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In its move to present a fresh perspective, Boruto has often faced heavy criticism. From bland characters to rushed pacing, Mikio Ikemoto isn’t spared from the flak either. While it may not live up to the legacy of its predecessor Naruto, the sequel spin-off carves its niche through its storytelling and character design.
Boruto Uzumaki in a still from the series | Credit: Studio Pierrot While the sequel breaks away from its predecessor’s shadow, it also reflects creative liberty and freedom in doing so. Although the series’ ever-changing dynamic is necessary, Masashi Kishimoto would’ve refrained from making these changes in Naruto.
Mikio Ikemoto explores his creative liberty in Boruto
Mikio Ikemoto is a manga artist who previously worked as Masashi Kishimoto’s chief assistant for his manga. Currently, he illustrates Boruto, the sequel spin-off series of Naruto. The series has been heavily criticized for its banal storyline and its dependence on its precursor. However, there’s more to it.
Kawaki and Boruto in a still from the series | Credit: Studio PierrotWhile the series faced immense backlash, it also gave Ikemoto creative freedom. The series differs from Masashi Kishimoto’s manga through its ever-changing narrative. Be it the characters or the plot, each element in the series is ever-evolving. However, the unplanned nature of the series is what sets it apart from its predecessor.
An X user @UzuRepo shared a translation of the interview held at the Konoha à Nuit event in France. In this interview, Mikio Ikemoto shed light on the ever-changing storyline of the series. He quoted:
things don’t always go as planned. Small changes have often been made right from the beginning. But little by little, the story develops in a direction that’s different from Kishimoto-sensei’s outline. Various factors can explain this. But the biggest reason is that I needed to create for myself a new outcome for the shonen part and a concept for the seinen part.
While he explores creative liberty and freedom through these changes, Kishimoto would be hesitant to do so during his manga’s serialization. This is also due to the structured nature of his work coupled with the strict guidelines laid out by his editors.
Masashi Kishimoto’s creative liberty was curbed during his serialization of Naruto
Apart from being one of the Big 3 of Shonen, Naruto garnered a worldwide fanbase. Despite its popularity, the manga’s serialization was backbreaking for Masashi Kishimoto. As opposed to Ikemoto, the author underwent several creative constraints and restrictions during his process. This included several scenes and arcs that had to be edited from the manga.
The final battle at Valley of the End | Credit: Studio PierrotBe it the final battle at the Valley of the End or Shikamaru picking up Asuma’s smoking habit, Kishimoto’s ideas and concepts had to undergo various reviews by his editors to make it to the cut. While writing female characters is most certainly not his suit, his editor’s pressure also led to Sakura’s downfall in the series. Despite its well-structured nature, the series wasn’t exempt from backlash.
Although Ikemoto explored his creative liberty and possibilities in Boruto, Kishimoto didn’t enjoy the same in his work. Furthermore, the unplanned and non-linear nature of the storyline in Boruto may not align with that of Naruto. Additionally, the ever-changing plotline wouldn’t work for Kishimoto considering the endless reworking of ideas and the edits regarding the arcs.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Naruto are available on Crunchyroll. The mangas are available for reading on Viz Media.
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