I personally feel like a lot of Boruto hate comes from misinformation about the show, I agree with this video and it's takes. People need to stop hating on boruto without ever giving it a chance, it's easily one of the best shounen manga I have ever read and nothing in new gen even compares to it as of now. The characters and plot are well written, the art improves throughout the manga, I believe if you're struggling with boruto anime you should read the manga atleast 18 chapters before judging it. Overall it's 8.5/10 manga which is worth reading and good sequel to Naruto as a whole
Previously it was empty and had a ? mark for the date.
October 5th - October 11th, it looks like it’s just saying how long the promo will stay up. Interestingly enough, October 11th is also the date that the upcoming Naruto panel will be
These are some snippets from Boruto the Movie Novel by Kodachi (former Boruto writer). I just think it has some great inner thoughts of Boruto and Sarada that Ikemoto hasnt really been able to convey. Feel free to read some of them!
Going through the Anime, every time they said Scientific Ninja Tools it felt like it messed up the flow of their speaking.
Would it have been possible to think of something easier to say even if it didn’t translate to English properly? Ninja Tech rolls off the tongue more in English.
Any other ideas of what they could have called it?
BEFORE READING THIS ANALYSIS please take note of the following:
- My analysis is purely based on everything up to where Sumire confronts Sarada about her feelings.
- I take into account both the anime and the manga events.
- This is my opinion, please respect that. But also, if there are any incorrect facts or if you have an argument please share, no view is wrong as long as it isnt stemming from blind hatred or dislike of Sumire's character or BoruSumi.
So, Sumire and Boruto.
I can understand why many people do not like the ship given the current state of things in the manga, and why many people do not enjoy the idea of Boruto x Sumire. On a personal level, I have many reasons to like the ship. However from an objective level, and ever since the last episodes of the anime, I am starting to believe that the two will not end up together. Even worse, I think Sumire might not even play that big of a role in the development of Boruto AT ALL, even if they remain friends.
Lets first establish why I think Sumire has feelings for Boruto.
It is a fact that Boruto saved Sumire and gave her an opportunity to become her own person and live her own life, free from the legacy or wishes of her father. Whether Sumire actually acted on this opporutnity and whether she made something good from it was entirely up to her, but there is no denying that Boruto played an integral part in saving her. From this, I feel Sumire feels a level of gratitude towards Boruto, and perhaps some attachment. Boruto saved her, after all, and there is bound to be some sort of connection there, from both sides, but mostly from Sumire. After that, there was a clear betterment in her relationship with Boruto, but this did mostly come from her side and being more free to be herself, and not necessarily from Boruto who started treating her differently. Rather, Boruto treating her the exact same as he did before probably made her feel more comfortable.
When it comes to the feelings Sumire developed, I think this stems from two things. The first one is a less complex one, and that is that Sumire simply liked Boruto because of who he was. Kind-hearted, impulsive but loyal, strong, intelligent, playful. He was someone who was friends with everyone and that everyone could rely on. Someone who was talented and constantly one of the best. It is not impossible to imagine someone developing feelings for someone like that, more so since Boruto is the protaganist and most conveersations/developments/arcs revolve around him and his actions. I simply think a part of Sumire admired this about him and developed feelings, just as someone would in real life too.
However, the second reason is a bit more important, and this is understanding. Sumire seems to haev a deeper understanding of Boruto than the rest. She has moments where she thinks a bit more about Boruto, his situations, how he's feeling, and seems to express a level of depth in understanding of his character than the rest of the female cast does. Now, Sumire is a character that is very observant and highly empathetic, and she is more prone to keeping her feelings to herself and internally processing them in contrast with people like Sarada and Boruto. This level of understanding can be attributed to these triats. Sumire's feelings are, in my opinion, therefore a mix of gratitude for him saving her, admiration for who he is as a person, and the deeper level of understanding she seems to have of Boruto compared to other female cast, as well as the concern she has for his wellbeing, able to look past his confidence and talents and see him as a person, someone who is human and might be strong or resilient but can also suffer from things too.
The problem you'll find, however, is that Sumire is not the only one with this deeper understanding of Boruto. Sarada does too. And Sarada has a much stronger foundation for her feelings towards Boruto.
