Naruto Creator Put A Dragon Ball Z Nod Into Boruto: The Naruto Movie

After more than a decade, Naruto is still alive and kicking. The popular shonen series was created by Masashi Kishimoto, and the mangaka continues to push his story into new directions. In 2017, the franchise will see itself reinvented when Naruto: Shippuden ends and makes way for a brand-new anime based on Boruto. Fans first saw the legacy character brought to life in 2015’s Boruto: Naruto the Movie.

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But, for you anime connoisseurs, did you notice the film’s nod to Dragon Ball Z? Well, now you can.

Kishimoto has never been shy to share his feelings about Naruto, so the creator was glad to undertake a slew of interviews before Boruto: Naruto the Movie debuted. At this time, the creator often did his press rounds with director Hiroyuki Yamashita, and it was during one of these interviews that Kishimoto revealed his story’s connection to Dragon Ball.

When the creator was asked why Sasuke Uchiha began training Boruto Uzumaki, Kishimoto says he sourced the idea from Dragon Ball Z. The fan-translated interview reads, “At first I wanted to assign someone else as Boruto’s teacher. But Sasuke in The Last isn’t active enough.”

“I thought of this idea is because I like Dragon Ball. Gohan is Picollo’s disciple no? I think this kind of situation is really good. So, by becoming the rival’s disciple, I felt that it’s not a bad idea. This is a scene where I looked forward to when I was young. Even though I don’t pay much attention to Dragon Ball, if I look back, in the end it did effect my decision.”

Here’s the official summary of Boruto: Naruto the Movie:

Boruto is the son of the 7th Hokage Naruto who completely rejects his father. Behind this, he has feelings of wanting to surpass Naruto, who is respected as a hero. He ends up meeting his father’s friend Sasuke, and requests to become… his apprentice!? The curtain rises on the story of the new generation written by Masashi Kishimoto!

Creator Masashi Kishimoto wrpte the story and script for the film. He also served as chief production supervisor. Hiroyuki Yamashita, who worked on Naruto: Shippuden and Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, is helmed the feature.

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This year, Boruto will become a major player in the world of anime. The son of Naruto Uzumaki will be gifted his own anime in 2017, and the series will follow the new generation of Konoha ninjas as they learn about their parents’ past.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is slated to premiere on TV Tokyo in April 2017.