ANIME ARTICLE: BORUTO - KAWAKI, THE KARMA AND THE KARA

Boruto, Kawaki, The Karma and the Kara

Article by Sandra Scholes

The last time I saw a character with a number on their body, it was Ulquiorra in an episode of Bleach, so imagine my surprise when I watch the latest Arc from Boruto and Kawaki has the number 4 sideways on his cheek. 

Kawaki is an unwilling member of a shady organisation called the Kara who are an almost cultish bunch of thugs who have special power and bodies modified with scientific ninja tools. Led by the cruel Jigen, they intend on causing trouble when Kawaki flees to the Hidden Leaf Village with a valuable artefact.

In one episode we see Kawaki in Konoha checking for potential threats while at the same time coping with how hungry he feels after his crash landing. Flashbacks of Kawaki's life reminded me of Rio Brando's younger years in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The difference is that Kawaki's drunken dad sells him to Jigen for a large amount of money. This is due to Jigen finding out Kawaki's special blood. Think of it as an equivalent of the Star Wars Midiclorian count to assess whether someone has potential to be a Jedi. 

Jiden back then took Kawaki back to his lair and set about experimenting on him. As the episodes progress, we discover Kawaki's body has been completely modified to the extent he has become scientific ninja tools. He comes across as a dangerous individual who is mistrustful of others and their motives, but once we see continued flashbacks we can see why. 

Jigen has made Kawaki suffer brainwashing, torture, and abuse for most of his younger years, pretending to say he is his father, which becomes a trigger point emotionally now he is a troubled teen. And to top it all off, he has been given a power called the Karma which resembles a version of Orochimaru's curse mark when activated and becomes a huge source of power that Jigen wants to use when his power is at its best.

 Without going any further, the Kara have an ulterior motive to destroy the ninja world just as Madara Uchiha did. It is easy to get the impression that Kawaki is superhuman, though what he doesn't know is there is another person with the same mark in his palm - Boruto!

I found this a great set-up for an arc that made me realise that Boruto as a series was starting to go in the right direction with a character who looks like he is going to be spending a lot of time in the series if the intro animation is anything to go by.