Masashi Kishimoto Has 1 Non-Negotiable Condition for Boruto to Continue After His Naruto Ended: “It had to be him”
Mikio Ikemoto has been involved with the Naruto series from almost the beginning, having been Masashi Kishimoto’s assistant for fifteen years. He began the artwork for the Boruto manga in 2016, written by Ukyō Kodachi and supervised by Kishimoto himself.
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However, this sequel wouldn’t have happened at all, reveals Kishimoto in a 2016 interview with Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine. Although Naruto enjoyed stellar success and was well-loved by its fans, Kishimoto stepped down right after the release of the final chapter. While Kishimoto pursued other endeavors, Shonen Jump was quick to realize that there was more potential in the Naruto series and quickly commissioned a sequel starring Naruto’s son, Boruto.
The Reason Why Masashi Kishimoto Returned To The Franchise
In the 2016 interview with Shonen Jump, Masashi Kishimoto revealed that he wasn’t interested in continuing the story. According to the interview, Kishimoto explained:
“When I ended Naruto, Shueisha asked me if I was interested in continuing the story. I had done everything I wanted to with the series, so I wasn’t up for it.“
He further went on to say that the only way he would continue the story is if Ikemoto took charge of the sequel. He said,
“I was fine with ending it at that point, but if Mikio-kun was drawing the sequel, then I was okay with it. I told them it had to be him.“
The creator of Naruto and the artist of Boruto have been working together for more than 15 years and their friendship genuinely reflects the bond that has grown over the years. There is no wonder why Kishimoto trusted Ikemoto to continue his legacy. The creator of Naruto even went so far as to say that his friend had outdone him and improved as an artist, a claim that Ikemoto swiftly refuted.
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A Walk Down The Memory Lane
Both Kishimoto and Ikemoto reminisced about how they first met over a phone call. Kishimoto already heard of Ikemoto when he won the Tenka Ichi Manga award with his one-shot, COSMOS, in a Weekly Shonen Jump contest, which drew Kishimoto’s curiosity. Ikemoto revealed that he was also curious about Kishimoto since he had won the award before him.
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Once they noticed they had similar art styles, the fate was sealed and the duo began working together. Ikemoto said that he almost did not accept the position as Kishimoto’s assistant since he was already fielding a job offer for another manga artist but ultimately chose to work with Kishimoto.
“I was initially going to work for another manga artist, but I preferred working on a manga with a more serious story over a comedy so I was grateful when Kishimoto approached me.“
Kishimoto brought up the first time he met Ikemoto in person and he fondly remembers Ikemoto wearing sunglasses. Ikemoto laughed and said that he wanted to look tough, to which Kishimoto responded that he found it cute.
Boruto owes its success to the joint effort of Kishimoto and Ikemoto, a duo with an unbreakable bond. Undoubtedly, the culmination of their hard work brought the beloved characters to life and etched itself into the hearts of the fans forever.
