Parents' Guide to Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Boruto Naruto Next Generations TV show poster: Boruto and his ninja friends are seen in animated poses, behind them is a colorful background showing their village Konohagakure.

Common Sense Media Review

By Jeremy Looney , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Sequel series to hit franchise has fights, violence.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 12+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 10+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS follows the story of Boruto Uzumaki (voiced in English dub by Amanda C. Miller) the son of Naruto Uzumaki (Maile Flanagan) the Seventh Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The Hidden Leaf Village has been experiencing a period of peace and modernization following the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. The world is changing at a fast pace, leaving the new generation wondering what role shinobi will play in this new era. Despite the uncertainty, the next generation is determined to find their own shinobi way and continue the tradition of the ninja. Boruto believes his path is to surpass his father at being a ninja and step out of his shadow. But an evil threat soon emerges within the village that threatens the peace and prosperity of everyone.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 4 ):
Kids say ( 1 ):

This spin-off sequel to the original hit series starts off with an interesting premise but becomes muddled by trying to be too many things at once. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations continues the Naruto franchise with an interesting idea: If the world underwent a period of technological modernization, what role would the ninja of the past play in this new modern era? Science and technology, or "ninja tech" as it's called in the series, is advancing at a rapid rate, and the gap between traditional ninja skills and technology is quickly closing. Humans are now able to be biologically enhanced through technology and able to use abilities that were previously exclusive to shinobi. Boruto seems conflicted about the changing world, his values, and his place in this new era.

This premise realistically carries the franchise forward and poses some interesting questions, but it goes off course once it introduces aliens, cyborgs, and far-fetched events that felt out of place. The show also suffers from pacing and consistency issues; characters are only ever as strong or weak as they need to be to move the plot forward. Previous events are easily cast aside or forgotten in favor of satisfying whatever the plot needs in the here and now. Yes, Boruto still has some of that optimistic Naruto charm but it's just not as good as the original series and is less magical the second time around. Overall, the original series is superior to this sequel and more worthy of your time if you're just getting into the franchise. Boruto is still worth a watch if you're looking for even more Naruto content.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about teamwork and how to foster healthy and successful team environments with their children. What do you think makes a team function successfully?

  • Change is another major theme in the series. How does industrialization and modernization affect the world of Boruto? Are there any similarities to how change affects our own world?

TV Details

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Boruto Naruto Next Generations TV show poster: Boruto and his ninja friends are seen in animated poses, behind them is a colorful background showing their village Konohagakure.

What to Watch Next

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