The announcement of a sequel for any popular and beloved series is bound to spark joy, and so was the case with Boruto as well. But the anticipation of fans wasn’t rewarded, as Boruto: Naruto’s Next Generations failed to meet the expectations and standards set by its predecessor. One way to fix this issue was through great characters that fans could resonate with, and they already had an advantage with the Naruto characters. Seemingly, this simple solution wasn’t so simple.
As the story progressed in Boruto manga, the focus was narrowed down to the two main characters, sidelining every other character. This happened in Naruto Shippuden as well, but the characters in focus were actually likable, even though the same can’t be said about Boruto and Kawaki.
Simply because, the characters from both the series are worlds apart and the newer generation pales in comparison. Mikio Ikemoto, the creator of Boruto, made an interesting differentiation between the characters, bringing forth a new perspective.
Mikio Ikemoto on Boruto’s Character
After Naruto ended, Masashi Kishimoto passed the baton to his longtime assistant Mikio Ikemoto. Ikemoto has been illustrating and writing Boruto manga under Kishimoto’s supervision. In an interview alongside Kishimoto, the Boruto creator was asked about the evolution of his protagonist as compared to Uzumaki Naruto. Ikemoto shared (via translations of BorutoOricon’s recordings on X) that Boruto was extremely different from Naruto. Their foundation and circumstances were worlds apart.
Naruto is a character who has nothing at the start and gains everything by the end. Boruto on the other hand is a character who possesses everything from the start, loses it all, and then struggles to pull through.
From this statement, it becomes pretty clear that Ikemoto was aware of Boruto’s privileges, compared to Naruto. His character aligns more with Sasuke in this respect; both of them had a great family that was taken away from them. As a lonely child deprived of everything, even human connections, Naruto was grateful which made his character more likable.
The moment Naruto was accepted by the entire village at the end of Pain arc, it felt like a personal win for fans. This level of connection is missing in Boruto’s case, and probably unattainable as well. Aware of this fact, Ikemoto has tried to differentiate his character from his father’s.
Boruto is a Different Character from Naruto and That’s Okay
Boruto’s association with Naruto prevents a lot of fans from seeing him for who he is, given the love they have for Naruto. Boruto was neglected by Naruto without any explanation about the special circumstances. Had it been any other character, the fan reactions to his tantrums would have been more empathetic.
The young boy didn’t completely understand his father’s struggles or the gravity of the responsibilities he bore as the Hokage, something fans respected him for. When Naruto met Minato, he punched him for the suffering he endured.
Naruto was older than Boruto at that time and had spent a substantial amount of time alongside many Hokage. Hence, he knew what the title meant. So he let out his frustrations with a punch but in the rest of the interaction, he was understanding and respectful. This is something Boruto has also become capable of doing, although in his own way.
The character undoubtedly has many flaws, but he has a little bit of both Naruto and Sasuke in his personality. He will never be able to surpass them, but that is something Ikemoto seems to be aware of and might not even be aiming for anymore.
Boruto is available to read on the MangaPlus app and website.
