Category: Weekly Reviews

Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 12

Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 12

Another Perspective on War

I was wrong about how Canute planned to use Olmar to take Ketil’s farm. Last week, I predicted they’d get Olmar to do something like steal from the King. But, they actually tried (and succeeded) to get him to kill a member of the King’s guard.

In hindsight, this actually makes more sense. And I’m glad that Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 12 went down this path. Why? Because this is an anti-war anime. Now that Olmar has killed a man, we’ll get to dissect how that changes him as a person.

But, you may be thinking that we have enough characters affected by war to follow. Do we really need Olmar’s perspective, as well? The answer is yes. Olmar’s perspective differs from all the other characters we’re following in the story. Each character brings a unique perspective when it comes to war.

A member of the King's guard laughing at Olmar from the anime series Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 12
A member of the King’s guard laughing at Olmar

To illustrate this point, let’s go through a few of the major characters from this season. Thorfinn was once consumed by vengeance and hurt people he didn’t even know, but now sees the error of his ways. Opposite him, we have Einar, one of the many people whom war has hurt.

There’s also Canute, who’s haunted by his actions but can’t help but be consumed by his desire for power. And what about Ketil? He’s a man who’s afraid of war but made up stories claiming to be a war hero to benefit himself.

Then, we have Ketil’s son, Thorgil, who so far, appears to be obsessed with war and death. I’ll discuss him more in a bit. And, lastly, we now have Olmar. Olmar is an unwilling participant. He never intended to kill anyone. But now that he has, he must carry that weight.

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Olmar Did Nothing Wrong

Let’s look at the evidence against Olmar, Thorgil, and Ketil to determine their guilt. But, before I do that, let me just make one thing clear. If Olmar or Thorgil is guilty, Ketil is as well. In many cultures, the parents are responsible for the actions of the children.

So, with that in mind, that’s Ketil’s only possible offense. He didn’t do anything else that would warrant punishment. What about Olmar and Thorgil, though? Well, I’m going to say that Olmar is safe. Yes, he did kill a man. But, we need to look at the circumstances around that killing.

Of course, Olmar only killed him due to outside interference in their duel. But, let’s ignore that. The fact is that Olmar killed a man in a duel that they both agreed to. And, this duel was about honor, which, according to Thorgil, is a regular occurrence.

Thorgil standing his ground from the anime series Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 12
Thorgil standing his ground

Yes, you could argue, as the King’s guard do, that duels are illegal. But, based on what Thorgil said, dueling between men for honor has never led to punishment before. If duels never resulted in punishments before, then why now? Olmar did nothing wrong.

Thorgil’s actions are a bit more suspect. He wasn’t involved in a duel. But, he was protecting someone from 4 armed attackers. I have no problem with him doing that. Even the fact that he killed all 4 men is fine. They intended to kill Olmar, so they should anticipate that they could be the ones killed instead.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

But, where Thorgil messes up is when he kills the additional guards who come to arrest him, Ketil, and Olmar. He did this because he knew they were being set up. But, that doesn’t excuse those killings.

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Thorgil the Mad

As I mentioned earlier, Thorgil seems to love war and death. I have a feeling that he would enjoy his time in the underworld where Thorfinn met Askeladd. If he could slaughter his enemies 24/7, that would be like paradise to Thorgil.

And if you have any doubt about this, just look at Thorgil’s response to becoming a fugitive. Thorgil is actually looking forward to fighting Canute’s soldiers. He knows they’re strong, and he wants to go up against strong opponents. That’s not the thought process of a normal, rational person.

But, you may have noticed that Thorgil has a lot in common with another character, Thorkell. Thorkell also loves war and only wants to fight against strong opponents. And, if I’m remembering correctly, he’s a member of the Jomsvikings. This is the group that’s going to accompany Canute to Ketil’s farm.

Thorgil anticipating fighting the King's army from the anime series Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 12
Thorgil anticipating fighting the King’s army

That’s right, we might get to see a duel between Thorgil and Thorkell, two of the strongest warriors. And I’m sure they would love to fight each other. That’s exactly what they’re both looking for. But, there’s always a chance that we don’t get this fight.

Who do you think would win? Thorkell has a size advantage. He’s not called Thorkell the Tall for nothing. Thorkell is also more of a wildcard, which could play to his advantage, as well. But, I’m going to assume Thorgil has more skill when it comes to fighting.

Thorgil may be insane like Thorkell. But, he’s also capable of rational thinking during a fight. The fighting we saw from Thorgil in this episode was methodical and executed well. Thorkell, on the other hand, is more like a berserker.

I’d give the fight to Thorgil. But, we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

Conclusion

What do you think of Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 12? How do you think killing a man will affect Olmar? At what point would you say Thorgil crossed a line in his fight? And, do you think he could beat Thorkell? Let me know in the comments.

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Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 293

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 293

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?

Kawaki preparing to kill Code from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 293
Kawaki preparing to kill Code

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.

