The world of Boruto has been subject to much scrutiny since its inception. As a follow-up to the beloved Naruto series, it had incredibly big shoes to fill.
For many fans of the original series, Boruto failed to live up to the expectations they had built over the years.
From inconsistent character portrayals to questionable plot developments, it became clear that Boruto had some hurdles to overcome.
While the series introduced a new generation of ninjas, the way it treated its predecessors the characters fans had grown up loving often became the butt of many jokes within the anime community.
Among the long list of grievances, one particular element in the anime has attracted a lot of attention, and it has to do with how Studio Pierrot decided to handle the relationship between Sakura and Sasuke Uchiha in Boruto.
The portrayal of their relationship in the anime struck many as odd, but one specific moment from the earlier episodes made things even more laughable.
This scene involved a simple frame containing pictures of people close to Sakura, but there was something peculiar about it.
At first glance, it seemed harmless enough, but when fans took a closer look, it quickly became a source of amusement.
The focus here is on a specific detail of this family photo, one that both confused and entertained viewers, especially when it came to Sasuke’s portrayal.
While Sakura and Sasuke’s relationship had always been a subject of much debate in the Naruto fandom, Boruto somehow managed to transform it into something comedic, unintentionally turning Sasuke into a visual punchline.
The Legacy of Naruto and Sasuke
Before jumping deeper into the specifics of this particular photo in Boruto, it’s important to understand the legacy of Naruto and Sasuke, two of the most iconic characters in anime.
Their relationship as friends, rivals, and ultimately comrades shaped the story of Naruto, with their complex and tumultuous past being one of the highlights of the series.
Naruto, the optimistic and hardworking protagonist, was always driven by his dream to become Hokage, while Sasuke was defined by his tragic quest for vengeance and redemption.
Despite their differences, they shared a bond that transcended time and space, a bond that would ultimately become one of the driving forces of the series.
However, their post-Naruto lives were filled with major shifts, both as individuals and in their personal relationships.
While Naruto achieved his lifelong goal of becoming Hokage, Sasuke chose a different path.
Following the events of the Fourth Great Ninja War and Kaguya’s defeat, Sasuke spent a significant amount of time atoning for his past sins, wandering the world in a self-imposed exile.
His choice to live in the shadows kept him away from the village, and by extension, from his family.
This caused many to question the nature of his relationship with Sakura, who remained in Konoha with their daughter Sarada.
Fans had always known that Sasuke’s personal life was complicated, but Boruto managed to exacerbate this by throwing in a surprising and humorous twist.
It’s almost as if Studio Pierrot wanted to highlight the fact that Sasuke’s devotion to his family, while undoubtedly present, was often overshadowed by his larger-than-life responsibilities.
A Closer Look at the Family Frame
In an episode of Boruto, there is a scene where a frame containing pictures of people close to Sakura can be seen.
A seemingly simple setup, the picture frame is intended to highlight the bond between Sakura and her family, especially Sasuke and their daughter Sarada.
But what makes this particular frame stand out is not the sentiment behind it which, on the surface, is wholesome and touching but the way it has been executed.
The frame contains four pictures: two of Sarada, one of Sakura, and one of Sasuke.
Gang attire in the family photo is unbelievable 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/uerSOAR2ye
— Mahoon (@SasukeD_Uchiha) April 6, 2024
At first glance, it seems like a sweet gesture a family documenting their memories and cherishing their bond. But as fans examined the images closer, they realized something was a bit off.
Most family portraits tend to include everyone together in one cohesive shot. In this case, however, the Uchiha family photo was actually a collage of individual pictures.
This detail immediately caught the attention of fans, who began to question why there wasn’t a single group photo of the family.
It wasn’t uncommon for fans to already suspect that Sasuke’s extended absences from the village created some strain on the family.
After all, he was constantly working from the shadows, ensuring the safety of Konoha and the world at large.
But the fact that the Uchiha family didn’t have a single, unified family photo struck fans as both hilarious and telling.
It suggested that Sasuke had been away from home for so long that they never even had the opportunity to take a family picture.
The collage setup might not have been a big deal if it weren’t for the particular photo of Sasuke that Studio Pierrot decided to use.
Instead of a more recent or neutral image of him, the studio chose a picture of Sasuke during one of the darkest periods of his life when he was a member of the Akatsuki, a notorious criminal organization.
This decision left fans both confused and amused.
Sasuke’s Troubled Past
To understand why this particular photo was so surprising, we need to revisit Sasuke’s complicated past.
After the death of his family at the hands of his brother Itachi, Sasuke’s life was consumed by revenge.
His journey eventually led him down a dark path, culminating in his decision to join the Akatsuki, one of the most feared and reviled organizations in the ninja world.
During this time, Sasuke committed acts that branded him a criminal in the eyes of the village and many others.
His affiliation with the Akatsuki was a low point in his life, a period when he distanced himself from his friends, allies, and everything he once held dear.
