Naruto x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover is a Brutal Reminder to Fans About Just How Far the Iconic Manga’s Art has Fallen

SUMMARY

• Masashi Kishimoto's magnum opus Naruto is one of the most loved and celebrated manga.
• Fans on X react to the cover art for the upcoming Naruto x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover.
• Boruto fails Masashi Kishimoto's magnum opus through its lackluster illustrations and designs.

It is a known fact that Naruto is one of the most popular and celebrated series of the Golden Age of Shonen. Be it a compelling storyline or epic battles, the manga is nothing short of iconic. Masashi Kishimoto was praised for this magnum opus because of his unique art style. This holds especially true for the Part 1 series. However, things have changed drastically.

Team 7 in a still from the series | Credit: Studio Pierrot

The collaboration between Kishimoto’s series and IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one of the most expected releases. While fans wait in anticipation for its release, Boruto fades away from the spotlight because of its monotonous art style. It bears witness to the fallen legacy of Kishimoto’s magnum opus. 

Fans anticipate the release of Naruto x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover comic

Apart from its portrayal of friendships and heroism, Naruto is praised for its vivacious art and illustrations. This holds especially true with the outlining of complex emotions of bloodlust, anger, and pain. It surpassed its contemporaries in several ways. This is clear in the legendary fights and character growth in the series. And there’s more to it.        

Sasuke with his activated Sharingan and curse mark symbols in the series | Credit: Studio Pierrot

Although the series has had crossovers with Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon, and Fortnite, nothing beats this iconic crossover. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ upcoming crossover with Masashi Kishimoto’s series is nothing short of legendary. Written by Caleb Goellner and illustrated by Hendry Prasetya, this collaboration has several fans waiting in anticipation.

An X account @AniNewsAndFacts shared the cover art of the crossover by Jorge Jimenez. Most fans expressed their delight at the upcoming series and praised the artwork. 

This is fire 🔥

This crossover is everything I never knew I needed! Can't wait to see how they team up! 🐢🍜

Naruto ended years ago but we still own the streets. WHEN YOURE BIG YOURE BIG pic.twitter.com/GPwLeRO6l9

That looks BADASS 🤯

Can't wait for this joint slay

This is SOOO AMAZING!!!

The crossover is set to release in November 2024 as confirmed by Crunchyroll. Goellner and Prasetya have worked in Sonic the Hedgehog and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. While this collaboration is a much-awaited release, it sheds light on Boruto’s failure. This holds with the series’ bland art style.

Boruto fails Kishimoto’s legacy through its lackluster art

As opposed to its precursor, Boruto is met with backlash because of its power scaling and bland art style. While the series underscores the rise of new generations, it fails in more ways than one. This is clear through its lackluster character designs and artwork. Its dependence on old systems and characters defeats the series’ essence.

Boruto Uzumaki in a still from the series | Credit: Studio Pierrot

Mikio Ikemoto fails to bring depth and liveliness to his artwork. From his rendition of the Sand Siblings to his character design for Naruto, Ikemoto has stripped Kishimoto’s legacy of its true glory. While his artwork and illustrations are impeccable in their way, they don’t align with the essence of Kishimoto’s series.

The crossover exceeds fans’ expectations through its rendition of the popular manga. While Ikemoto is a brilliant illustrator, his artwork fails to capture the legacy of Kishimoto’s magnum opus. Although the art represents new generations, it fails the precursors. To say the least, it has enabled the fallen legacy of Kishimoto’s manga.

Naruto and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations are available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available on Viz Media.

Written by Himanshi Jeswani

Articles Published: 130

An avid reader and writer traversing around the world of anime, manga and all that jazz.