Chapter 4 of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is the most read manga chapter of the year.
According to Sportskeeda, the latest installment of the Boruto sequel manga has attracted more than one million views on Shueisha’s Mangaplus digital platform, making it the most viewed chapter on the platform overall in 2023. Blue Vortex is set approximately four years after the epic final clash between Kawaki and Boruto. Kishimoto’s decision to depict a time skip appears to have rekindled interest in the series, which has seen a decline in readership since its 2016 launch.
Although only four chapters have been released so far, Two Blue Vortex has highlighted key developments in Boruto’s story. First and foremost, the character’s strength has increased significantly; this is demonstrated through his newly formed Rasengan Uzuhiko, which taps into the planet’s chakra to form a devastating energy blast. He also exploited the Second Hokage’s signature technique, the Flying Thunder God, said to be one of the most powerful ninjutsu ever created by man. As shown in Chapter 4, Boruto will have to continue to accumulate power to take down the four newly introduced villains that originate directly from the Divine Tree, where all the chakras are born.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in May 2016. The series chronicles the journey of Naruto’s son as he trains to become a powerful ninja and escape his father’s long shadow. Despite including fan-favorite characters from the original Naruto series, Boruto still received criticism from fans who felt it was greatly inferior to its predecessor. Several side stories featuring Naruto’s companions have also been published alongside Boruto, including a light novel titled Sasuke’s Story: Sasuke and the Stardust Paradise. This plot was famously incorporated into Pierrot’s 2017 adaptation of Boruto — a choice that has sparked discussions about whether Boruto is a worthy successor to the franchise.
Despite fan controversies, Boruto still maintains a stable viewership thanks to its balanced combination of action and comedy. Earlier this year, Kawaki, Boruto and Naruto’s bathroom battle even surpassed the big battle in One Piece in terms of online views on YouTube. The final episode of Boruto Season 1 aired on March 26, 2023. Immediately after its conclusion, Pierrot announced that they had given the green light to Season 2 but did not reveal when the series would be released. The Two Blue Vortex manga by Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto launched on August 20, 2023 in Shueisha’s V-Jump magazine.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Boruto: Blue Vortex are available in English from VIZ Media.
Source: Sportskeeda via X (formerly Twitter)