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.

The End of Part 1

Before I get into the review of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 291, I have some news. As I’m assuming most of you reading this are aware, Boruto is coming to an end — for now. “Part 1” of the Boruto anime will end with Episode 293.

This is a huge deal because the Boruto anime has been running for as long as this blog has been around. Now, it’s not like I reviewed every episode. At the start, I wasn’t doing episode reviews. And at times, I replaced the Boruto episode reviews with other series when Boruto had filler.

But, generally speaking, Boruto content has been an important feature of this site. So, where do we go from here? Well, we still have 2 more episodes to review after this one. And whenever the Boruto anime returns with Part 2, the episode reviews will resume.

Also, just because the Boruto anime is going on hiatus doesn’t mean I won’t be putting out more Boruto content. Stay tuned for more information on that at the end of the Episode 293 review.

Code, the Fake Ōtsutsuki Fanboy

Boruto Episode 291 was a good episode, and I expect the next 2 episodes to be good, as well. As Episode 290 managed to do, Episode 291 actually made me think Code has some potential as an antagonist. He has moments that make him seem cool.

But, what I want to talk about this week is Code’s plan for the future. As we know from Episode 287, Isshiki tasked Code with becoming a new Ōtsutsuki. And in that episode, Isshiki laid out the steps Code needs to take to achieve that.

First, Code needs to capture Boruto because Boruto is technically an Ōtsutsuki. Next, he needs to sacrifice Boruto to the Ten-Tails, thus creating a chakra tree. Then, he needs to use the chakra tree to suck the planet dry and turn himself into a true Ōtsutsuki. And finally, he needs to repeat the process on other planets.

Code tells Boruto and Kawaki his reason for doing all this is that he worships the Ōtsutsuki. To Code, the Ōtsutsuki clan are gods. But, I’m not so sure that Code really reveres the Ōtsutsuki clan as much as he says. His actions don’t match up with what he’s saying.

If Code was truly the Ōtsutsuki clan’s #1 fanboy, why is he trying to kill Momoshiki? Isshiki can’t come back since Kawaki had his Karma removed. But, that’s not true for Momoshiki. Momoshiki can use Boruto’s body to revive himself. So, why isn’t Code trying to help facilitate that?

If what Code said about revering the Ōtsutsuki is true, he should want to revive Momoshiki. Instead, Code plans to sacrifice Momoshiki’s vessel to turn himself into an Ōtsutsuki. And, at one point, he said it didn’t matter to him whether he sacrificed Boruto or Momoshiki.

Boruto & Momoshiki GX

At this point, I’m wondering if we’re ever going to see Boruto’s Jougan dōjutsu again. You may have forgotten about it since we haven’t seen it in forever. But, Boruto has a special dōjutsu in one of his eyes that lets him see “evil” chakra or something.

And, in case you’re wondering, it’s not the Jougan we see when Boruto activates his Karma. Instead, it’s Momoshiki’s Byakugan. How do we know this? Because the Jougan and Byakugan don’t look the same. The Jougan is a light blue color while the Byakugan is more of a pale lavender.

At this point, I have a feeling Boruto’s Jougan was effectively retconned out of the series. Maybe I’m wrong and we’ll see it return in Part 2. But, I’m not sure we’ve actually seen the Jougan in the anime since Episode 125. And if I’m not mistaken, it has never officially appeared in the manga.

So, why am I bringing up the Jougan now? The main reason is that I’m not sure it’s necessary. Boruto already has access to Momoshiki’s abilities as his vessel. And from what we know about it, the Jougan doesn’t add much more beyond that.

Why does Boruto even need the Jougan, anyway? He already has other things that make him unique. For one, he has a Karma. Sure the Karma isn’t unique to Boruto. But, his is different than both Codes and Kawaki’s in that it makes him Momoshiki’s vessel.

And being Momoshiki’s vessel is the other thing that makes Boruto unique. Momoshiki is to Boruto what Kurama was to Naruto. I could definitely see Boruto and Momoshiki learning to work together in the future in the same way. So, why does Boruto also need a one-of-a-kind dōjutsu, as well?

Amado’s Plan

Let’s talk about Amado for a bit. In my review of Episode 289, I predicted what Amado’s goal was. I predicted that he wants to use Kawaki to destroy the other cyborgs he created. Those other cyborgs are, of course, Code, Eida, and Daemon.

But, why does Amado want to destroy them? And why did he create them in the first place? To answer those questions, we have to go way back to Episode 214. That’s the episode in which Koji Kashin fought Isshiki and we found out Amado’s goal was to kill Isshiki.

So, why did Amado create Koji Kashin? He created Koji specifically to defeat Isshiki. But, he led Isshiki to believe that he created Koji to serve Isshiki. With that in mind, I assume the same is true of the other cyborgs. They were all likely originally created by Amado to fight against Isshiki, not for him.

As we know, things didn’t turn out that way. Koji Kashin ended up as the only cyborg on Amado’s side. But, how did it come to that? With Code, the answer seems pretty obvious. Amado didn’t anticipate Code becoming a loyal follower of Isshiki.