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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.

The Karma spreading over Boruto's Body from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 293
The Karma spreading over Boruto’s Body

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.

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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.

Boruto Uzumaki declaring he'll fight against his fate from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 293
Boruto declaring he’ll fight against his fate

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.

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My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 138

My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 138

Hero Killer Stain Returns

My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 138 wasn’t a great episode. But, it was still vastly better than Episode 137, which was the worst episode of the season. I was pretty sure Episode 138 wouldn’t steal that distinction. But, since this is MHA, that was always a possibility.

One thing I was hoping for from this episode was more Stain content. We did get Stain content. And it was pretty good Stain content. However, I would have liked to see him do a bit more. For example, wouldn’t it have been crazy to see him and All Might actually team up?

Instead, the extent of Stain’s help was giving All Might data collected on All for One by Tartarus. Well, that and giving All Might a pep-talk. Then, he leaves and says that one day All Might should come to defeat him.

All Might's legacy from the anime series My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 138
All Might’s legacy

What I liked most about Stain’s appearance in Episode 138 is that it doesn’t appear to be a one-off. Stain’s parting message implies that we’ll get to see him again later on. And when we do eventually see him again, it should be for the conclusion of his character arc.

Now, he mentions that All Might should be the one to stop him. But, that doesn’t seem very likely considering All Might’s current condition. So, my guess is that Deku will once again be the one to stop Stain. And when he does, Stain will probably recognize Deku as All Might’s successor.

If you recall, Stain’s whole thing is that he hates false heroes. He hates heroes who are in the business for fame and fortune. And he hates heroes who don’t have the ability to back up their words and save everyone. Recognizing Deku as a true hero would be a fitting end.

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The Band Is Getting Back Together

One thing I can’t say I was expecting from Episode 138 was a jumpscare. The scariest thing I’ve seen in a long time was Jirou suggesting a Class A band reunion concert. The culture festival was already the worst part of the series. Don’t make me relive that trauma.

The good news is that I didn’t have to suffer through another band performance in this episode. The bad news is that Season 7 (which is happening) might include this performance in Episode 1. I’m really hoping we get to skip over it, though.

Honestly, this season was actually better than most when it comes to boring content at the end. From what I remember, most My Hero Academia seasons end with a slice of life episode. And, I couldn’t care less about the daily lives of the students.

The Class A band getting back together from the anime series My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 138
The Class A band getting back together

Sure, we still got some of that slice of life content in this episode. But, the majority of the episode wasn’t like that. Only about a third of the episode featured this type of content. The first third was about Stain meeting All Might. And the final third was about preparing to take down All for One and Shigaraki.

Speaking about taking down All for One and Shigaraki, there isn’t much time left. Based on the data they retrieved from Dr. Garaki’s lab, they assumed they had 2 months. But, the new information from Stain suggests they have less time than they expected.

According to this information, Shigaraki only needs 38 days to be ready to become All for One’s vessel. And that’s 38 days since he was prematurely awakened from the test tube. It’s already been 35 days since then. So, there are only 3 days remaining until Shigaraki is ready.

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Heroes From Around the World

I hate to say it, but I’m actually looking forward to Season 7. Not because we’re getting closer to the final battle, though. The reason I’m looking forward to it is that we’re going to get some new pro heroes thrown into the mix.

The end of Episode 138 introduced Salaam, Big Red Dot, and Star and Stripe. All 3 are top heroes from other countries. I’m assuming Salaam is from Egypt. I have no idea where Big Red Dot is from. And we’re told that Star and Stripe is the #1 hero from the United States.

And yes, I know that both Salaam and Big Red Dot were in My Hero Academia the Movie 3: World Heroes’ Mission. But, guess what? I haven’t watched any of the MHA movies and I have no plans to. So, for me, these are brand-new heroes.

America's #1 Hero: Star and Stripe from the anime series My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 138
America’s #1 Hero: Star and Stripe

Based on Salaam’s appearance, I’m going to guess their quirk has something to do with being 2D. The fact that they seem to be 2D could be their entire quirk. Maybe they can turn sideways and virtually disappear. Or, they could be able to turn things they touch into 2D objects.

There’s even less to go on when it comes to Big Red Dot. He has a lion’s head. So, does that mean he can do everything a lion can? Or, is there more to his quirk than that? I assume there has to be more to it.

Finally, there’s Star and Stripe (not Stars and Stripes). She looks like a female All Might, so could she also have super strength? That would be a bit boring if her quirk was effectively the same as Power Storage. But, she doesn’t look like she’d have some wacky, niche quirk.

Conclusion

What do you think about the final episode of My Hero Academia Season 6? Were you hoping that Stain would stick around? Do you want to see another performance by the Class A band? And, what do you think Star and Stripe’s quirk is? Let me know in the comments.

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Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 11

Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 11

How a King Fights

Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 11 starts off with a scene of Canute doing combat training. As a king of Danes, it’s important for him to be able to lead his men into battle. If he doesn’t do this, they won’t consider him to be their king.