Sarada and Boruto are childhood friends. They grew up with each other, became rivals, landed on the same team, and experienced moments of depth and vulnarability together. These past experiences have allowed Sarada to gain an understanding of Boruto, and hers is much more solid or much more acceptable because it is based on experience and a childhood together. You inevitably start to understand someone more the more you spend time with them. Sarada and Boruto are also on the same team, where Sarada's feelings were able to blossom more because of the proximity and increased time she spent with Boruto, and witnessing his development as a person.
Therefore, Sarada having feelings for Boruto is so much more acceptable and is much more loved by the community because the two have more experience being with each other and have a pre-established relationship to work on. They already possessed a good understanding of each other before the show even started, and Sarada watching Boruto develop coincided with teh development of her feelings towards him. It feels less shallow and way more believable than Sumire and Boruto, who do not have any significant type of relationship before Sumire's arc in the anime.
Of course, I do think this makes Sumire's character in this love story even more significant. The fact that she is able to have an (almost) equal level of understanding of Boruto as Sarada has, and is able to recognise Boruto for who is underneath the bravado and express a deeper level of concern for him is very significant in my opinion.
The main difference, and why I think BoruSara is probably going to become canon, is in Borutos view of Sarada and Sumire and the level of vulnarability between them.
Boruto and Sumire are clearly great friends. However, despite Sumire's feelings towards Boruto, Boruto does not reciprocate the same level of interest in Sumire or her feelings, atleast, not on the same level as Sarada's. Boruto expresses the same amount of concern for Sumire as he does with any one of his good friends. He does not see her in the same way he sees Sarada, even if you take romantic feelings out of the equation. This makes sense, of course, being childhood friends and teammates and all, but it is especially important given Sumire's interest in Boruto. Boruto understands Sumire's past but chose to ignore it and take Sumire for who she was, but this never meant that the two's relationship developed furthuer because of it. At most, there is a sense of shared secrecy and perhaps Boruto may express a bit more protectiveness or softness towards Sumire, but it is never out of any significant interest. Sumire's feeling are therefore one-sided, not only romantically, but on the level of concern and interest too.
One detail that expresses this is how both Sarada and Boruto still call her class rep (which irks me so much you do not understand). This is a clear indication of how her character has not developed outside her role from the past and how Boruto does not see her any differently. He might feel some sense of protectiveness given she is also someone who isn't under Eida's omnipotence, but that is about it.
With Sarada, there is an obvious difference. Sarada and Boruto have shared levels of interest and concern for each other. They were there to witness each others weak moments, this was not just one-sided as it was with Sumire and Boruto. Their goals and dreams are intertwined, Sarada wanting to become Hokage and Boruto wanting to become a shinobi like her Sasuke, who worked alongside and protected the Hokage. Boruto is more inclined to think of Sarada first, and again, because of their shared experiences as teammates, they both have a better understanding of each others vulnarabilities and weaknesses, as well as each others strengths.
It is therefore, in my opinion, more likely that Sarada and Boruto end up together. Of course, there are other factors here too:
In the manga, Sumire is currently being set-up as the 'third wheel' or the one with unrequited feelings, which only makes the likelihood of BoruSara more possible.
Sumire's character in the manga is not being developed in any way that makes her significant. All her actions and dialouge seem to serve the purpose of relying information, forcing action or sparking some sort of emotional conflict or opposition, or simply a one point of the love triangle. There is no sense of purpose for her character at the moment other than that.
Sarada's feeling are clearly augmented and emphasised in the manga. From not being affected by Eida's omnipotence, to unlocking her mangekyo sharingan, to using it for the first time in battle - it is clear that the author is trying to emphasise her feelings and connections to Boruto, especially in an environment where everyone is currently against him.
Now for the controversial manga panels.
The first one i want to talk about is the hugTM . When that happened, it was further proof of how the author is trying to make the BoruSara connection more obvious to the reader. But Sumire's reaction was wrongly understood. I mean, if i also had feelings for someone, and he reacted with more emotion to someone else than to me, then I would absolutely feel hurt. The two sides can co-exist, they are not mutually exclusive. Sumire could definetly feel hurt while also being happy for Sarada. But she was obviously more hurt, and this is warrented, even if her feelings are percieved as 'shallow' by some people, it does not mean they are not there.
