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Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Episode 135

by Amy McNulty,

How would you rate episode 135 of
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ?
Community score: 3.6

Our heroes put it all on the line as they face off against one of the Naruto-verse's most powerful villains in this week's action-packed Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Never one to go down easy, the seemingly-defeated Urashiki gives himself a substantial boost by eating one of his eyeballs. In his new superpowered form, the villain proves to be more than a match for Boruto and the gang. However, injuring Jiraiya proves to be a fatal mistake for Urashiki, as this prompts Naruto to become enraged and allow himself to be consumed by the Nine Tails' chakra. Wishing to bring his father out of berserker mode, Boruto rushes to Naruto's side and helps him hit Urashiki with a supersized Rasengan, vanquishing him once and for all.

Boruto has a proven track record of solid endgame battles, and episode 135 is yet another winner in this regard. While the action isn't exactly frenetic, the animation is incredibly fluid and the visuals are on point throughout the entire runtime. (In fact, aesthetically speaking, this arc has been among the best-looking.) And since the show doesn't have to constantly tailor its pacing around its companion manga, the fight is allowed to progress at a natural clip and remain free of unnecessary stalling. Urashiki's final form isn't quite as menacing or impressive as the late Momoshiki's, but it's reasonably cool nonetheless, and his Ameno Subaruboshinomikoto attacks make for some top-shelf eye candy. All in all, this is a fitting last hurrah for a Big Bad who was beginning to wear out his welcome.

In keeping with the overall theme of the arc, episode 135 draws some interesting parallels between Boruto and his father and sees Boruto developing a greater appreciation for his old man. When the younger Uzumaki steps in to assist his chakra-consumed father, he does so with an air of empathy and respect—far more reverence than we've ever seen him show adult Naruto. It's also telling that during this period of Naruto's life, when he was so easily overtaken by his Nine Tails chakra in times of stress, Boruto is able to calm him down with relative ease. Even the elder Uzumaki's friends and mentors struggled to do so, with few being able to quell his rage in such a timely and effortless manner. Although this Naruto doesn't know that Boruto is his future son, there's a bond beneath the surface that neither can deny, and their teamwork enables them to defeat a foe that even adult Naruto and Sasuke couldn't finish off.

The penultimate episode of a consistently entertaining arc, this week's outing sees the defeat of Urashiki and the deepening of Boruto's bond with young Naruto. Given its enormity, the creators could have milked this storyline for a few more episodes' worth of content, but rather than let things get stale, they opted to let the plot and story beats flow naturally. With the time-displaced Boruto and Sasuke slated to head home next week, one can't help but wonder how these events will impact the future to which they'll be returning.

Rating: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.


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