Boruto Anime’s Two-Year Hiatus: Will the Wait Improve Its Quality?

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is currently being released monthly, and with the release of the most recent chapter, fans noticed it has been two years since we saw the last Boruto: Naruto Next Generations anime episode airing. Although it was confirmed the series will continue, more episodes feel so far away, especially with Studio Pierrot's schedule with some other projects. However, will this pause be 'a blessing in disguise' for the Boruto anime adaptation?

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Anime Started Too Soon

The Boruto: Naruto Next Generations anime aired its most recent episode two years ago, marking the series' hiatus. The series was rightfully, and sometimes not, criticized by fans and critics due to the quality of the product. However, what is often overlooked in these discussions is the significant disparity in release schedules between the manga and anime. With the manga updating monthly while the anime aired weekly for years, this imbalance led to pacing issues and an abundance of filler episodes—one of the same challenges that plagued the original Naruto series at times.

After the hiatus started, Studio Perriot and the creators themselves, Ikemoto and Kishimoto, confirmed the Boruto anime will continue and conclude that particular part of the story. However, despite the two-year hiatus, it seems unlikely that the anime will return anytime soon. This isn’t due to a lack of popularity—Boruto remains a widely recognized series worldwide—but rather because Studio Pierrot has been occupied with other projects. With the studio focusing its efforts elsewhere, fans may have to wait even longer before Boruto makes its long-anticipated return. 

And it's not a bad thing at all.

For further reading on Boruto's journey and the complexities of these characters, you can check out Viz Media for the latest chapters.

Same Mistakes As the Original Series

As we already mentioned, pacing issues due to disparity between manga and anime release schedules heavily affected the quality of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations anime series. Fans felt the storytelling heavily suffered, especially after the anime surpassed the manga and its monthly run. Many filler episodes, the introduction of unimportant characters, and lastly, but not less importantly, poor animation quality due to Studio Perriot's scheduling issues made this series be criticized nonstop by industry people and fans alike.

It felt like history was repeating itself, and we're witnessing another case of rushing and papering over the cracks that was the original series of Naruto at times. People are impatient—they want to see their favorite characters being adapted in the anime, especially after the time skip, but maybe this hiatus brings better quality and improves upon the 'bad' things Boruto series suffered from when it first aired.

Conclusion: Finished Manga Series Will Help Anime's Quality

There are many examples of successful series barely keeping themselves 'above the surface' after writers stop using the source material. Game of Thrones suffered greatly after it surpassed George R.R. Martin's book series; the original Sailor Moon series concluded before the end of the manga run, and Fullmetal Alchemist went through the same situation. The latter project's remake became one of the best anime series in the past two decades after the release of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime series, which followed a finished manga series and concluded the story of the Elric brothers.

Without alluding that Boruto will become one of the best pieces of media the world has ever seen, the hiatus and more original source content can only help the series and its quality of the episodes. Moreover, it will definitely help if Studio Perriot has a free schedule and can actually dedicate itself fully to the project. Nevertheless, the hiatus was needed for the Boruto series, and when it returns, we will welcome it with open arms.

For more Boruto news, check out ScreenRant.