Boruto: Naruto Next Generations serves as a sequel to Naruto, with Boruto Uzumaki as the protagonist. The series is set in a peaceful era where Naruto Uzumaki leads as the Seventh Hokage. As Boruto puts it, this story isn't about his dad; instead, it's about him. So far, Boruto has been a decent story with loads of potential.
The manga began back in 2016, and it also got an anime adaptation shortly afterward, in 2017. Surprisingly, the manga and anime have taken different paths, and each of them has its own pros and cons. Here are 5 reasons why you should watch the Boruto anime, and 5 why you should read the manga.
10 Anime: More Side Characters
The Boruto world is extremely vast and, therefore, features a lot of characters. With the blistering pace that the manga is going at, focusing on all the characters is an arduous task. The anime does this job perfectly as it introduces arcs that let characters other than the Team 7 members shine as well.
One of the biggest criticisms of the Naruto series was that the support characters slowly lost their importance and by the end, Kishimoto barely even focused on them. In the Boruto anime, so far, almost every character has been involved, more or less.
9 Manga: Better Story
When it comes to the story of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, the manga is certainly doing a lot better than the anime. The Boruto anime, while decent, isn't as interesting as the manga, simply because it has too much filler content. Although some would argue that it isn't really filler, most of it certainly does feel like it isn't necessary to watch.
The manga sees to it that we get all the interesting content, with focus thrown on the likes of the Kara, a new organization, and the mysteries of the Karma as well. In terms of story, you won't go wrong with the manga.
8 Anime: Fleshed Out Characters
The Boruto anime does a decent job of adding to the characters' story, and therefore, development is showcased better here than in the manga. The main characters are seen on lots of missions in the Boruto anime, and with time, you get to see them get better and become stronger.
In the manga, the fans are treated with fights on top of fights, which while fun to read, isn't necessarily the best when it comes to building a character. In terms of development, the anime wins, hands down.
7 Manga: Ahead Of The Anime
As with nearly every manga out there, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is much ahead of the anime when it comes to story progression. For those of you who prefer to stay up to date with the events of the story, the manga is the clear winner.
The anime tries to focus on side stories and characters that aren't really important to the story such as those shown in the Lemon arc. The manga, as a result, is way too ahead of the anime in terms of content, which is why it's far more interesting as well.
6 Anime: Better Fights
The Boruto manga is certainly much ahead of the anime where things are a lot more intense. However, despite the darker plot, and the higher intensity, the Boruto anime does much better when it comes to fights, as it should do. A prime example of this was the Momoshiki arc, where we got to see Naruto and Sasuke take on Momoshiki Otsutsuki in an epic fight.
The manga version of this fight was simply not good enough and it barely invoked any excitement. The anime episode featured incredible animation, thanks to talented animators such as Chengxi Huang, Guzzu, Kilo Crescent, Weilin Zhang, and Spencer Wan among many others. Undoubtedly, Boruto Episode 65 was a joy to watch.
5 Manga: Better Power-Scaling
Since the anime has ventured on its own, it often messes with the power-scaling of the characters set by Naruto before it and even the ongoing Boruto manga. During some episodes, Boruto Uzumaki is seen capable of fighting the likes of Momoshiki Otsutsuki to some extent. A few episodes later, he's dramatically nerfed, like many other characters including Naruto Uzumaki and, particularly, Sasuke Uchiha.
In the manga, this aspect isn't half as bad and the power-scaling makes much more sense than it does in the anime. If power-scaling is something that interests you, the manga is certainly the way to go.
4 Anime: Weekly Entertainment
The Boruto anime ensures that we get our dose of weekly entertainment, which the manga certainly doesn't guarantee. The Boruto manga comes out in V-Jump once every month. As such, there's just one Boruto chapter every month, and the contents of the chapter are way too less when compared to some other monthly mangas.
Consequently, the Boruto manga just doesn't feel satisfying at times. On the contrary, the anime comes out every week and makes sure that the fans get their share of enjoyment watching some of their favorite characters every week.
3 Manga: Higher Stakes
The Boruto manga doesn't beat around the bush when it comes to introducing powerful villains and darker plots. Interesting characters, such as Kawaki, have already made their entry in the manga. What's more, Godly beings in Isshiki Otsutsuki and other Kara members have made their move, which had raised the stakes dramatically.
The anime, while good in its own sense, isn't half as interesting as the manga. The story arcs that we see in the anime are simply irrelevant to the manga most of the time, and often, feel like a waste of time.
2 Anime: Unique Arcs
While the anime does feature a lot of unnecessary and irrelevant stuff, at times, some of the 'fillers' are really interesting. A prime example of this would be the ongoing Time Slip arc in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Despite its inconsistencies, some anime arcs are simply too fun to watch.
As fans of Boruto, and Naruto before it, these select few episodes are simply way too good to pass up on. These arcs add a lot to the manga and make the story feel richer. Furthermore, it brings nostalgia to Naruto fans, more often than not.
1 Manga: More Consistent
The Boruto manga is highly consistent when it comes to quality. Right from the beginning to where we are in the story right now, the Boruto manga has given the fans some quality content without any significant drop. The anime, on the other hand, had suffered drastically because of its inconsistencies.
Since most of the anime is 'filler', the episodes, and even the arcs end up being unpredictable. Some turn out to be good, to the luck of the fans, while others are plain awful. If inconsistencies bother you, by all means, go with the manga.