Naruto Creator Sets the Record Straight on Who Oversees Boruto

The Naruto Saga has been getting renewed buzz this week, thanks to an interview with series creator Masashi Kishimoto. Part of the discussion with Kishimoto involved getting clarification on just who has been truly in charge of the Naruto sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, and its second volume, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. 

Boruto has faced its fair share of criticism since its launch in 2016. Most of that criticism was aimed at the Boruto anime series, which took a much more plucky and convoluted road through the story the manga told. Even so, the Boruto manga caught some crossfire from fans who didn’t believe that the sequel series should even exist; many fans have questioned whether it was the right call to put Kishimoto’s chief assistant, artist Mikio Ikemoto, and writer Ukyō Kodachi, at the helm of Boruto. The critical argument isn’t new for the manga genre (or any popular fandom IP, really): a series that continues without the original creator at the helm is viewed as an inferior product. 

In his new interview, Masashi Kishimoto makes it crystal clear that making Boruto is the truest collaboration between himself and Ikemoto. It’s (via translation) that the original process involved Kishimoto doing story drafts for Boruto, which were then sent to Ikemoto, who was allowed to make suggestions and changes to that layout. Kishimoto and Ikemoto would then meet and discuss any proposed changes that were on the table, and once they agreed, Ikemoto would take things from there, and begin drawing storyboards and dialogue. 

In some more direct quotes (via @kayn3_) it’s also made clear that this process has changed over time – but only because Kishimoto has gained that much more confidence in Ikemoto’s work: 

“In the case of Boruto, I initially wrote the broad outlines of the story, but very succinctly,” Kishimoto explained. “We then organized a meeting to discuss it. Ikemoto-sensei is really the one who is fully in charge of Boruto… I just enjoy reading it!” 

Mikio Ikemoto added more context to the topic, by describing how the creative process behind Boruto has changed over time: 

“At the beginning, Master Kishimoto indeed shared his story with me. But the more we advance, the more different the plot becomes from what was initially planned. Today, I discuss the next part of the storyline with my editor, every month. So I think Kishimoto-sensei doesn’t yet know what’s going to happen next in Boruto.” 

It’s hard to argue against the idea that the second volume of Boruto, Two Blue Vortex, has been a major improvement. Two Blue Vortex has literally and figuratively moved out of Naruto’s shadow, establishing Boruto as one of (if not THE) most powerful shinobi of is day – as well as maturing the once petulant boy into a battle-hardened warrior. If those strides forward were made by Ikemoto confidently coming into his own, then he deserves to be acknowledged (not criticized) for it. 

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex can be read at Shonen Jump.