Kishimoto and Ikemoto reveal how Boruto was created and more in latest interview

In an exclusive interview conducted on August 24, 2024, on Konoha Day, the creators behind the Boruto and Naruto series, Masashi Kishimoto and Ikemoto, gave out some interesting details regarding the inception and making of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Kishimoto and Ikemoto talk about the hardships and successes in building a sequel to such a highly cherished series.

They shared the biggest challenges they had while making Naruto, gave their insights on how Boruto evolved compared to his father Naruto, and revealed a tiresome process for developing new characters for the series.

Besides bringing light to the creative journey behind the story, this candid conversation also deeply allows fans to understand how the legacy of Naruto is being continued and expanded into its successor.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author.

Kishimoto and Ikemoto reveal how Boruto was created, the challenges they face, and much more in a recent interview

What has been the most difficult aspect of creating Naruto for Masashi Kishimoto?

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During the interview on Konoha Day, the interviewer asked Masashi Kishimoto about the challenges he faced while creating the Naruto series. His response shows how Naruto consumed him physically and mentally. He liked the series very much, but the weak constitution made it hard to keep going on at a demanding schedule of weekly serialization. The difficult task was not only to create but to keep his health in order.

The battle with Pain was most physically demanding since it had many complicated narrative problems in it that were of a hard-solve nature. This shows how Kishimoto pushed himself to bring out a good story at the cost of his health. Most especially, this concerns critical plot points such as the Pain arc.

How does Boruto's character arc differ from Naruto's?

Naruto Uzumaki as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

In the interview, Masashi Kishimoto said what separated Boruto from Naruto as protagonists. He said that Naruto started with nothing and slowly earned everything: friends, respect, and power. He, being the opposite of his son, starts everything but loses it all at some later point and the story is about gaining everything back.

Kishimoto compared Boruto's loss to that of Sasuke; however, he also portrayed that similar to Naruto, he goes through growth by gaining at the same time. The difference in character arcs represents how his evolution as a character of the main series gives something new but does so while hooking into what the original series was about.

What challenges did Masashi Kishimoto and Ikemoto face while producing the story together?

Boruto Uzumaki as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Kishimoto commented that he and Ikemoto had huge disagreements regarding a character's fate but wouldn't give details to avoid spoilers. Ikemoto went further to explain the tough process of a serial publication, in which it is necessary that the story change along with evolving trends and audience expectations.

Kishimoto said:

Ikemoto-san and I once had a significant difference of opinion on the fate of a character, he dissuaded me for a long time with your tenacity.

Ikemoto said there were changes from the original plan to sustain the story, along with the characters and plotlines. He added that even the series in itself is dynamic, changing as the show goes, which is one of the biggest challenges when trying to stay interesting and relevant.

How did Masashi Kishimoto manage his transition from scriptwriter to supervisor for Boruto?

Masashi Kishimoto was quite confident about his transition to supervisor from scriptwriter for Boruto in the interview. He said that he had a detailed synopsis regarding the series, which he then passed to Ikemoto. They work together quite closely; Ikemoto often turns out storyboards that expand further and take off on Kishimoto's outline.

He mentioned:

I wasn't planning on making the sequal if Ikemoto didn't take over.

Kishimoto believes in Ikemoto's skills in drawing and storytelling. This gives the assurance of a strong partnership that smooths the progress, with very few issues regarding the development of the series.

What are the steps Kishimoto follows when creating new characters in the story?

Ada as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

During the interview, Masashi Kishimoto went into detail on how he came up with new characters. First, he conceptualizes what type of character the story calls for. Then he adds an "unexpected aspect" to them to deepen them, like Ada, who has abilities to dominate the world but would rather be in love and act silly.

Kishimoto has also made use of "gap moe" in the construction of memorable characters, such as Hidari, whose techniques reflect a little of Sasuke but only to be eccentric in his ways. This strategy highlights the special charm of the character and thus makes him more engaging.

How does fashion influence Boruto's character design?

Sasuke Uchiha as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Masashi Kishimoto said that the character's fashion in the story speaks of his personality, preference, and many a time, psychological factors. He has observed that what a character wears has to suit their temperament and the fashion of their village.

For Boruto, observing appearance and following Sasuke's sense of style are mannerisms that reflect respect for his mentor and pride resulting from a loving childhood. On the other hand, Kawaki's lack of fashion care is largely due to low self-esteem and a rough childhood, apparent by the casual way of dressing and going around with torn clothes.

Which Naruto character would Kishimoto have preferred to explore more deeply?

Sakura Haruno as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

During the Konoha Day, Masashi Kishimoto said that he regretted not being able to dig deeper into the character of Sakura Haruno. He stated that Sakura is different from the other two main protagonists in the fact that her parents never appeared or were mentioned in the manga.

He realized he had missed the chance for the development of her family background in an earlier stage of the series, which became hard to address as the series progressed. Though he tried to squeeze in movie adaptations briefly to give a glimpse of Sakura's parents, he felt that somehow more detail about her family should be fitted inside the main story.

How do the relationships between Naruto and Sasuke compare to those between Boruto and Kawaki?

Kawaki as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

In the interview, Masashi Kishimoto drew out several similarities and differences in Naruto and Sasuke's relationships with Boruto and Kawaki. On the other hand, Naruto and Sasuke's personalities are relatively close, being driven, not of a higher intellect, and have had losses.

Kishimoto said:

Naruto and Sasuke and Boruto and Kawaki are rivals in the story, but I think their relationship in Naruto and Boruto are quite different.

The core of their rivalry is a sense of mutual understanding, though each is on the opposite side. Boruto and Kawaki are quite different. Through all the privilege that the former was birthed into, he frequently thinks nothing of it, while Kawaki, having nothing, brings forth his problem with self-worth.

Final thoughts

Kishimoto and Ikemoto shed light on how Boruto has evolved in their reflection for an interview from the Konoha Day. They shared a candid discussion that revealed the fast-paced procedure they used in building a sequel to Naruto, with personal and professional hindrances the two went through.

In that way, Kishimoto's shift from being a scriptwriter to being a supervisor shows his involvement in keeping the series relevant and deep. They mentioned that character conceptualization is an intricate process, the effect of fashion on design.

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Edited by Bharath S