From fillers to fudgy animation, Masashi Kishimoto’s series Naruto has its fair share of criticisms. But nothing beats the good old bad writing critique. Yes, the series is phenomenal the way it shaped the idea of a ninja and whatnot. But it dug its grave in wasting one of the finest female characters.
Surprisingly, it isn’t Sakura but yet another legendary Shinobi who deserves all the praise. Her mastery of kekkei genkai was commendable, yet the series did a major disservice to her. The sequel is no different, considering how both mangas treated this character. Why, you ask? Let us find out.
Another day, another powerhouse wasted in Naruto
Naruto lives up to its title of one of the Big 3 of Shonen. It isn’t a bog-standard ninja story but something that stood out during the 2000s. The breaking of conventions was what made it a landmark anime, but it was also the characters. The series undoubtedly has a diverse array of side characters.
It is a shame that they are often overshadowed by the main characters. But does that make them less relevant? No, especially when it comes to their feats in the series. This also goes for some characters whose kekkei-genkai and abilities were thoroughly wasted by the author.
One such case is Pakura, who specialized in Scorch Release and was known for her loyalty. The Sand Village, however, betrayed her by letting her be killed in an ambush. But what strikes her different is the potential she carried, which was shown in the Fourth Shinobi World War.
But Pakura isn’t the only one who was given the middle child treatment. Several characters suffered the same fate and were outshined by the main cast. One such example is this legendary and phenomenal Shinobi whose kekkei genkai was wasted in the sequel series.
If there is a woman who deserves to be called a true powerhouse, it is Mei Terumi. The Fifth Mizukage is a true force to be reckoned with and brought peace to Kirigakure. She brought stability to her village after Yagura’s “Bloody Mist” Era, and fans on r/Naruto would completely agree.
Other than that, she actively participated in the Kage Summit and displayed her fierceness as a Shinobi. Her unique kekkei-genkai Boil Release and Lava Release are lethal abilities, along with her water-style jutsu. It is a shame that she was reduced to a gag in the sequel, but this most certainly isn’t a first.
Masashi Kishimoto isn’t escaping the “badly written women” critique
In Boruto, Masashi Kishimoto reduced both Mei and Anko to mere mockery. With Mei, she hardly has any fight scenes, considering her strength and wisdom. This also ties in well with the constant gag of her wanting to marry one day, but the manga seems to reduce her to that caricature.
On top of that, the sequel series did the most atrocious thing to Anko which we all know. It is a big fat joke, but no one laughed at this one. To add to that, fans weren’t too happy with how the sequel series characterized old shinobi. But that is not the end, especially with the badly written women in the series.
We can say Tsunade is an exception, yes, but it cannot be used as a rinse and repeat strategy. This is especially not true in Mei’s case, who is a Mizukage and worked endlessly to bring control and balance but was reduced to the “unmarried woman” gag.
Both Mei and Tsunade are powerful women who are excellent leaders. But it is true that while the manga outlined some as exceptional, it also failed others immensely.
Naruto: Shippuden is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Shueisha’s Manga Plus app.
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