During this training, Canute’s sparing partner (I forget his name) points out a flaw of Canute’s. Whenever he’s tired, Canute tends to retreat in an attempt to give himself a break. But, this is a bad idea for 2 reasons. The first is that it only extends the fight.

It’s better to be more aggressive and push forward to defeat your opponent quickly. That will actually lead to expending less energy than if you get into a long, drawn-out fight. And on top of that, if you pull back, your opponent could capitalize on it and push their advantage.

Canute wearing armor from the anime series Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 11
Canute wearing armor

The second reason it’s a bad idea for Canute to retreat is that it looks bad. His men will be looking to him to lead by example. If they see him retreating, that will destroy their morale and cause their ranks to break. This is why he needs to be able to fight.

Additionally, the enemy will be looking at him because he’s the commander. If he shows signs of weakness, such as by retreating, that will bolster their morale. This, combined with the hit his own soldiers’ morale will take, could be costly on the battlefield.

One last thing I want to point out is how Canute defeated his sparring partner. Canute tricked him into looking away so he could launch a surprise attack. This is risky because his men could view it as a cowardly tactic. Or, they could view it as Canute using his knowledge of his opponent.

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The Idiot Son and the Merchant

By the time Ketil arrives in Jelling, King Harald has already died. But, that doesn’t mean this trip is all for nothing. King Canute is in town, which means Ketil can attempt to get in his good graces. However, there’s one thing standing in Ketil’s way: Olmar.

As we saw, Olmar made a fool of himself multiple times in Episode 11. The first time was when he bumped into a merchant and caused the merchant to drop his wares. Olmar claims the merchant bumped into him. But, I think we all know whose fault it was.

This merchant turns out to be the adopted son of Leif Ericson — and his name is Thorfinn. At least, that’s what Leif introduces himself as. This “Thorfinn” also goes by the name Bug Eyes. And it’s unclear if his name is actually Thorfinn, or if that’s just the name he’s currently using.

Olmar combing his hair from the anime series Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 11
Olmar combing his hair

I’m going to assume that Leif offered up a bounty for anyone who could locate Thorfinn. So, this “Thorfinn” could be one of the people who took him up on that. You know, like how people sometimes pretend they’re a kid who went missing 20 years ago.

Obviously, this isn’t the Thorfinn Leif is looking for. But, he seems to have kept him around for 2 reasons. The first is that he could use the help with his merchant business. And the second, and more important, is that Leif can use him to find the real Thorfinn.

I’m not sure how often the fact that Bug Eyes’s name is Thorfinn actually comes up. But, because he sort of looks like Leif’s Thorfinn, he’s a good model to use when explaining who Thorfinn is. If you can say “he looks like this guy,” that could be helpful.

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Requisitioning Ketil’s Farm

We finally know how Thorfinn’s and Canute’s worlds are going to collide. Canute plans to requisition Ketil’s farm for the benefit of his kingdom. That means he’s going to take the farm from Ketil and it will belong to the kingdom. Why? So the kingdom can keep 100% of the profits it generates.

Technically, Canute doesn’t need a reason to requisition Ketil’s farm. Ketil is one of his subjects and Canute is the king. He can take the farm if he wants and there’s nothing Ketil can do about it. But, Canute isn’t going to do that.

If Canute began taking the land of his subjects without cause, that would reflect poorly on him. His other wealthy subjects may worry that their farms could be next. And once that happens, an uprising could be on the horizon. That’s not what Canute wants — and that’s also why he doesn’t want to raise taxes.

King Canute from the anime series Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 11
King Canute

So, how is Canute going to justify requisitioning Ketil’s farm? This seems to be where Olmar comes into play, once again. Canute and his inner circle believe they can use Olmar because of his stupidity. And the implication was that they’re going to use him to take the farm.

How does that work, though? My guess is that they’re going to trick Olmar into committing some sort of crime against the kingdom. For example, they might get him to unknowingly steal something from the King. Or, he might get antagonized into starting a fight with someone he shouldn’t.

Regardless of what offense Olmar commits, Canute could then use this against Ketil. Let’s say Olmar steals something from the King. Under normal circumstances, the punishment might be death. But, Canute could be merciful and allow Ketil to trade his farm for his son’s life.

Conclusion

What do you think of Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 11? Will Canute’s tendency to retreat come up again and hurt him? Has Olmar’s character gone beyond the point of redemption? And, how do you think Canute is going to justify requisitioning Ketil’s farm? 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 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.

My review of Episode 12 is available now.

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Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 292

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 292

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.

Momoshiki controlling Boruto's body from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 292
Momoshiki controlling Boruto’s body

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.

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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 reawakening his Karma to save Naruto from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 292
Kawaki reawakening his Karma to save Naruto

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.

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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.

Boruto Uzumaki killed by Kawaki from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 292
Boruto killed by Kawaki

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.

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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.

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