‘Naruto’s Single LGBTQ Character has Shounen Anime Fans Seeking More Representation
LGBTQ representation in shounen anime tends to be uncommon; however, Boruto’s confirmation that the character Orochimaru is genderfluid was at least a slight step forward. Boruto is a manga which has since been adapted into an anime, starting in 2017. The series is a sequel to Naruto, which is one of the most popular shounen anime of all time.
Orochimaru was one of the antagonists of Naruto, in which he attempted to achieve immortality by swapping bodies with powerful ninjas. While his early arc cemented him as one of the most memorable and monstrous villains in anime history, later in the show Orichimaru’s villainy was subdued by the writers and he became a benefactor of the protagonist. Boruto expanded on Orichimaru’s story and identity with the introduction of his clone/son, Mitsuki.
In chapter 3.5 of the manga, Mitsuki wakes up without his memory and asks Orochimaru “Which are you? My mother or father?” to which he responds that it is irrelevant. In the anime, the scene goes a bit further with Orochimaru stating that he has appeared as both men, women, as well as “something not of this world.”
“Outside appearances don’t matter,” Orochimaru says. “The will to uncover all truth… That is the core of my being. I guess that doesn’t answer the question, though.”
While he doesn’t explicitly name himself as genderfluid, this description surrounding Orochimaru’s gender had Naruto fans rejoicing that the series confirmed its first LGBTQ character. Given Orochimaru’s clear gender-fluidity throughout the series, many fans already considered the character to be nonbinary and gender-nonconforming for years—The creators making it canon simply affirms it.
While many fans are pleased to see a shounen anime naming a character as LGBTQ, there are also those who question this former villain being the only confirmed LGBTQ character on the show, especially given the series of horrific acts he’s participated in and that he was already queer-coded and associated with predatory behavior.
In Boruto, Orochimaru has progressed significantly from attempting to steal the heroes’ bodies to achieve immortality and while his methods of parenting Mitsuki are questionable at times, it is clear he truly cares for his son.
The issue that critics take with the show is less that the show has a former villain as a nonbinary character but rather that a former villain is the only LGBTQ character. It’s also been almost four years since Boruto made the subtle announcement, and progress in the genre as a whole seems slow. Despite the mixed feelings regarding the sole queer representation in the show, many are hopeful that this signals a more diverse future for Boruto, the Naruto universe, and shounen anime as a whole.
Screenshot courtesy of YouTube and Boruto