What about Eida and Daemon, though? Their situation is a bit different. For starters, they’re not followers of Isshiki. And because of that, and the fact that they’re strong, Isshiki ordered Boro to destroy them. Isshiki viewed these powerful cyborgs who weren’t 100% devoted to him as threats.

Boro didn’t destroy them because of Eida’s charm, though. And, this ability is also why Eida hates Amado. So, now Amado needs someone to defeat Code (because he inherited Isshiki’s will). And he needs someone to defeat Eida and Daemon, the other rogue cyborgs he created. Kawaki is that someone.

Conclusion

What do you think of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 291? Do you think Code is actually devoted to the Ōtsutsuki clan, or only using that as an excuse to gain power for himself? Do you expect Boruto and Momoshiki to become the new Naruto and Kurama? And, do you think Amado knows Eida and Daemon are still alive? 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 292 is available now.

Escaping the Sensory Team

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 290 actually had some good Code content. But, before we get to that, let’s talk about Kawaki and how he gave the sensory team the slip. Apparently, Kawaki can suppress his chakra signature and move around undetected.

At the start of the episode, Inojin mentioned that this is the only way to bypass the sensory team. Because of this statement, I knew someone would do that in this episode. But, I assumed it would be Code. I wasn’t expecting Kawaki would be the one to do it.

Up until this point, there was no indication that Kawaki had any such ability. Though, once Kawaki started sneaking around, it became pretty clear that it was going to be him, not Code. And I thought it was obvious that he would pair this ability with the Shadow Clone jutsu.

If he hadn’t created a Shadow Clone, it would have been too obvious. Nishi would have noticed that his chakra signature disappeared. And as soon as he noticed that, he’d sound the alarm. By using a Shadow Clone, Kawaki bought himself some valuable time to escape.

Still, it doesn’t make complete sense. How did Kawaki’s real body escape from the bush? Nishi was watching that area the entire time. And yet, Kawaki somehow slipped past him. Maybe the Hidden Leaf shouldn’t rely so much on sensory-type shinobi. They also need to hire some shinobi with good eyesight.

Also, I do want to point out that Eida said suppressing one’s chakra signature is an Ōtsutsuki ability. I don’t remember if any of the Ōtsutsuki clan members used this ability in the past. If they did, fine. If not, which is what I suspect, this is just a deus ex machina.

Is Code Actually Cool?

No. Code still isn’t cool. But, for a brief moment, Episode 290 made me think that perhaps he could be more than a whiney nerd. The scene with Code chasing down Kawaki actually made him seem like a good antagonist.

I think getting to see Code use his claw mark ability during the chase did a lot for his image. Previously, we saw him use it when fighting some of Boro’s grunts. But, I didn’t feel like his ability was cool during that fight. Powerful, sure. But cool? No.

What was cool was seeing how Code used his ability to catch up to Kawaki. It’s hard for me to put into words why this was cooler than his previous uses of the ability, though. It might have something to do with the fact that fighting random grunts is never cool.

Or, it could have to do with the fact that Code looked intimidating during this scene. It’s amazing how much of a difference the art can make. Most of the time when Code’s on screen, I don’t see why anyone would be afraid of him. But this time, I saw him as an actual threat.

Something else that probably helped Code here was the framing. Most of the shots that made him look intimidating focused on his upper body. And, he was covering himself with his cloak. Why do those things matter? Because Code has one of the lamest outfits in the entire series.

Code is pretty much the Rock Lee of Kara. They’re both strong. But, they also both wear outfits that make them look like clowns. Hiding Code’s outfit is the single best way to make him look more intimidating. And while I know he won’t get a new outfit, I can hope.

Protecting the Hokage

So, why did Kawaki sneak out of the Hidden Leaf Village? Because he wanted to meet up with Code. And why did he want to meet up with Code? Because he thought he’d be able to negotiate with Code to protect Naruto.

Kawaki mistakenly believes Code only wants revenge on the one who killed Isshiki. So, Kawaki tells Code that he was actually the one who killed Isshiki. If Code kills Kawaki, he’ll get his revenge and have no reason to go after Naruto, Boruto, and Sasuke. At least, that’s what Kawaki thinks.

In reality, Code’s desire for revenge is secondary to his true goal. He wants to personally kill those responsible for Isshiki’s death. But, he’s also going to kill everyone else in the world by creating a chakra tree and harvesting the planet. So, even if he agreed to Kawaki’s deal, he’d kill Naruto eventually anyway.

It’s also pretty funny that Kawaki thinks Naruto needs protecting. I get that Naruto doesn’t have Kurama anymore. But, it’s not like he’s weak now. He’s still one of the strongest shinobi in the Leaf Village. And he still has some chakra from the other tailed beasts within him.

Despite what Kawaki seems to believe, I doubt Code could kill Naruto right now. When Code has his limiter removed, things might be different. But, right now, his only real ability is that he can teleport using his claw marks. I don’t see that being enough to bring down Naruto.

And that’s assuming Code is able to cut Naruto off from any support. If Code can’t stop other Leaf Shinobi from coming to Naruto’s aid, there’s no chance he can win. Code understands this. That’s why he hasn’t made a move on the Leaf Village.