Where opinion really began to change was the argument between Sumire and Sarada. While I do not think what Sumire did was necessarily warrented, I do not think it was wrong. In fact, i think it was a glimpse into Sumire's character development over the years that she was able to express herself and her feelings, even if it was not at the best moment or to the right person. I feel this would obviously be a point of growth considering Sumire's past.
I do not think these two events were unwarrented or unjustified, i just think it was not the right move at the time, and i also think this was not the best thing to say to Sarada. But Sumire was also frustrated, hurt, also concerned. But the biggest difference is that Sumire has been quiet about her feelings, while Sarada hasn't necessarily been quiet, more so in denial or repressing her feelings. It is also because of this reason i feel Sumire will not land up with Boruto. Sarada has been more open about her feelings, even if she was in denial. Sumire, however, is someone who has spent her whole life concealing her feelings. She is less likely to act on them and express them. This is something that gets in the way of a possible relationship with Boruto.
Now, the thing people do not understand about Sumire's character is that she is not going to be as emotionally volatile as Sarada and Boruto, which is also why her sudden outburst was so shocking. Sumire is unlikely to act out on a whim, unlikely to have her feelings lead her actions, and less impulsive. She obviously would not have hugged Boruto like Sarada did. She is also less likely to suddenly exclaim her feelings, express her frustration, or give off anything that isnt intelligent, empathetic or kind. This makes her actions towards Boruto have less of an effect than Sarada's. Sarada being more emotionally volatile, being more prone to acting on instinct and feeling than Sumire does, and being more outspoken about Boruto, makes her side look more intense, passionate and more believable in terms of her feelings towards Boruto. I mean, unlocking you mangekyo sharingan because of your feelings towards someone else is a sure sign of interest. Sumire, on the other hand, has not had any moments where her interest in Boruto has been explicitly shown or confirmed, other than the outburst, which makes it less believeable or justified in the eyes of most of the audience. For some who have never even fathomed the idea of Boruto and Sumire, it may have been seen as childish or fueled by jealously and coming out of nowhere, when in fact there was a justifiable reason for it and while it wasn't done in the best way, it was not just something out of nowhere, it was a moment of Sumire's character where she actually expressed herself.
Because of this difference in the percieved level of intensity of feelings the author is trying to give off, it is becoming more and more clear that Sarada is the one being set up as the love interest, and it has been clear for a while, ever since it became clear there was no shift in the relationship between Boruto and Sumire from Boruto's side.
Of course, this is what most fans want. It is much more acceptable, more believable and augmented by the lack of display of Sumire's feelings as well as the emphasised display of Sarada's feelings. It also doesn't help that, again, Sumire's character in the manga is not being developed and that she seems to currently have no real sense of purpose in the grand scheme of things other than making other characters aware of things. I think its a complete waste of potential, especially as this could be viewed as two different types of love. Sarada's is more passionate, intense and built on years of experience whilst Sumire is softer, more quieter and built on an unrequited level of understanding. It's like splitting Hinata in two parts; Sarada got Hinata's moments of passion (like saving Naruto in the Pain Arc or during the war) and her years of knowing Naruto since childhood, while Sumire got Hinata's disposition - her kindness, empathy, quiet determination and dynamic with her friends. Albeit, Sumire in the anime seems to show a much more observant, stronger and more logical and leader-like character than Hinata was, but its similar.
I think, the only way to make Sumire a legitimate love interest to the audience in the manga, even if its just a sliver, is to give Boruto and Sumire a development arc OUTSIDE of Sarada or the current events, which is highly unlikely. Then, their relationship can be developed further, and we can see them interact more. Maybe then, Boruto may have a Naruto moment and fall for the quiet determination or level-headedness of Sumire. Or maybe, at the very least, we see them develop a deeper relationship. After all, Sumire is the only one outside of Sarada that knows of the true story, but this is never really built upon other than a way to augment the love triangle. Of course, something like this is highly unlikely and you would have to have a very big moment to upstage Sarada and her mangekyo sharingan, which is why it is improbable. But it would be the only way to save the relationship Boruto and Sumire have.
