Boruto Episode 223

Boruto Episode 223

What Happened to Amado?

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 223 starts off with Boruto and Mitsuki helping out Himawari and her friends after they come across some shady people in an alley. Based on what we saw, these people have kidnapped Amado.

However, I don’t think that this is going to be a very important plot point. Basically, each Chunin Exam fight isn’t enough content for an entire episode, so we have this sub-plot with Amado going on at the same time to pad out the episodes.

That doesn’t mean that Amado hasn’t actually been kidnapped, though. It’s very possible that this is all just a misunderstanding and Amado is fine. But it’s also possible he really was kidnapped. I just don’t see it being a big deal in the end.

Boruto and Mitsuki on top of the Thunder Train from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Boruto and Mitsuki on top of the Thunder Train

The big question I have right now is, if Amado really was kidnapped, how did that manage to happen? Amado isn’t a shinobi, but from what we’ve seen, he’s still fairly capable when it comes to defending himself. I seriously doubt these random thugs would be able to capture him.

Remember what happened when Amado first showed up outside of the Leaf Village? That’s what makes me think that he hasn’t actually been kidnapped. Maybe he was purchasing some drugs or equipment off them for his research and that’s how they’re taking him to their safehouse.

Oh, and I should also mention that I do think Boruto and Mitsuki will make it to the Chunin Exam in time to not be disqualified. They’ll probably get there right at the last moment to add some excitement. But I think it would be kind of lame for Boruto to get disqualified twice.

Inojin vs. Houki

Obviously, the highlight of the episode was the Chunin Exam match between Inojin and Houki. Going into the fight, I thought either could realistically come out on top. But, as I explained in my review of Episode 222, Houki defeating Inojin was kind of set up.

We were given a “death flag” for Inojin’s Chunin Exam outcome when Shikadai offered to pay for his Team’s meal for the last time. After that, they were all supposed to be chunin and would then split the bill. It’s kind of like saying, “what could possibly go wrong?” just before something goes wrong.

Also, Houki is the only member of his team to make it into the final round of the Chunin Exams. It therefore makes sense for him to pass the exams and become the chunin leader of his two genin teammates.

Houki's Earth Style: Toujinbo jutsu from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Houki’s Earth Style: Toujinbo jutsu

As we saw in the match, Houki is extremely strong. He’s far stronger than I would have expected him to be. But, to be fair, he’s a member of the ANBU Black Ops working under Sai as a genin. Based on that, we should have expected him to be strong.

For now, it seems like Houki’s main drawback is that he can seemingly only use Earth-style jutsu. I mean, his Earth-style jutsu is very powerful. But he’d be a more well-rounded combatant if he had some other styles he could rely upon as well.

Something I liked a lot about Houki, though is that he used his jutsu to set up the arena to his advantage. He created a giant maze of stone and then used his photographic memory to quickly make a mental map of it. That’s the kind of planning ahead and working around your opponent that I would expect from a chunin.

Predictions for the Next Round

As soon as Iwabe’s name came up as the first combatant in the second round of the Chunin Exam finals, I knew his opponent was going to be Wasabi. These two have had a rivalry since they were introduced into the series and they’re both physical fighters.

I also like both Iwabe and Wasabi. Sure, they’re not the most fleshed-out supporting characters. But I don’t think their character designs are that bad, and I think their jutsu are pretty neat. Although, Houki might now be the premier Earth-style user of the Leaf genin/chunin over Iwabe.

Anyway, I think Wasabi is going to win this fight. They’re both anime-original characters, so it’s not like either one of them has to win for the future of the manga. But, I think Wasabi has the better incentive to become a chunin.

Iwabe vs. Wasabi from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Iwabe vs. Wasabi

Wasabi is her team’s de-facto leader. Namida’s definitely not the leader type, and while I like Tsubaki, she’s kind of just a temporary stand-in. So, if anyone from that team was going to be promoted to chunin-rank to lead the team, it would be Wasabi.

As for Iwabe, he’s definitely the strongest member of his team. But if we’re to assume that every genin team is going to come out of this exam with a chunin leader, Denki has to be the pick for Team 5. Iwabe is strong, but he’s not exactly the most strategic shinobi around even if he has combat sense.

Though, to be fair, it’s not as if Wasabi is great with strategy either.

However, Wasabi does have a signature jutsu that gives her a specialized advantage. Iwabe doesn’t have anything like that as far as we know. My bet is that their fight will be pretty even until Wasabi uses her Cat Cloak jutsu in one final push to break through Iwabe’s defenses.

Conclusion

What do you think of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 223? Was Amado really kidnapped by some random thugs? Did you predict the outcome of the match between Inojin and Houki? And what are your predictions for Iwabe vs. Wasabi? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 224 is available now.

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