Conclusion

What do you think of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 290? Did you think Kawaki would be the one to hide his chakra signature when Inojin brought it up? Do you think Code is a cool villain? And what’s your prediction for how the fight against Code is going to go? 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 291 is available now.

Kawaki’s Own Karma

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 289 confirmed a lot of my predictions. The first of these predictions I want to go over is how Kawaki regains his Karma. In my review of Episode 288, I said that it seemed like Kawaki was going to have Amado reactivate his Karma.

Well, it turns out that’s exactly what’s going to happen. It hasn’t happened yet, of course. But, we’re on track for it to happen. Amado explained that Kawaki is still technically Isshiki’s vessel. and as such, still has access to Isshiki’s power within him.

At first, the fact that Kawaki is still Isshiki’s vessel may sound bad. After all, what if Isshiki revives himself using Kawaki? Well, that’s not actually a problem. Even though Kawaki is Isshiki’s vessel, Isshiki’s soul is gone. He can no longer take over Kawaki’s body.

Now, we also know that Kawaki can still use some of his Ōtsutsuki powers — notably, the ability to alter his body. However, more of Isshiki’s power lies dormant inside Kawaki. To access it, he’ll need to reactivate his Karma. And this is exactly what Amado suggests Kawaki does.

By implanting an artificial Karma into Kawaki, Amado can help Kawaki unlock his power. And since this will be Kawaki’s Karma, there’s no threat of another Ōtsutsuki taking over his body. Rather than being a Karma used for revival, it will be a Karma used for combat. But, what’s the catch? What does Amado get out of this?

Naturally, Sumire has concerns about Amado’s plan. And the fact that he doesn’t want to tell her more is suspicious. But, we already know what he stands to gain from unlocking Kawaki’s power. I’m betting that Amado wants Kawaki to destroy his creations — Code, Eida, and Daemon.

Eida’s Senrigan

Something else we learned from Episode 289 is the name of Eida’s dōjutsu. Eida has the Senrigan. And, before I explain anything else about it, I need to point out that we don’t know if it’s natural. It’s unclear if this is something Amado gave her like her charm ability.

I already explained how the Senrigan works last week. So, I’m not going to go over that again. Instead, I want to look at the name of this dōjutsu. Senrigan (千里眼 / せんりがん) is a pretty good name for this ability.

Let’s start with the final part of the word, “-gan” (眼 / がん). You’ll recognize this from literally every other dōjutsu — Sharingan, Rinnegan, Byakugan. It means eye.

What about the rest of the word, though? Well, you may also recognize “senri” (千里 / せんり) because Sasuke’s hawk is a Senri Hawk.

“Senri” contains 2 kanji, “sen” and “ri.” “Sen” (千 / せん) is the number 1,000. And “ri” (里 / り) is a measure of distance. So, “senri” means 1,000 ri, which is approximately 2,440 miles. Altogether, Senrigan literally means 1,000 ri eye. But, we need to go a bit deeper than the literal translation.

Although “senri” means 1,000 ri, it’s not used to mean the literal distance of 1,000 ri. What it actually means is a long distance in general. For example, Senri Hawks can fly a long distance, not exactly 1,000 ri. And this same logic applies to Eida’s dōjutsu.

Eida’s vision isn’t limited to 1,000 ri; she can see anything anywhere.

Eida also may have other abilities we don’t yet know about. At least, she hints at this being the case. And if she does, they may or may not be related to her Senrigan.

Daemon the Cyborg

My other main prediction from last week was that the kid seen with Eida and Code in the OP is related to Eida. That turned out to be correct, as we now know his name is Daemon and he’s Eida’s younger brother.

But, how did I know this was going to be the case? It’s pretty simple. First, we saw Daemon in the OP, so we knew he existed. And second, Eida said the only people her charm doesn’t work on are blood relatives and Ōtsutsuki. Why would she mention blood relatives unless one of them was going to appear?

She wouldn’t.

So, from that, it was pretty obvious that the kid in the OP was going to be a relative of Eida. But, why is it important that Eida’s charm ability doesn’t work on blood relatives? Daemon seems to love his sister anyway. They could have just said it works in a familial, not romantic way with relatives.

Anyway, enough about Eida. Daemon is the new character this week (even if I don’t like him). Look, I’m sure some people like Daemon. But, I think he has a bad design and an annoying personality. Also, I don’t like this whole dynamic he, Eida, and Code have going on.

But, what about Daemon’s abilities? So far, we know he has one ability that reflects attacks. Specifically, it works when someone has the intent to kill Daemon. If they have the intent to kill him, the attack they would direct at him in the future gets turned around on them.

We don’t yet know how this works, as Eida told Daemon not to reveal all his secrets to Code. But, it looks like Daemon also has a dōjutsu of his own. So, it likely has to do with that.

Conclusion

What do you think of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 289? What other abilities do you think Kawaki will get by unlocking his Karma? Do you like the name Senrigan for Eida’s dōjutsu? And, how do you think Daemon’s ability works? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 290 is available now.