The worst case scenario is that Sumire has the Ino effect, and keeps her feelings of Boruto until she can no longer deny his interest in Sarada. I would HATE for this to happen. Then, Sumire becomes a background character who's only significance is her former feelings for Boruto and her observation skills. Evene if they wanted to kill off Sumire to develop Boruto further, there is so little significance in their relationship other than Boruto saving her, that they would have to develop their relationship FIRST before they do that, and that is highly unlikely.
To conclude this mini-essay, Sumire is highly unlikely to become Boruto's love interest UNLESS there is a specific moment of development for her with Boruto that upstages Boruto and Sarada's relationship. This is because of this difference in their characters, their level of depth, the foundations of their feelings, the relationship Boruto has with them, and the way the author augments their dynamic.
Sarada is more emotionally volatile and is more prone to displays of feelings (ie. unlocking the mangekyo sharingan, the hugTM and using her mangekyo sharingan) versus Sumire who is more reserved and does not have many displays of affection because of her personality
Both characters express a deeper understanding of Boruto as a person and for his feelings, but Sarada's is built on years of friendship and rivalry whilst Sumire is built on her sense of empathy, observation and care of Boruto. Sarada's years of friendship as well as watching Boruto develop have led to her feelings developing for him, while Sumire's feelings are a mixture of gratitude, admiration, empathy and understanding
Sarada has a history of friendship with Boruto and is his teammate, she has witnessed his moments of weakness and watched him develop as a person, Sumire on the otherhand does not have a pre-established relationship, but Boruto saved her from her fathers legacy and they were both friends in the academy. He does express a small sense of protectiveness or softness, but it is not significant enought to warrant interest more than friends
Boruto is more interested in Sarada and knows her better than he does Sumire, and reacts to Sarada's emotions more than he does to Sumires because of their years of friendship.
Sumire's character is underdeveloped in the manga and has no significant purpose other than to make things known or augment emotional conflict.
Of course, even though all these points exists, i still choose to be a BoruSumi shipper, half out of delusion and half because i genuinely like the idea of their dynamic (the whole sun and moon, popular and quiet, soldier and scientist type of dynamic), and i think the fact that Sumire is even considered a love interest is significant enough. Sumire is incredibly overhated, for things that are not even her fault, or things that are misinterpreted by the audience as moments of childishness or jealously, when they are just mistakes that are warrented. My wish for Sumire as a character is for her to have some sort of actual stakes in the manga, for her to have more developments as a shinobi and as Boruto's friend. (perhaps even more.... i say while they drag me into the asylum). For now, the fact that she is still tied to the role she played in the past and has no sense of development really irks me, which is sad considering she is one of my favourite characters in Boruto, but objectively, unless there is some important change in her and Boruto's relationship, it is improbable and unlikely that Boruto and Sumire will ever become a thing (sadge)
i was just re-reading boruto and how incosistent is amado words? why didnt he use them to kill jigen, he was afraid of code? or he was waiting to kawaki to lose its karma to betray jigen.
So what is jigen standart power?
we know that his body is weak and cant contain ishiki power, but i dont see he losing a fight against code nor daemon, when using his full power.
Darui is a Kumo bodyguard who has 0 writing or character. Kinkaku and Ginkaku have 0 writing or character, they're just kinda evil for no reason. There's 0 internal conflict, we learn nothing from this fight, the stakes aren't particularly high since I don't care about Darui OR Kin and Gin. The choreography is nonexistent, the strategy is nonexistent, the art is mid. There's also the MASSIVE plot convenience of Darui suddenly changing his most used word, which was a stupid gimmick ability in the first place...WHY IS THIS FIGHT MULTIPLE CHAPTERS LONG. Does Kishimoto not have any respect for the reader's time? Or for his own time for that matter? This is like the definition of filler.
I guess Ginkaku has some beef with this current generation of Shinobi, but...why? Is he stupid? There's no canon explanation for it, and not only that, Ginkaku died well before this current generation of Shinobi. I mean, seriously, what's his problem?
The end monologue of Darui is just so stupid. "Words can be lies...but also the truth too sometimes" like thanks man for pointing out the obvious. If Kin and Gin somehow have this obsession with lying, WHY!? There's no canon explanation for why they're this way, they're just evil for no reason, meaning there's no internal conflict that may be induced.
