Despite the large number of great female characters in Naruto, they have been largely sidelined. The recent chapters in Boruto indicate that the trend may be ending.
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS for Boruto #77Despite the history of female characters being pushed to the sidelines, Naruto–Boruto The saga has finally given the next generation of women a platform to highlight that they already hold half the sky in the ninja world.
In a franchise filled with fantastic, fun, and strong female characters, BorutoAnd Naruto They have been known to give shortstop attention by largely having them play minor roles to male-centered stories. One of the clearest manifestations of this was the near-constant portrayal of Sakura as Naruto The weakest and least skilled member of Team 7 despite the fact that, unlike the other two members, she was truly self-taught and came to save them more times than they saved her. At least Sakura was always near the action. The same cannot be said of many women in Boruto, where it initially appeared that Sakura’s daughter Sarada would be a major character in the story, only to switch the main storyline on the male-centric tensions between Boruto, Kawaki, and Kod. Unfortunately, much like her mother before her, Sarada’s abilities have greatly declined since the previous chapter of the saga.
That’s why it’s so surprising Boruto Chapter 76 devotes most of its time not only to the next generation of shinobi women but also to their potential opponent who is unexpectedly also a woman. The scene is even more surprising when you consider how rare a serious female-focused scene is Naruto And Boruto. But even the few times female characters have been like that among females Naruto Characters like Sakura and Ino Yamanaka, the communication content tends to focus on topics that women, rather than high level shinobi, are supposed to be interested in such as finding a partner, whether she’s pretty, or which is better as a mother.
Sumire, Aida, and Sarada are friends in need
Some would argue the conversation between Sumire, Eida, and Sarada in Boruto Chapter 76 is more of the same “fluff” reminiscent of similar scenes in the past. However, while the conversation follows a similar pattern, there are several caveats that make this scene groundbreaking. First, unlike previous female conversations that seemed to be based primarily on tired metaphors, this one is actually about a real-life situation that a teenage girl likes a boy asks her friends, who are equally confused. This seems to be an attempt to connect with Boruto Big fan base. It also creates a legitimate bond between the three characters should the story decide to go in that direction.
Most importantly, the conversation reveals a key plot point, namely that Sumire and Sarada, although not distantly related or members of the Otsutsuki clan, are able to resist her powers. If their resistance proves to be genuine indeed, they will form a replacement for Kawaki and Boruto, as a way to get rid of Aida, who currently stands as one of the biggest threats to Konoha. It’s entirely possible for a major battle in the future to see Aida and Daimon face off against Sumire and Sarada, with Damon’s abilities possibly being undone by Boruto’s sister Himawari, who Boruto Chapter 77 revealed his abilities to be invincible.
The scene greatly improved the treatment of the female characters in Naruto–Boruto long story. It also created a base on which to achieve a deeper development of female characters. And most importantly, it suggests that the creators Naruto And Boruto Finally willing to show that the woman shinobi in the story truly holds up half the sky.
Boruto Available now from Viz Media.
