Boruto's Shocking Demise in the Manga Leaves Fans Devastated!

The Boruto manga attempted to highlight the series' first significant death by devoting two pages to the unfortunate shinobi, Mugino, being stabbed in the stomach. However, Mugino's death does not have the same impact as it does in the anime. In the anime, Mugino is featured in numerous missions and is given an entire episode dedicated to him before his demise.

In the original manga by creator and supervisor Masashi Kishimoto, artist Mikio Ikemoto, and scriptwriter Ukyo Kodachi, Mugino does not receive much attention until the mission that leads to his death. This occurs in chapter #16 when he joins forces with Konohamaru to investigate a wrecked vessel belonging to Kara. Tragically, Mugino is ambushed and killed by Ao, a shinobi associated with Hinata's clan. While Boruto's chapters are lengthier than those of most weekly Shonen Jump series, the majority of each monthly release at that time primarily focuses on Boruto's activities at a Ninja Scientific Tools lab that coincided with Mugino and Konohamaru's ill-fated mission.

Boruto's Anime Makes Mugino's Death More Tragic

In comparison, Mugino had a greater involvement in missions in the Boruto anime than in the manga. By the time his own episode, "The Assassin, Mugino," aired, viewers were already familiar enough with him. His actions at the start of the episode startled everyone, as it was the first time Boruto saw him as an individual rather than just his superior. Mugino's life choices were poor, and his living situation was far from ideal. However, by the end of episode 180, he gained somewhat of a redemption for lying about his choices, and Boruto was entrusted with taking care of one of Mugino's pets until his return from a mission. This mission ultimately leads to his death.

Without the context of the anime, manga fans were unaware of the numerous missions Mugino undertook with Boruto, the sacrifices he made that put him at a significant disadvantage in episode 180, his unfortunate living situation despite his own choices, his tragic past, or the promise Boruto made assuming Mugino would come back alive. Sadly, Mugino never returned, leaving behind an empty apartment and a pet who would forever wait for its master.

Mugino's Boruto Death Rings Hollow in the Manga

The original Boruto manga failed to include other important stories, resulting in a lackluster experience. One example is when Mitsuki becomes enraged by Kawaki's betrayal, mistakenly thinking it was Boruto's doing due to a powerful ability. Although the manga justifies Mitsuki's anger, the anime delves deeper, providing more nuanced emotions. Moreover, episode 180 of the anime demonstrates that the manga also missed the chance to make its first death impactful. In the manga, a random shinobi dies, while in the anime, the death holds much more weight.

You can stream Boruto: Naruto Next Generations on Crunchyroll and read it on Viz.com.