5 Point Discussions – Boruto: Naruto Next Generations 68: “Super Cho-Cho Kiss Mode!!”

With one of the show’s actresses injured, Cho-Cho is placed in one of the main roles! Will she be able to handle the added pressure? Remember, if you like this article and 5 Point Discussions, please share it on Facebook or Twitter! It really helps. And if you’ve got any comments or questions, please hit me up @SageShinigami.

1. What even is the plot to this drama? The script would make you think it’s a ninja riff on Romeo and Juliet, but I don’t believe the original version of that saw Romeo trying to hook up with multiple women at the same time. The lead male star, Tomaru, already has a lover in the lead female star, Ashina, but he keeps pulling Cho-Cho into romantic scenes with him. I thought it was just practice, but the start of the episode features Cho-Cho doing an extended scene with him while being filmed with a full cast and crew on set. The scene is cut from the episode after Inojin points out what little chemistry the two have, but how does any of this work within the plot? This is a fairly minor complaint related to the “show within the show”, but…still, though.

2. Unsurprisingly, it’s Konohamaru and Team 10’s leader Moegi who wind up doing all the real work. The kids do their best at bodyguard stuff, shadowing the two lead actors, but most of the time they’re doing their typical hijinx instead of their job. One of the few times we actually see them doing their jobs is when they’re helping Tomaru dodge massive throngs of women, but even then their leaders are doing all the real work. Eventually, evidence starts pointing towards this problem being an inside job, which lines up considering both of these two are unlikable for different reasons.

3. Whatever cool facade Cho-Cho had in the prior episode melts away completely this week, as the stress of having her first kiss with the man of her dreams starts to get to her. The two of them almost kiss several times, but every time it’s about to happen something ruins it. The first time the scene is taken out when Inojin points out the scene doesn’t make sense. The second happens when Chocho helps the guy escape an army of fangirls and they wind up in a closet together and Sarada cracks it open to reveal they’re in the clear. The last time happens when she’s practicing a wedding scene in his dressing room and Mitsuki interrupts.  It’s a constant

4. It took the majority of two episodes, but Tomaru finally reveals he’s a jerk. After Mitsuki breaks up their practice kiss scene, Cho-Cho snaps and starts legitimately attacking him–a pretty weird reaction all things considered, but when the group tries to stop her and get her to regain control, it leads to her returning to her normal form and shredding the dress she was practicing in, a dress that actually belonged to the leading lady.
While that’s happening, we see the two lead actors discussing their job together and how much they’re nothing like the roles they play. Ashina notes Tomaru just likes talking to pretty women and then treating the others like trash…and that comes into play later, when he finally sees Cho-Cho in her true form. He doesn’t even recognize her at first, but after an exchange where he can’t immediately get the wedding ring prop he needs from her, he shows his true colors. He says a woman like Cho-Cho would likely never get married, then points out how “fat girls aren’t his type” before leaving.
It’s the other shoe dropping we’ve been waiting for, though strangely enough, Cho-Cho’s very calm about it. One would hope this doesn’t mean she’s going to make excuses and continue to fawn over him, but stranger things have happened.

5. For this to be the main villain he’s getting a suspiciously small amount of the focus for this story arc. My money right now is he’s a plant by either Tomaru or Ashina. Either Tomaru doesn’t want to share the spotlight, or Ashina’s just tired of working with a guy who’s clearly a complete tool.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is available for streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu.