Kawaki vs. Code

The final episode of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Part 1 is here. And, as expected, it was a good episode. It had drama, it had action, and most importantly, it didn’t have comedy. That’s the one thing that could have ruined the episode.

Let’s start by talking about the action. The fight between Kawaki and Code was great. It could have involved a bit more ninjutsu use. But, it had a good mix of taijutsu and other abilities. It wasn’t pure taijutsu and it wasn’t all Kawaki and Code relying on their unique abilities.

I should also point out that I’m not entirely sure how to classify some of the abilities these two have. Taijutsu is easy — it’s using martial arts. Kawaki also uses dōjutsu, which are eye techniques. But, what about the other things they do?

What does Kawaki’s ability to turn his body into a weapon count as? He’s not using hand signs, so it’s unlikely to be ninjutsu. And he could still use it when he didn’t have his Karma. So, it’s more like an innate ability he has, likely created by Amado.

And the same is true for Code’s claws and claw mark ability. They’re not ninjutsu. Instead, they’re innate abilities Code has — again likely created by Amado. Maybe we should start calling them Amadojutsu? Or, we could stick to calling them abilities, which is what I’m going to do. It’s easier that way.

Of course, Kawaki does also have Karma abilities. He can use his Karma to absorb ninjutsu. And the blast attack he uses against Code at the end also comes from his Karma. You may recall Kawaki using this same attack to kill Garo in Episode 189. Luckily for Code, he has Daemon.

The Threat of Momoshiki Is Gone

One of my predictions from my Episode 292 review came true. Though, it didn’t come true exactly as I expected it to. What was that prediction? I predicted that Boruto’s death would eliminate Momoshiki’s ability to revive himself.

Since Boruto is the protagonist, he obviously wasn’t going to stay dead. But, my reasoning was that the act of dying would void Momoshiki’s Karma. With no other vessel for his soul to go into, Momoshiki would disappear. And then, Amado and Sakura could revive Boruto with jutsu and science.

Instead, it was Momoshiki who revived Boruto. So, does that mean Momoshiki can still use Boruto as his vessel? As far as we know, no. Momoshiki had to use part of the Karma to revive him. And in doing so, he made it so he can no longer use Boruto as his vessel.

Before I go any further, this means Kawaki doesn’t need to view Boruto as a threat. Momoshiki can’t come back, so there’s no longer a reason to kill Boruto. But, Boruto doesn’t tell Kawaki this. So, what we have is a classic case of “anime misunderstanding syndrome.”

Why would Momoshiki have done this, though? Sure, he didn’t want his vessel to die. But, by reviving Boruto, he voided Boruto as his vessel anyway. Since the outcome is the same either way for Momoshiki, you’d think he’d let Boruto die. He hates Boruto, after all.

Well, there is one difference between these two situations for Momoshiki. By reviving Boruto himself, Momoshiki saved his own soul from disappearing. Why does this matter? Because now it’s even more likely that Momoshiki will become “Boruto’s Kurama.” He’ll be a godly presence within Boruto who can lend his power to Boruto when he needs it.

Boruto and Kawaki

At the end of Episode 293, we got one step closer to the events from the beginning of Episode 1. But, we’re still not there yet. And as far as I know, the manga isn’t there yet, either.

We now have a bit better of an understanding as to why Boruto and Kawaki will face off. Kawaki views Boruto as a threat to Naruto because of Momoshiki. And, as Kawaki states, he’s going to kill anyone who puts Naruto in danger. However, this still doesn’t quite add up with what we know happens.

In Episode 1, Kawaki very clearly stated that he’d send Boruto to where he sent Naruto. Based on everything we know, Kawaki wouldn’t physically harm Naruto. So, this seems to imply that where he’s sending Boruto isn’t “bad.” He’s not saying he’s going to kill Boruto in Episode 1.

So, if that’s the case, what’s going on? If he’s no longer trying to kill Boruto, then he (rightly) doesn’t view Momoshiki as a threat anymore. The problem then becomes, if that’s not why he’s fighting Boruto, why is he fighting Boruto? I have a theory.

It’s clear that Kawaki has gone tsundere when it comes to Naruto. He wants to protect Naruto so much he doesn’t care about the pain he causes Naruto. As an example, he had no problem killing Boruto right before Naruto’s eyes. So, I could see Kawaki viewing all shinobi as a potential threat to Naruto.

Remember, in Episode 1, Kawaki tells Boruto that the age of shinobi is over. Based on what we now know, this sounds like Kawaki is planning to become the ruler of the world. He’s going to eliminate the need for shinobi and create a peaceful world by force.

