For fans of the Naruto franchise, it can be difficult to decide where to start with Boruto. The movie and subsequent anime series follow the son of legendary ninja Naruto Uzumaki as he embarks on his own journey as a shinobi. However, some may wonder if watching the Boruto movie is necessary before diving into the anime.
Before we dive into whether or not you should watch the Boruto movie first, let’s discuss what both entail.
The Boruto movie was released in 2015 and serves as a standalone story that takes place after the events of Naruto Shippuden. In it, we see an older Naruto who is now Hokage of Konoha and his son, Boruto Uzumaki, who resents him for never being around due to his duties. When a new villain named Momoshiki Otsutsuki emerges threatening their world, Boruto learns what it means to be a hero and must work alongside his father to save everyone.
On the other hand, the anime series follows young aspiring ninja students at Konohagakure’s Ninja Academy—Boruto included—as they train under notable ninja like Kakashi Hatake and others from previous generations. In addition to this cast of new characters comes returning favorites such as Shikamaru Nara and Sasuke Uchiha.
So back to our question: Should you watch the Boruto movie before starting on either version of its anime? While there are certainly benefits for doing so—notably being able to fully comprehend certain references made throughout—it isn’t mandatory considering how well each medium fills in gaps left by one another.
If you’re someone who wants a crash course on everything that happened leading up until where we find ourselves in present-day Konoha (which does have legitimate relevance when studying Japanese mythology), then watching The Last: Naruto Movie would probably be more beneficial than watching any installment related specifically towards just ‘Boruto.’ In The Last, we see how Naruto and Hinata’s romantic relationship blossoms from leftover feelings since their youth days into a tender union that will eventually help shape the future generation.
However, if you’re simply looking to watch some classic Naruto stories but with an updated twist featuring a younger cast of characters alongside returning favorites (think Boruto meeting Sasuke for the first time), starting right on with the anime should do just fine. But even within this series’ many episodes lies insight unique only to them.
Truthfully it comes down to personal preference more than anything else. If you want to go in as thoroughly informed as possible regarding everything surrounding Momoshiki Otsutsuki outside of ‘Boruto’ itself or have curiosity why exactly Iruka is important again—he’s always there for us when we least expect him—then watching

The Boruto Movie can fill those cracks left by traditional media pathways. On the flip side though, it goes without saying there are fans who skipped over ‘Boruto: Naruto Next Generations,” and were still able appreciate its storylines primarily through standalone pieces like “Bakuman” or “More Than One Way To Skin A Cat.” So, at the end of the day, make whatever conscious decision feels most fulfilling!
For anyone who loves the Naruto franchise, it may be challenging to decide where to start when it comes to Boruto. The new movie and anime series follow the son of legendary ninja Naruto Uzumaki as he begins his own journey as a shinobi.
However, one question that fans commonly ask is whether or not they should watch the Boruto movie first before diving into the anime series. In this article, we’ll explore both versions in-depth and help you decide which path is right for you.
Firstly, let’s dive into what each version entails.
The Boruto Movie
The Boruto movie was released in 2015 and serves as a standalone story that takes place after the events of Naruto Shippuden. In this installment, we see an older Naruto who has become Hokage of Konoha and his son, Boruto Uzumaki. Initially resentful towards his father for never being around due to his duties, when a new villain named Momoshiki Otsutsuki emerges threatening their world, Boruto learns about being a hero and must work together with his father to save everyone.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Anime Series)
In contrast with its predecessor’s solo narrative approach telling through arcs in seasons or spanned across movies since its later epsidoes; ‘Boruto: Naruto Next Generations’ follows young aspiring ninja students at Konohagakure Ninja Academy like Sarada & Mitsuki alongside other students including titular character Boburo himself – all training under notable individuals like Kakashi Hatake while also witnessing past characters returning like Shikamaru Nara from previous generations such as Sasuke Uchiha among others.
With that out of the way let’s tackle our main question: Should viewers watch The Boruto Movie before starting on either iteration within ‘Boruto?’
The Short Answer
If you’re someone looking for a crash-course on everything that happened leading into present-day Konoha, then watching The Last: Naruto Movie (2014) may be more beneficial than any Boruto installment.
However, if you’re interested in newer stories but with an update to the cast featuring younger people alongside returning favorites who have changed since last we saw them, beginning straight on with the anime should do fine. Of course, within this series’ many installments lies insight unique only to them that’ll catch viewers up-to-date.
But really it comes down to personal preference at the end of the day. Going in as versed as possible regarding all surrounding Momoshiki Otsutsuki outside of Boruto itself or seeing why Iruka is crucial again —he never disappoints—then watch The Boruto Movie first would benefit significantly. On the other hand, some fans skipped over ‘Boruto; still able appreciate its plot by standalone pieces like “Bakuman” or “More Than One Way To Skin A Cat.”
Conclusion
The choice ultimately depends on your interests when starting into new installments. Whether catching up entirely before starting anything else or going directly so that you won’t miss any moment of new greatness – both choices boast a reward within themselves! So whatever path feels most fulfilling to take excitingly watch each episode unfold until next time around where another answer shall await us again!