Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is a popular anime that continues the story of the Naruto universe. The anime started airing in April 2017 and is still ongoing. For fans wanting to watch the English dubbed version, a common question is: how often does the Boruto dub come out?
Boruto is released in Japan weekly, with a new subtitled episode coming out every Sunday. However, the English dubbed episodes are released at a much slower pace. There can be a delay of several weeks or even months between a subtitled episode release and that same episode being available with the English dub.
This dub delay is normal for most ongoing anime series. Producing a quality English dub takes time for the adaptation, scriptwriting, voice acting, editing and production. Rushing it out too quickly often results in a subpar product.
So Boruto fans eagerly awaiting the English dub each week will be disappointed. The dub comes out sporadically in small batches over time. But exactly when and how much comes out at once can vary.
Boruto Dub Release Schedule
There is no set schedule for when new Boruto dubbed episodes will be released. However, looking at the history so far can give an idea of the general pace and quantity of English episode batches.
Boruto dub first premiered on Toonami in September 2018. The initial release contained episodes 1 through 13. Additional batches of 12-15 episodes continued releasing on home media and streaming platforms every few months after that.
By May 2020, the dub had reached episode 52. Then the COVID-19 pandemic caused some disruption to the production schedule. The next set of 16 dubbed episodes did not come out until August 2021, taking it up to episode 67.
Most recently in March 2022, episodes 68 through 80 were released, totaling another 13 dubbed episodes. This pace means the English dub is around 80 episodes behind the Japanese subtitled version, which is currently well over 220 episodes into the series.
Factors Affecting Dub Release Frequency
Why is the Boruto dub so erratic and slow? There are a few key factors:
- Ongoing series – Can’t dub episodes before they exist
- Production pipeline – Viz Media handles dub, not Pierrot studio
- Costs and resources – Expensive to produce
- Editing process – Scriptwriting and localization
- Scheduling – Voice actor availability
- Home media releases – Some batches timed for DVD/BluRay
As an ongoing anime, the dub has to wait for new material to adapt. The Japanese companies producing Boruto likely prioritize the weekly subtitled release. Viz Media then goes through the full dubbing process after the fact in batches.
The COVID-19 pandemic shutting down studios and limiting voice actor availability clearly disrupted the dub release schedule as well. But even under normal circumstances, expect inconsistent gaps between English episode batches.
When is the Next Boruto Dub Release?
At the time of writing, Boruto dub is available for episodes 1 through 80. Fans are now waiting on the next batch of episodes to be released.
Based on the pacing so far, the next Boruto dub release will likely land sometime in mid to late 2022. It should contain somewhere between 12-15 additional dubbed episodes.
This would put the English version around episodes 93-95. Of course, the exact timing could get pushed back. But predictions would suggest fans could see the next Boruto dub episode batch in Summer or Fall 2022.
How to Watch New Boruto Episodes
Where can you view new Boruto dub episodes when they finally do come out? Here are some of the main platforms offering the English dubbed version of the anime:
- Adult Swim’s Toonami programming block (TV)
- Crunchyroll (streaming)
- Hulu (streaming)
- Funimation (streaming)
- DVD/BluRay home media releases
Most of the major anime streaming services will have the Boruto dub once new episodes release. Fans should see them available on platforms like Crunchyroll not long after airing on Toonami.
Physical home media releases are also still an option. These often coincide with big batches of dubbed episodes. But streaming through services like Crunchyroll and Hulu has become more common.
Options to Watch New Content
What can impatient Boruto fans do while waiting for the painfully slow English dub? Here are some options if you want to keep up with new content weekly as it airs in Japan:
- Watch subtitled version – Get episodes sooner
- Read manga – Ahead of anime story
- Play games – New console & mobile games
- Read light novels – Origin stories for characters
Switching to the Japanese subtitled episodes is the most direct option. This way you can enjoy the Boruto anime right when it comes out each week. Sites like Crunchyroll simulcast the subbed version.
The Boruto manga is also way ahead of the anime storyline. So reading the manga lets you experience the narrative well in advance of the show.
There are also new Boruto video games coming out on consoles like PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Mobile games like Ninja Voltage continue releasing new content regularly as well.
And the origin light novels that dive deeper into characters like Naruto and Sasuke are all available to enjoy while you wait for the next anime dub batch.
Conclusion
Boruto dub releases do not follow a steady consistent schedule. English dubbed episodes come out sporadically in batches of 12-15 episodes every several months. This leaves the dub version well over 80 episodes behind the subtitled Japanese airing.
The next Boruto dub episode batch should land sometime in mid-late 2022 based on past pacing. Toonami and major streaming platforms will have the new dubbed episodes when they finally release. But fans eager for new weekly content can always switch to subs, manga, games and novels in the meantime.
Though the dub may come slowly, new Boruto anime is still continuously being created. There will always be more English episodes on the way eventually for fans who prefer to wait. The journey of Boruto, Kawaki and the new generation continues each week in one form or another.
| Dub Release Date | Episodes Added | Total Dubbed |
|---|---|---|
| September 2018 | 1-13 | 13 |
| January 2019 | 14-26 | 26 |
| June 2019 | 27-39 | 39 |
| October 2019 | 40-52 | 52 |
| August 2021 | 53-67 | 67 |
| March 2022 | 68-80 | 80 |
This table summarizes the history of Boruto English dub releases so far. It shows the inconsistent batches and gaps between new episodes. This reflects how the dub is produced and comes out sporadically over time rather than weekly.
Boruto Dub Production Pipeline
Producing dubs for long-running anime like Boruto involves a lengthy pipeline process. Here are some of the major stages:
- Subtitled version airs weekly in Japan
- Viz Media licenses batch of episodes for English dub
- Scriptwriters adapt dialog and localization
- Voice actors record dub lines
- Sound editing mixes voices, SFX, music
- Final editing polishes finished dub episodes
- Dub batch released on platforms
This workflow means batches of Boruto episodes must go through adaptation, casting, voice recording, editing and more before being ready to release. Doing this for 12-15 episodes at once is a lengthy process resulting in inconsistent dub releases.
Comparison of Boruto Sub vs Dub Release
The quick weekly subtitled release of new Boruto episodes is very different from the slower staggered dub approach. Here is a direct comparison:
| Boruto Subbed | Boruto Dubbed |
|---|---|
| New episode every Sunday as aired in Japan | Batches of 12-15 episodes every few months |
| Currently over 220 episodes | Currently up to episode 80 |
| Available same day via simulcast | Significant delay after sub release |
| Japanese audio with subs | English audio and script |
| Fansubbed available unofficially | Official localized dub |
This comparison shows the benefits and limitations of both sub and dub releases. Subs are faster but lower quality, while dubs take more time but receive a full adaptation.
Future Outlook
Boruto is confirmed to continue for many years still in Japan. With over 80 more manga chapters yet to adapt, there is plenty of new anime content coming.
While the dub will continue lagging far behind, it also seems likely to keep slowly receiving new batches over time. As long as the anime continues airing, an English dub will remain in production even if it comes out sporadically.
The Boruto dub production team has changed studios and voice actors a few times already. But barring any major disruptions, fans can expect more English episodes… eventually. Stay patient, and the Boruto dub should keep updating every several months for the foreseeable future.