Conclusion

So, where did Kawaki send Naruto for safekeeping? And where is he planning to send Boruto? The Infinite Tsukuyomi kind of makes sense considering Kawaki is now an Ōtsutsuki. He technically has the ability to send Naruto into a “world” of peace and safety. He’ll pretty much become Madara Uchiha if this is true.

Anyway, if you enjoyed this final Boruto episode review for a while, click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

Momoshiki Strikes Back

A lot happened in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 292. And, I have quite a few opinions about the things that happened in this episode. Also, I have some new theories based on what we saw. So, this review is probably going to be a bit longer than usual.

To start off, we need to talk about Momoshiki. We got to see him fight against Code for a little bit in this episode. And from what we saw, it was clear that Code doesn’t stand a chance against him.

That checks out, though. We know that Code has a defective Karma, which seems to cause him to be a bit weaker than normal. We also know that there’s a limiter placed on Code. Though, we have no idea how much this actually limits him because we’ve never seen him fight without it.

It’s also important to note that Momoshiki doesn’t view Code as his ally. But, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like Code’s idea of killing Naruto. After all, Momoshiki wants revenge, and Naruto is right there in front of him. Why shouldn’t he take his revenge on the Hokage by using Boruto’s body to kill Naruto?

Well, the thing is, Code’s trying to use Momoshiki. Despite what Kawaki believes, I’m still certain Naruto could defeat Code right now. And I’m confident that Code knows that, too. That’s why he’s trying to manipulate Momoshiki into killing Naruto. Then, Code can escape with Kawaki and deal with Momoshiki later.

And in case you forgot, Code will have to deal with Momoshiki later. His plan relies on sacrificing Boruto/Momoshiki to the Ten-Tails. Even though Kawaki would be a valid sacrifice, he can’t use Kawaki because of Eida. And he can’t go against her charm ability.

Code Lies to a God

Before Shikamaru and Naruto showed up, Code was trying to talk his way out of fighting Momoshiki. And when Kawaki got involved, he also began trying to talk Momoshiki out of killing Kawaki. But, did he do this because of Eida’s charm ability? It doesn’t seem like that’s the case.

Yes, because of Eida’s ability, Code isn’t going to sacrifice Kawaki. But, I haven’t seen any proof so far that her ability will make Code go out of his way to save Kawaki. It might work if she was directly in front of him telling him to save Kawaki. But, she’s not.

Instead, Code seems to want to save Kawaki because, without Kawaki, he loses Eida’s help. She would have no further incentive to work with Code and help him realize his goal. And he needs her because of how powerful her abilities are.

So, to stop Momoshiki from killing Kawaki, Code lies. Code says that Momoshiki shouldn’t kill Kawaki because he’ll need to use Kawaki as a sacrifice. And, this seems to make sense to Momoshiki. He decides to only break Kawaki’s limbs if he keeps getting in the way. What a nice guy.

But, here’s the thing. The plan Code offered up to Momoshiki will never work. We already know that Code plans to sacrifice Momoshiki. They’re not going to suddenly team up and use Kawaki as a sacrifice. That would go against everything Code wants — to make himself into an Ōtsutsuki. He needs to eliminate Momoshiki.

Kawaki Ōtsutsuki

I didn’t expect Kawaki to reawaken his Karma so soon. But, we did get an explanation for how this happened so quickly. Amado had apparently already reactivated Kawaki’s Karma without telling him. All Kawaki had to do was try to use it, which he did here.

So, that solves one of the issues that was standing between us and the events of Episode 1. Kawaki had his Karma in the flash-forward from that episode. And now, he has his Karma back. But, we’re not completely ready to get to the events of Episode 1 yet. There are still some problems.

One of those problems is that we still don’t know why Kawaki and Boruto were fighting. Though, as I think I pointed out in an earlier review, it seems to be because Kawaki wants to protect Boruto.

Kawaki’s “I’ll send you to where I sent the Seventh Hokage” line doesn’t sound malicious anymore. We know he loves Naruto. So, now, it sounds more like he sent Naruto to another dimension for safekeeping. And he wants to send Boruto there, as well, until after Kawaki defeats the bad guy (likely Code).

Anyway, back to Kawaki reawakening his Karma. When he does this, he actually gains more abilities than he previously had. He can now use all of Isshiki’s abilities, including his dōjutsu. Though, I do want to point out that Kawaki’s version of the eye doesn’t look exactly the same as Isshiki’s.

Also, we need to consider what Eida said about Amado planning for Kawaki to awaken his Karma here. At this point, I’m no longer sure what Amado’s ultimate goal is. I could still be right in that he wants Kawaki to destroy all his cyborgs. But, is there more to it?

Does Amado Want an Ōtsutsuki of His Own?

