article. We provide the latest news and create guides for Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, ARK Survival Ascended, and more. Also, watch Deltia play games on Twitch or visit his YouTube channel!
- The First Descendant Guides
- Baldur’s Gate 3 Guides
- Destiny 2 Guides
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard Guides