Boruto might never become a weekly manga and it's for the best

Modified Nov 12, 2024 18:32 GMT

Understanding why Boruto's monthly release schedule is ideal (Image via Shueisha)

The Boruto manga series had a rocky start and things weren’t going well for the sequel series. However, the writers managed to turn things around as time progressed. There were plenty of glaring issues with the way the protagonist was represented in the manga. His bratty behavior didn’t do justice to Naruto’s legacy.

This was just the tip of the iceberg, the quality of the illustrations was also criticized, and fans weren’t happy with the release schedule either. Each manga chapter took one month for it to be released. The waiting period was extensive as fans wanted to know how the story would progress.

With that said, the monthly release schedule is for the best as Masashi Kishimoto revealed information regarding his work-life balance. Fans have been a lot more patient and understanding ever since Kishimoto informed his fanbase about the harsh working conditions of the manga industry.

Boruto: Understanding the reason behind the monthly release schedule and why it’s for the best

Is this the reason why they release monthly now? byu/MrCristyanYT inBoruto

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As per Kishimoto’s comments on his work-life balance, the weekly targets were incredibly hard to deal with. He didn’t have a social life and the only interactions he’d have were with his assistants. It took a massive toll on his mental and physical health. He would dedicate 3 to 4 days to coming up with a plot for the upcoming chapter and spend the remaining days drawing them. He would also give a ton of work to his assistants since that was the nature of his work.

Furthermore, he only had one assistant whose art style was quite similar to his. Therefore, these two individuals would take up a massive chunk of the work. There were times when Kishimoto needed 6 days to sort out the plot and spent one day drawing the entire chapter.

This resulted in extremely compromised chapters which he wasn’t satisfied with. Assistants would quite literally pull all-nighters regularly to meet the weekly deadlines. Kishimoto would try his best to keep his assistants entertained during long periods of work. The team particularly hated drawing Naruto’s Shadow Clones because of the amount of effort it takes to draw his clones on paper.

Comment byu/MrCristyanYT from discussion inBoruto

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Such is the plight of artists in the manga industry. They work tirelessly and for sustained periods of time which impacts their health drastically. Kentaro Miura’s death shed some light on the harsh working conditions. When the sequel series was in the works, Ikemoto was responsible for the illustrations, and Masashi Kishimoto was all set to take the backseat in this project. The illustrator also confessed that he couldn’t keep up with the weekly deadlines.

However, it’s clear that the Boruto series is benefitting from this schedule and fans are accustomed to the wait period. Over the course of the series, the art has improved drastically and Two Blue Vortex is incredibly entertaining to read.

Conclusion

The manga industry’s working conditions are appalling, to say the least. However, it’s nice to see that the community is making an effort to spread awareness. Boruto fans are not only aware but also sympathetic towards manga authors. Not only do the writers have one month to release a chapter, but the quality is also improving as the series advances. The art is great and the plot progression is incredible. It’s safe to say fans wholeheartedly support the monthly release schedule.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.

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Edited by Bharath S