Naruto Artist Mikio Ikemoto Unpacks Dragon Ball’s Impact on Boruto

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been a hit in the manga world, as readers have welcomed the new take on Boruto Uzumaki. Acting as the “Shippuden” of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, the son of the Seventh Hokage is living in a world that is far different from the one he knew. While Studio Pierrot hasn’t confirmed when we’ll see Boruto return to the small screen, the manga marches on and Two Blue Vortex artist Mikio Ikemoto has revealed that the Z-Fighters of Dragon Ball Z have a big influence on the ninja world.

Studio Pierrot took a hiatus from the ninja world but had promised to create four new original episodes of the initial Naruto series. Unfortunately, the installments were indefinitely delayed as Pierrot took a page from Ufotable’s Demon Slayer and laid out a plan to focus more on “seasonal” anime projects. Currently, Pierrot is working on Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, which is set to bring its third set of episodes to the small screen in 2024, but has yet to reveal a release date for the Soul Society’s comeback. With some major events taking place in the ninja world, Pierrot’s return to the Naruto franchise will make for a big event in the anime world.

Dragon Ball Z x Boruto: The Influence of The Z-Fighters

While Masashi Kishimoto might have returned to the Naruto franchise to write the events of the Hidden Leaf Village, the mangaka hasn’t handled the artistic duties of the series. Instead, Kishimoto has artist Mikio Ikemoto handling the Two Blue Vortex, with Mikio wearing his love of Dragon Ball Z on his sleeve. In a new interview, the manga artist states just how much of an influence the Z-Fighters have on the ninja world.

“Boruto is often said to be more Dragon Ball than Naruto. As you have already pointed out, I got addicted to manga at an impressionable age, and of course I started reading manga. I learnt almost everything about how to draw from Dragon Ball.”

Do you want to see an official crossover featuring the denizens of the Hidden Leaf Village and the Z-Fighters? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest updates on the Hidden Leaf Village and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Konoha. 

Via Howl