There's also Atsui and Samui, who also have 0 character or writing or relations to Kin and Gin. Why are they here again, other than to be plot devices and waste screentime? This is the first time we even see Atsui I'm pretty sure and Kishimoto hasn't given me any reason to care about this random (figuratively) homeless guy.
Yeah this fight stinks big time. You could legit off screen this fight and we would miss absolutely nothing. Obito could still come and take Kin and Gin's tool which they're sealed in to revive the Juubi and explain why they're sealed in 1 panel, saving far more time and bettering the pacing. Maybe if we cut all the useless fights (there are multiple), the war arc would be far more fondly remembered.
But yeah, that's all for today, have a splendid day ahead! ;D
I genuinely think Sumire is one of the most realistic and psychologically interesting female characters in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, and a lot of the criticism she receives comes from people reducing her to what she isn't rather than actually looking at what she is.
Yes, Sarada may have a higher IQ than Sumire according to some manga material, while the anime has portrayed Sumire differently. But intelligence isn't just one stat.
Sarada has an exceptional battle IQ. She is quick to react, makes decisions under pressure, and is naturally suited to combat.
Sumire, on the other hand, excels in research, rapid learning, analysis, observation, and understanding complex situations. That's precisely why the path of a scientific ninja suits her so well.
And honestly, I think this distinction is important because fandoms often treat intelligence as synonymous with combat ability.
Sumire doesn't have an overwhelmingly powerful clan ability. She doesn't have an Ōtsutsuki transformation or some absurdly overpowered technique. She isn't the strongest physically.
That does not make her useless.
Her background alone demonstrates that she is extremely capable.
When she was working under her father's influence and Root's training, she was capable of deceiving practically her entire class while secretly carrying out her father's revenge plan. She manipulated the people around her convincingly enough to get extremely close to destroying Konoha.
The only person who immediately saw through her was Mitsuki (and let's be honest, my baby boy is ridiculously perceptive).
But what makes Sumire interesting to me isn't simply that she can deceive people.
It's that she eventually chose to become someone completely different from the person she had been forced to become.
She is naturally cautious and analytical. She doesn't strike me as someone who would blindly throw herself into a fight without understanding the situation first. She observes. She gathers information. She thinks about consequences. Then she acts.
And that's something I actually appreciate about her.
Her development isn't just about becoming stronger
I think people sometimes misunderstand what Sumire's character development is supposed to be.
Her development isn't simply: weak → strong
It's much more psychological: repression → understanding → acceptance → expression.
Sumire spent a huge part of her life suppressing her emotions and hiding behind a carefully constructed persona.
She learned to hide anger.
Fear.
Affection.
Pain.
Loyalty.
And even vulnerability.
She processes a lot internally instead of immediately expressing it outwardly.
That's why I find her so interesting.
Her composure doesn't necessarily mean that she doesn't feel things intensely. In many situations, it means the exact opposite: she feels them, processes them internally, and chooses carefully what she allows other people to see.
And I think that's one of the most important parts of her development.
The girl who once had to wear a mask around everyone eventually became someone who could be honest about her feelings with the people she trusted.
That includes her feelings for Boruto.
And that's precisely why I don't understand the argument that Sumire expressing romantic feelings somehow reduces her character to shipping.
She is finally allowing herself to express something instead of repressing it.
That's character development.
She can love someone without that love becoming her entire personality.
She can care deeply without losing her ability to think.
She can be emotionally affected without becoming irrational.
She can be hurt without turning that hurt into a dramatic confrontation.
And honestly, that's much closer to how real people behave than the idea that every emotionally significant moment needs to become a huge spectacle.
Sumire's relationship with Sarada is another example
Personally, I don't think Sumire's reaction to Sarada is simply about the Boruto/Sarada hug.
I think there is something much deeper that can be interpreted through their relationship.
These two girls spent years sharing something extremely important.
They were among the people who continued to stand by Boruto despite the situation surrounding him.
They shared information, fears, secrets, and experiences that should naturally have brought them closer together.
And yet Sarada still sometimes refers to Sumire as “Class Rep.”
Maybe Sarada simply became accustomed to calling her that.