What do we know about Amado so far? We know he wanted to take down Isshiki. We also know he created cyborgs who were even stronger than Isshiki was while he was using Jigen as his vessel. And, we know he’s pushing Kawaki to become more like an Ōtsutsuki.

So, what’s going on here? Well, Amado seems to know an awful lot about the Ōtsutsuki. I highly doubt Isshiki happened to stumble upon Amado and invite him into Kara. I find it more likely that Amado was the one who approached Isshiki.

Then, once working under Isshiki, Amado created cyborgs that could rival him. Why? Did he simply want to defeat Isshiki and save the planet? Or, is this a case of a scientist trying to play god? It would say a lot about Amado’s abilities if his creations were able to defeat a god like an Ōtsutsuki.

But, maybe Amado got tired of creating cyborgs to go up against gods. What if he wanted to create a god of his own? Well, that’s where Kawaki comes in. With Kawaki, Amado has an Ōtsutsuki who isn’t the product of an Ōtsutsuki reincarnation.

And on top of that, Kawaki is someone Amado can manipulate. He can’t manipulate true Ōtsutsuki members. There’s no way Isshiki or Momoshiki would listen to him. And since Code is a dud, that leaves Kawaki.

I’m thinking that this is what Amado is after. It makes sense from the perspective of the Boruto series. The series is all about the potential dangers of technology if used for evil. And Amado wanting to create gods using science fits right into that.

RIP Boruto Uzumaki

I’m not sure what the biggest surprise of Episode 292 was. Was it Kawaki reawakening his Karma and being able to use Isshiki’s jutsu? Or, was it Kawaki literally killing Boruto at the end of the episode? Both were certainly surprising. But, I’ll give Boruto dying the win this time.

Now, the thing I found most interesting about this whole situation was Boruto’s role. He was a willing participant in his own killing. He and Kawaki made a deal that if Momoshiki took over again, Kawaki would kill Boruto. They both agreed to this.

From Naruto’s perspective, it looked like Kawaki went crazy and didn’t care if he killed Boruto. But, that was never the case. His goal was to kill Boruto — and Boruto himself wanted Kawaki to do it. That’s what made the final scene of Kawaki killing him so powerful.

But, as much as I liked that scene, there was some stuff before it that I didn’t like. In particular, I didn’t like how Kawaki suddenly became Sasuke when fighting Momoshiki. What do I mean by this? I mean we saw Kawaki completing his own hand signs using Boruto’s hand.

That’s something Sasuke did to Naruto in Shippūden Episode 476. In fact, it’s almost the exact same thing — Kawaki even flipped backward to use the jutsu like Sasuke. The only difference is the second hand sign because they used different fire jutsu.

So, why didn’t I like this? First, let me say that it was a cool reference to an iconic moment from Shippūden. But, the reason Sasuke could do that to Naruto is, in part, because of his Sharingan. Kawaki doesn’t have that. However, I’ll allow the implication that Kawaki knows Boruto as well as Sasuke knew Naruto.

Kawaki: Naruto Next Generations

With Boruto dead, does that mean Kawaki is going to be the main character in Part 2? No. But, it does make things a bit awkward. For instance, how are we going to get the scene from Episode 1 if Boruto is dead?

Well, luckily, the Leaf Village has an excellent doctor and an excellent scientist. I’m sure the combined power of Sakura and Amado will be enough to bring Boruto back to life. And once Boruto does come back to life, that’s when things really start to get interesting. You see, his death might be the key that unlocks the whole series.

What do I mean by this, though? In case you didn’t read my review of Episode 291, I said that it seemed like the Jougan was retconned out. We haven’t seen it show up in a long time. But, that might change in Part 2 thanks to Boruto’s death.

Consider Kawaki’s new dōjutsu. It’s almost exactly the same as Isshiki’s. It looks a little different. But, that could be because Isshiki had a more advanced version of it — like how the Sharingan works. So, what if something similar happens with Boruto?

When Boruto died, that should have eliminated him as a vessel for Momoshiki to revive with. That makes him the same as Kawaki. Now, if Boruto makes his Karma his own as Kawaki did, he should get a version of Momoshiki’s dōjutsu too. And what is Momoshiki’s dōjutsu? It’s a Byakugan.

Basically, what I’m getting at is that the Jougan could be Boruto’s “new” version of the Byakugan. It only began manifesting after he became Momoshiki’s vessel. So, my assumption is that Boruto will be able to activate the Jougan at will once he makes his Karma his own like Kawaki.

Conclusion

What do you think of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 292? Do you think Momoshiki died with Boruto? How do you feel about Kawaki acquiring all of Isshiki’s abilities? And, do you think Amado is planning to create an Ōtsutsuki he can control? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubeSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 293 is available now.