Boruto: Naruto Next Generations 1×221 Review – “The Chunin Exams Resume”

Boruto anime episode 221, ‘The Chunin Exams Resume’, decided to bring some brightness to the series after the seriousness of facing a threat like Isshiki Otsutsuki during the previous handful of episodes.

Due to his Karma Mark, the fandom had been wondering about whether or not Boruto would be allowed to participate in the new Chunin Exams. Turns out, because of Amado’s pills apparently stopping the Otsutsukification process, Boruto could take part. I’m looking forward to seeing if the Karma Mark would be able to override the effect of the pills if Boruto found himself in a life-threatening situation during the exam.

The first round consisted of a written test, which Team 7 was able to pass. I smiled at Mitsuki using his little snakes to cheat during the test and copying answers from Salad and Boruto. I thought Mitsuki would do well during a written test on his own. But oh well. I guess he didn’t study enough or wanted to make sure everyone on Team 7 had the right answers.

Other Genin also cheated during the test while making sure Sai didn’t catch them during the act. Denki’s idea to have Iwabe mimic his handwriting was a good strategy. Iwabe’s someone who requires all the help possible during written examinations. Iwabe’s a good ninja, but he isn’t the smartest. 

The only majorly disappointing thing for me was how Genin from other villages hadn’t been invited to participate in the current Chunin Exams. It’s always fun to see students from other villagers demonstrate skills and abilities the kids from the Hidden Leaf Village hadn’t seen before.

Anyway, I enjoyed watching two specific moments that occurred before the second test. I liked seeing Boruto give Denki a pep talk about doing his best. Denki’s not the best with Ninjutsu and the physicality expected from Chunin-level ninjas. However, he’s got guts and is basically a genius when it comes to technology.

The current Chunin Exams were about finding ninjas with potential in specialized fields including medicine, communication, and sensing. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if Denki’s promoted to a Chunin-level ninja or gets recruited by the Scientific Ninja Research Department because of his intellect by the end. He’s the type of ninja who can do a lot more from the sidelines and ensure ninjas on the field have the resources to successfully complete their missions.

The second moment was Naruto walking into Boruto’s bedroom to offer his support before the second test in the morning. Boruto messed up big time during the previous Chunin Exams because he decided to cheat by using a Scientific Ninja Tool to impress Naruto. Things were different for Boruto now. He had gone through a lot of character development since then. Boruto feeling unsure about his abilities made sense. He was going to rely on his own skills this time. Again, I’m interested in seeing if the Karma Mark will act up during the upcoming episodes.

The second test involved going into the Forest of Death and rescuing 10 injured ninjas before the 45 minutes ran out. I liked how such a test emphasized the participants working on their own and being fast enough to locate an injured ninja before someone else did. The entire thing focused on finding the hidden meanings behind hidden meanings because there were also decoys and traps inside the forest. Of course, certain Genin failed.

Salad figuring out she was interacting with a fake Mitsuki (a disguised Mirai) was quite well done, in my opinion. There was no way the real Mitsuki would ever suggest leaving Boruto behind. Such a scene went on to show that even if a ninja used the Transformation Jutsu, it wouldn’t do them any good if they weren’t familiar with the personality of the person they had transformed into. Mirai had failed to realize that Mitsuki was basically in love with Boruto and would never not think about him.

My single complaint about the second test would be the Mirai vs Salad fight occurring offscreen. I would have loved to see an actual battle between Salad and a Chunin-level ninja of Mirai’s caliber.

Boruto was also tested when he tried to make his way to the finish line with his injured ninja. His moment emphasized the importance of never leaving comrades behind. Even though he couldn’t get to the finish line before time ran out, Boruto’s determination to help an injured competitor (a new character named Kaito Kawanami) demonstrated how Boruto had the required empathy needed to be promoted to a Chunin-level ninja.

With the final round being all about versus battles, I’m looking forward to seeing Salad, Boruto, and Mitsuki possibly having to fight each other to pass the Chunin exams. Again, I would have loved to see Genin from the other villages also participating. Why not bring them over for the final round? Sigh!

Before I finish my review of ‘The Chunin Exams Resume’, I have to talk about Inojin and Chocho. It felt a bit weird to see them participate as a two-person team. I thought Chunin Exams were always a three-person test. I remember how Sakura had to join Ino and Choji during the past Chunin Exams because she was the sole member of Team 7 in the Hidden Leaf Village at that time. I actually wouldn’t have been against Kawaki joining Inojin and Chocho. But I guess certain in-universe rules had to be followed and the anime team just couldn’t have Kawaki participate without graduating from the Ninja Academy and becoming an official Genin first?

The scene where Shikadai appeared before the second test to motivate his two teammates made me laugh. Due to Shikadai already being a Chunin, his team had been going on B-level missions. So, Inojin and Chocho weren’t taking the current exams seriously. I liked how the prospect of being paid more for missions due to becoming a Chunin played a role in making Inojin and Chocho realize that being promoted as ninjas would be a good thing when it came to having money to buy what they wanted.

From the episode list over on Wikipedia, it looks like the Chunin Exams arc will continue into November. I’m okay with it because I’m interested in seeing how strong the rest of Boruto’s class has become. According to the supervisors, the samurai Tsubaki (an exchange-student and Wasabi and Namida’s teammate) already had the technical skills of a Chunin. 

What did you think of ‘The Chunin Exams Resume’?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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