You might hate me for this, but Ikemoto can’t write male friendships in Boruto

Boruto has a lot of good points. For one, it has carried the torch held on by Naruto and has introduced something new to the Narutoverse. There is also a sequel, born from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, titled Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. In the sequel, the Narutoverse has been considerably expanded with the addition of the Shinju, especially its enigmatic leader, Jura.

Due to these additions, the story can be expanded to any angle. This goes to show how excellent the Narutoverse is, but as amazing as it is, the Narutoverse is not without its flaws. Many of these flaws can be spotted in Naruto and Boruto. One of them is the terrible writing of female characters. They are never written to stand out or have their own personality; in the Narutoverse, female characters are walking stereotypes.

Another huge hidden flaw that is apparent in Naruto is the poor writing of male friendships. This opinion might seem controversial, considering the stories have revolved around men, but this is true. This problem starts in Naruto, where the titular character and his antagonist have a forced relationship. It still persists in the Boruto saga, where the young Uzumaki and Mitsuki have an awkward relationship.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s opinion and may contain spoilers.

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How Boruto is proof that Ikemoto can’t write male friendships

Filial relationships are also depicted poorly by Ikemoto (Image via Studio Pierrot)

For a story that revolves around men, the Boruto saga poorly handles relationships between men. Whether these relationships are filial or platonic, the Boruto saga has not had a realistic male relationship with depth.

However, when it comes to surface-level relationships, Ikemoto does not have a problem. At the beginning of the first sequel, he beautifully portrays the young Uzumaki’s relationship with his peers, which feels very real.

The cracks start showing in young Uzumaki’s relationship with his teammates. With other Shinobi his age, Ikemoto writes surface-level conversations, which work, but with members of Team 7, there needs to be more depth.

Notably, this depth is seen most clearly in one surprising member: Sarada. Sarada and young Uzumaki genuinely care for each other, and their bond is unlike the more obsessive care shown by another Team 7 member: Mitsuki.

The young Uzumaki and Sarada have the most realistic relationship (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Mitsuki has an obsessive relationship with the young Uzumaki, and it is reminiscent of Naruto and Sasuke’s dynamic. It is a relationship that is forced by the mangaka to create some sort of conflict that needs to be resolved in the end.

Mitsuki and the young Uzumaki are in a relationship that is worse than Naruto and Sasuke's, as they lack the competition common among younger children. Mitsuki hangs around the young Uzumaki like a sick puppy, which is quite disturbing.

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Final thoughts

Ikemoto’s treatment of male relationships is reminiscent of his predecessor, Kishimoto. Kishimoto's characters are interesting, but have very uninteresting friendships. However, there is the exception of Shikamaru and Choji, Naruto and Iruka, and A and Killerbee. These friendships are the most realistic, but it is also sad, considering the number of men in the Narutoverse.

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Also read:

• Hear me out, Eren is a really terrible scout in Attack on Titan
• Falco from Attack on Titan bears many similarities to Tanjiro
• My Hero Academia would have fared better if their entire high school period was covered in the story

Edited by Riya Peter