Fans of Naruto are intimately familiar with this version of Sasuke. The Akatsuki cloak, with its red clouds on a black background, became synonymous with his darkest moments.
It was a reminder of the time when Sasuke had abandoned everything to pursue his personal vendetta.
That’s what makes it so bizarre and, in many ways, humorous that Studio Pierrot would choose this particular image of Sasuke to include in a family frame.
The fact that this version of Sasuke the fugitive, the rogue ninja, the terrorist, as he was once labeled was immortalized in what was supposed to be a tender family photo turned the scene into a joke.
It felt almost absurd that Sakura would look back at this image with fondness or that this would be the picture they’d choose to represent Sasuke’s role in the family.
Fans React to the Photo
When this detail about the Uchiha family photo was pointed out, the internet quickly erupted with reactions.
Memes, jokes, and humorous posts about Sasuke’s Akatsuki photo flooded social media, with many fans poking fun at the studio’s oversight.
The idea that Sasuke’s only contribution to the family portrait was a picture of him in his Akatsuki attire became a running joke in the fandom.
One of the reasons this moment resonated so strongly with fans is that it summarizes one of the key complaints they had about Boruto that it didn’t always treat its legacy characters with the care and respect they deserved.
In the case of Sasuke and Sakura, their relationship was already a contentious topic within the fandom.
Many fans of the original series felt that their relationship had always been underdeveloped, with Sasuke’s cold and distant demeanor contrasting sharply with Sakura’s unwavering devotion to him.
The decision to include a picture of Sasuke at his lowest point in the family photo only seemed to reinforce the idea that their relationship was still lacking the depth and development it needed.
While most fans understood that this was likely an unintentional oversight on the part of Studio Pierrot, the choice still struck a nerve.
It served as a reminder of the series’ tendency to gloss over or mishandle important aspects of its characters, especially when it came to Sasuke and Sakura’s relationship.
Sakura’s Plight and the Family Dynamic
Sakura herself is a character who has often been the subject of debate among fans. In Naruto, her growth as a character was significant, but her role in the final story was often overshadowed by the more prominent arcs of Naruto and Sasuke.
By the time Boruto came around, many fans hoped that Sakura’s character would receive more attention and depth, particularly in her role as a mother and wife.
However, the portrayal of Sakura’s relationship with Sasuke in Boruto seemed to reinforce the idea that she was still defined by her unrequited love for him.
Sasuke’s constant absence from the family only highlighted the one-sided nature of their relationship, at least from an emotional standpoint.
Despite being married and having a child together, Sasuke and Sakura’s relationship still felt distant, both literally and figuratively.
The family photo scene in Boruto underscored Sakura’s plight. Here was a woman who had remained devoted to her husband despite his prolonged absences, raising their daughter mostly on her own.
The fact that they didn’t even have a proper family photo together only served to emphasize the disconnect between Sasuke and his family.
The use of the Akatsuki photo was almost symbolic of the fact that, for much of their relationship, Sasuke had been absent, either physically or emotionally.
His time as a member of the Akatsuki represented one of the darkest periods of his life, and it seemed ironic that this was the version of Sasuke that was immortalized in the family frame.
The Absurdity of the Photo Choice
When examining why Studio Pierrot might have chosen this particular image of Sasuke for the family photo, it’s difficult not to see the humor in it.
Perhaps it was an unintentional oversight, or maybe it was meant to be a subtle nod to Sasuke’s complex past.
Whatever the reason, the decision to include a picture of Sasuke in his Akatsuki cloak turned what should have been a heartfelt moment into something absurd.
The image itself is a stark contrast to the rest of the photos in the frame. While Sarada and Sakura are depicted in a more neutral or positive light, Sasuke stands out as the rogue ninja who once betrayed his village.
It’s almost as if the photo is a reminder that Sasuke, despite all his efforts to redeem himself, will always be haunted by his past.
Of course, the internet being what it is, fans couldn’t resist turning this moment into a meme. The idea of Sasuke, the former Akatsuki member, being immortalized in a family photo became an instant source of humor.
It was as if the studio had unintentionally turned Sasuke into a parody of himself, highlighting the ridiculousness of the situation.
The decision to include a photo of Sasuke in his Akatsuki cloak in the Uchiha family frame is one of those small but significant details that summerizes some of the larger issues fans have with Boruto.
While the series has its moments, it often struggles to strike the right balance between honoring its legacy characters and developing its new ones.
For fans of Naruto, the image of Sasuke in his Akatsuki attire represents more than just a humorous oversight it’s a symbol of the series’ inability to fully move past the complexities of its predecessor.
And for Sakura, it’s a reminder that her relationship with Sasuke, even after all these years, still feels distant and incomplete.
As Boruto continues to evolve, fans can only hope that moments like this will become fewer and that the series will do a better job of portraying its legacy characters with the depth and respect they deserve.
But for now, the image of Sasuke in his Akatsuki cloak, forever immortalized in the Uchiha family photo, remains a hilarious and telling moment in the series’ history.
