Boruto Creators Kishimoto and Ikemoto Reveal Behind-the-Scenes Secrets Of The Series

Kishimoto and Ikemoto share insights on creating Boruto, its challenges, and how it differs from Naruto, focusing on character development and the collaborative creative process behind the series.

By Shovan Roy

Published on Aug 27, 2024 | 04:25 PM IST | 51.2K

Boruto Creators Kishimoto and Ikemoto Reveal BTS Of The Series (PC: IMDb)

On August 24, 2024, on the day of celebrating Konoha Day, there was a surprise present for fans of Naruto. In this case, Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto (his close partner) revealed how they came up with Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. This rare interview gave an opportunity to understand the difficulties faced by the writer in creating the well-known series.

The struggles behind Naruto creation

Kishimoto discussed his struggles while coming up with Naruto. He described how tiresome it was both physically and mentally as it continued. The stringent schedule of weekly serialization posed a real test. Even though Kishimoto loved his world, he could not handle such a workload.

Such battles as Pain’s were extremely challenging arcs in the series due to their complexity. It needed much concentration in order to connect intricate plot lines and character growths together. For instance, he did not care about his health because he wanted to tell a story that would make people love Naruto.

Boruto vs. Naruto

The focus during the interview was how Boruto’s character has changed over time. Kishimoto stressed the differences between Boruto and Naruto as main characters. Upon his journey, Naruto gained everything he ever wanted from scratch: friends, recognition, and power. On the contrary, for Boruto, his story is about losing them and struggling to have them back.

Kishimoto compared Sasuke and Boruto’s pain by making an analogy between this situation. However, he also pointed out that Boruto’s progress mirrors Naruto in a different yet own way. The writer used this shift so that fans would gain a new perspective without diverting from what made the series so popular in the first place.

The collaboration between Kishimoto and Ikemoto

Making Naruto an anime sequel was not easy; Kishimoto and Ikemoto had many challenges to face together. It was revealed by Kishimoto that he and Ikemoto had different opinions about what should happen to certain characters. Nonetheless, these arguments helped in the creative process.

He talked about how he was faced with the problem of making sure that the story was getting fresh weave every year so that it would stay relevant on the battlefield, where all things change so quickly.

He mentioned how tastes and expectations were changing as a platform for the story’s evolution, which at some point made them have to go against their initial plans. Despite these odds, this collaboration between Kishimoto and Ikemoto has been successful, and their sequel still continues to captivate its audience.

From scriptwriter to supervisor

Kishimoto also told of his move from scriptwriting into supervision for Boruto. He indicated confidence in the abilities of Ikemoto, stating that he gave a detailed synopsis of the series before handing it over.

The nearness between these two during this period made smooth shifts possible as Ikemoto perfected what Kishimoto was trying to achieve with his work. In fact, without him taking over, I may not have continued the series itself, admitted Kishimoto. For instance, this great bond has been instrumental in maintaining high quality and depth in this series itself.

Crafting of new characters in Boruto

When creating new characters for Boruto, there was a need to think very carefully and creatively. Starting with the conceptualization of the role that the character will play in the story, Kishimoto takes us through his process. He then adds unexpected twists to make them appealing. For example, Ada can rule the world but she’d rather be in love or act silly.

Kishimoto also spoke about fashion, which is an important aspect of character design. A person’s outfit reflects who they are as a person and where they come from. For instance, Boruto wears clothes that he borrowed from Sasuke as a sign of respect toward him as his teacher and pride for his upbringing. In contrast, Kawaki's torn casual clothes represent low self-esteem and a difficult past.

Kishimoto sounded regretful for not exploring more about Sakura Haruno’s character. Contrary to Naruto and Sasuke, Sakura’s family background was never fully delved into within manga pages. It was a missed opportunity by Kishimoto because adding depth would have been better for her character development, according to him. Although he tried touching on issues around her family during movie adaptations, Kishimoto felt that the main plot could have done more in this direction.

Comparing relationships: Naruto and Sasuke vs. Boruto and Kawaki

Still, the interview also had something to say about his story of Naruto’s relationship with Sasuke and Boruto’s relationship with Kawaki. According to Kishimoto, although these two pairs are rivals, their dynamics are different. Despite their disagreements, Naruto and Sasuke have an understanding of each other based on the issues they share.

On the other hand, the rivalry between Boruto and Kawaki is deeply rooted in their backgrounds disparity. Boruto, born into privilege, often shows a lack of gratitude towards things, whereas Kawaki, who has never had anything, always struggles with self-esteem.

Conclusion

The interview provided deep insights into what led to the creation of Boruto for its fans by Kishimoto and Ikemoto, respectively. It also highlighted how difficult it can be to make a sequel that people like as much as the original series such as Naruto, while still evolving both the characters and creators alike.

The mastermind behind this was Kishimoto, who transitioned from being a scriptwriter into a supervisor, upon completion of which he collaborated with Ikemoto so that the legacy of Naruto would not be lost in Boruto but rather remain even stronger than before.