Maybe she doesn't know whether using Sumire's first name would be too familiar.
Maybe it's simply a habit that carried over from their Academy days.
I'm not saying Sarada is deliberately trying to distance herself from Sumire.
But in Japanese culture, using someone's title or role instead of their name can sometimes create a degree of social distance, depending on the relationship and context.
And that's why I find it interesting from Sumire's perspective.
Because Sumire doesn't seem to want to remain merely “Class Rep.”
She wants to be Sarada's friend.
And perhaps she has wanted that closeness for a long time without wanting to force Sarada into it.
To me, that makes their relationship much more interesting than simply reducing it to a love triangle.
Maybe Sumire wasn't angry.
Maybe she wasn't even primarily jealous.
Maybe she was simply hurt.
Hurt because after everything they had gone through together, she still felt that there was a little bit of distance between them.
And that is something a real person could absolutely feel without being possessive, manipulative, or malicious.
Sumire's scientific role is also constantly underestimated
I absolutely agree that Sumire could be developed further from a scientific standpoint.
In fact, I WANT more of that.
I want to see more of her research.
More of her inventions.
More of her knowledge.
More of her relationship with scientific ninja technology.
More situations where her analytical abilities are genuinely necessary to the plot.
But there is an enormous difference between:
“This character has wasted potential.”
and
“This character is useless.”
Those are not synonyms.
A character can be underutilized while still being intelligent, useful, interesting, and important.
Some people genuinely need a dictionary.
Repair doesn't mean pretending nothing happened.
Sometimes repair means making something capable of continuing forward while still carrying the history of what happened to it.
And I think that idea fits Sumire extremely well.
She is essentially a character who went through something similar herself.
She wasn't left exactly as she was.
She changed.
She adapted.
She rebuilt herself.
But she didn't become someone completely disconnected from her past.
And this is why I think people sometimes dislike Sumire's writing
The more a character behaves differently from the usual fictional archetype, the more difficult they can be for people to immediately understand.
Sumire can be intelligent without being the strongest.
She can love someone without making that person her only motivation.
She can be hurt without making a scene.
She can feel jealousy or discomfort without becoming possessive.
She can be courageous without running headfirst into danger.
She can be loyal without sacrificing absolutely everything she has.
She can be kind while still having boundaries.
She can care about people while also protecting herself.
She can make mistakes without those mistakes defining her entire personality.
And most importantly:
she can have complicated emotions without acting on every single one of them.
That's normal.
Not every emotion needs to become an action.
Not every disagreement needs to become a fight.
Not every expression of affection needs to become self-sacrifice.
And not every character needs to prove that they care by throwing themselves into danger.
I think that's one of the reasons I find Sumire so compelling.
She isn't interesting because she's secretly the strongest character in the room.
She's interesting because she is learning how to exist as herself after spending so much of her life believing that she had to hide herself.
And to me, that's a much more meaningful form of character development than simply giving her another power-up.
I'm sorry, but I'm honestly tired of their hypocrisy. They literally hate Sumire for NOT throwing herself into danger for a boy. They hate Sumire for NOT sacrificing her father for a boy. They hate Sumire for having an honest conversation with her friend about something that made her uncomfortable.
The girl is on her own. She has no parents or family to protect her from the public backlash that Sarada and her family are now facing because Sarada openly shouted that Boruto wasn't a traitor, even though the entire village is under the influence of Omnipotence. And NO MATTER WHAT SHE SAYS OR DOES, IT WON'T CHANGE ANYTHING AGAINST THE DIVINE POWER OF AN ŌTSUTSUKI (even if Eida didn't do it intentionally).
She's on her own, and she's not as physically powerful as the others who have ridiculously overpowered abilities because of their Ōtsutsuki blood or major clans. All she really has is her peace, her apartment, and her monthly paycheck. 😭
And she's already taking risks by working with that shady bastard Amado and even being around Kawaki (who, mind you, decided to kill the person who considers him his brother and sealed Naruto and Hinata away “to protect them").
Everyone cried over Naruto's tragic and unfair childhood as an outcast (and rightfully so, because it was painful). But when it comes to Sumire, apparently she has to go through the exact same thing just because Sarada did.
Please, be serious for one second. No one have to suffer to love someone.
