Boruto Episode 140

Boruto Episode 140

The Mind Transfer Jutsu that Lost to Potato Chips

If you haven’t already watched this episode of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, I’d highly recommend that you skip it. In fact, I won’t even fault you for skipping out on this review because literally nothing happened in this episode. I’m not even sure why I’m writing about it.

But, maybe at some point in the future Inojin will use his Mind Transfer jutsu at a key moment, and we’ll have this episode to thank for it.

Basically, we know that Inojin mainly uses the jutsu passed down to him by his father: the Super Beast Scroll jutsu. However, the jutsu passed down to him by his mother is almost just as important. They’re both used in different scenarios, but as I’ll discuss later on, the Super Beast Scroll is probably the better pick.

Chouchou and Inojin talking to a Tanuki from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Chouchou and Inojin talking to a Tanuki

So, since Inojin isn’t very adept at using the Mind Transfer jutsu, he asks his mom to train him. First, he starts off transferring his mind into a tanuki — because apparently animals have weaker wills than humans and so it’s easier to take control of their minds.

He then graduates to transferring his mind into Chouchou, which normally wouldn’t be much of an issue. I doubt there’s a real difference between Chouchou and a tanuki in most situations. But, to make things harder, he has to take over Chouchou’s mind while she’s trying to get at her favorite flavor of potato chips.

And this is one of the more interesting parts of the Mind Transfer jutsu. You’d expect it to be more effective on those who are susceptible to genjutsu, not those who have weaker wills.

Mind Transfer vs. Shadow Possession

But as I mentioned, I think the Super Beast Scroll jutsu is best for Inojin, and the reason for that is Shikadai already knows the Shadow Possession jutsu. While they do have their differences, the basic concept behind Mind Transfer and Shadow Possession is the same.

Both jutsu effectively immobilize their users, but also immobilize their opponents.

The benefit of Shadow Possession — and the lesser Shadow Paralysis — is that multiple people can be stopped in their tracks at once. However, the drawback is that it doesn’t work unless there’s a light source strong enough to make sizable shadows.

Mind Transfer is basically the opposite. It can work in any lighting conditions, including the dark. But, it’s limited to controlling only one opponent at a time.

So while in most cases the Shadow Possession jutsu is superior, there are a few instances in which Mind Transfer could be necessary. Also, let’s not forget that the Ino-Shika-Cho trio really relies on the Mind Transfer jutsu to an extent.

The Shadow Possession jutsu is supposed to be used to stop an enemy in their tracks. Then either the enemy can be wiped out with the Partial Expansion jutsu, or they can have their body taken over by the Mind Transfer jutsu. It all depends on the particular goal the team has in mind.

Also, I don’t remember if either the Mind Transfer of Shadow Possession jutsu can force a person to use jutsu of their own. I’m sure we’ve seen Shikamaru use the Shadow Possession jutsu like that in the past if it’s possible, but I can’t think of any time it’s happened off the top of my head.

Ino and Sai Yamanaka

And because there’s not really anything else to talk about regarding this episode, let’s take a look at the relationship between Ino and Sai.

I’ve never really understood the Ino x Sai pairing. Sai was basically Ino’s second choice after it was clear that Sakura was going to end up with Sasuke — so that’s already not the best start. But even more than that, Ino and Sai have nothing in common, and we never really saw them interact much.

Think of it this way, Ino is an overly-aggressive flower shop worker while Sai is an emotionless assassin. Why would you ever think that these two would end up together? But, end up together they did. And they managed to have a kid which is strange since Ino was surprised that Sai even hugged her (which was technically Inojin controlling Sai).

Sai apologizing to Ino from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Sai apologizing to Ino

I’m also pretty sure that having both Ino and Sai as parents is why Inojin turned out the way he did — submissive and self-doubting. Ino is clearly the head of their household and rules with an iron fist. On the other hand we have Sai, who appears to go along with anything his wife says in most situations.

And growing up as a boy in this household, Inojin would have witnessed this dynamic between his parents. Just as his father doesn’t typically stand up for himself, neither does Inojin in most cases. He’s also very doubtful of his own abilities — after all there was another filler episode where he didn’t believe in himself enough to use the Super Beast Scroll.

I’d also like to think that if Inojin had been born a girl, he would have taken after his mother more than his father. There’s no way Ino would raise a daughter submissive to male authority.

Conclusion

Did you watch Boruto: Naruto Next Generations episode 140? If so, what are your thoughts? Do you think the Mind Transfer or Shadow Possession jutsu is better? And, what do you think of the relationship between Ino and Sai? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of the next episode is available here.

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