'Naruto': 'Boruto' Creator Reveals Inspirations Behind Sequel's Characters, Designs
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has some big shoes to fill as its a sequel to one of the most [...]
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has some big shoes to fill as its a sequel to one of the most popular action series of all time, and series creator Mikio Ikemoto has been up to the task of following up Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto series.
In a recent interview commemorating the launch of Shueisha's Manga Plus program, Ikemoto spoke about the inspiration behind designing characters and looks for the sequel series.
When asked where the designs for the series' characters come from, Ikemoto noted that he makes sure not to tread the same paths as the original series, "For each character, the role and personality are determined first, and I draft its rough design based on my personal impression. Then, I check other existing characters in Naruto series to avoid design overlap. I introduce new characters only after I know there is no duplication problem."
Ikemoto just goes with his gut when it comes to the sequel's designs thanks to a confidence built from working under Kishimoto, "My character designs directly reflect my first impressions. When I was an assistant for Naruto series, Mr. Kishimoto asked me to create designs for some characters. So, I think I have enough training and experience to design new characters for the series."
Although he is confident in his designs, there are particular points of reference Ikemoto pays attention to when creating new designs such as the eyes, "I always try to avoid drawing something too original by closely aligning my style with the original Naruto and Boruto. Mr. Kishimoto often tells me to make 'eyes and mouths large,' as smaller eyes and mouths leave characters spiritless."
He's wary of making the characters look too outside of Kishimoto's original world, and made note of problems he's still trying to fix when he alters characters based on different perspectives, "I am careful when depicting Boruto interacting with other characters, as they often tend to affect my style. For example, when Boruto interacts with Tento, a character introduced in the [Chapter 11], there are so many scenes where Boruto exposes childish emotions that the drawing becomes slightly childish as well. After Kawaki joined the story, Boruto started to look overgrown sometimes, because Boruto turns visibly rebellious in the presence of Kawaki. Such fluctuations in my expressions are where I need to tackle in the future."
Ikemoto has been paying close attention to how the sequel progresses, and even has an idea of when he wants the series to end. With such a vision for sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations fans are going to be pretty excited knowing there's a set plan in place.
Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump for 700 chapters. The story follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and features the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.
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