The creative duo behindBoruto: Two Blue Vortex, Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto, were recently invited to the annual event held in France forNaruto’s franchise, ‘Nuit à Konoha’, where they were interviewed about the sequel and their mindsets as creators. During the interview, the manga artists not only shared the fact thatMasashi Kishimoto’s initial ending forBorutochangedbut also hinted at the probable reason that inspired this revision andwas holding back the potential of the series; Boruto as protagonist.
Boruto’s ninja way is completely different from the one followed by his father. Boruto had the talent to transcend, but he lacked the determination that fans love in Naruto. In this way, the most promising thing about Boruto at the beginning of the story isthe future anticipated in the flash-forward, his confrontation with Kawaki, which showed how he changed completely as a character.
In the translated interview shared by Twitter user@UzuRepo, it was hinted by the comments of the creators thatthe evolution of Boruto’s character was necessary as he originally was lacking as a protagonist.
The interviews cited below have been translated by fans of the series, so there may be some inaccuracies.
Boruto Two Blue Vortex Just Revealed How The Protagonist Became So Powerful With The Franchise’s Craziest Training
Kashin Koji’s newly revealed ability, Prescience, is the perfect explanation as to how Boruto became so powerful in such a short time.
Boruto’s Struggle To Regain His Life Makes Him a Better Protagonist
Boruto’s Character Was Designed To Represent Both Naruto and Sasuke.
The main difference between Boruto and his father as protagonists is their background. Unlike Boruto, who grew up in a caring family,it’s easy for fans to root for Naruto, who was alone, excluded, and ignoring his lineage as the son of the Fourth Hokage. Naruto’s determination to achieve his dream led him to build his legend through effort, managing to change his situation and become a hero and the most influential Shinobi while also forming the family he longed for. However,Boruto hadn’t gone through anything comparableto the personal tragedy his father experienced and that helped shape his character.
How their situations contrast so deeply was addressed by Ikemoto when asked about Boruto’s evolution as a main character in comparison with the evolution of his father, Naruto.
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. So, Boruto resembles Sasuke in terms of ‘loss’ and Naruto in terms of ‘gaining’ - Mikio Ikemoto.
Ikemoto’s response indicates thatBoruto’s character at the beginning of the story was incomplete;he needed to lose something to develop himself. This way, Boruto is designed not as a copy of his father, but rather as a mixture of Naruto and Sasuke. Boruto becomes someone who knows what it’s like to have something valuable and then lose it like Sasuke, but who doesn’t allow himself to be consumed by darkness despite his situation, and instead tries to change his life and bring back his rival like Naruto.
As Boruto experiences this process, he becomes a better protagonist. This was reflected in the reception for the first chapters ofBoruto: Two Blue Vortex, where the protagonist comes back as a gritty, no-nonsense shinobi with great powers and unbreakable determination. Fans and critics were both positively impressed, especially by the maturation of the protagonist.
Boruto Switching Positions With Kawaki Was Needed for Him To Reach His Potential
The Rivalry inBorutoIs Still a Main Point, Like It Was inNaruto’s Story.
It was clear that Boruto needed a personal event that motivated him to grow and develop as a ninja. This was explained by Ikemoto in an interview with the French manga publisher Kana, which was translated and posted by the userYagami1211 on the Fanverse website, where the authors were asked about the reason behind Boruto becoming a renegade of Konoha.
It’s not that Boruto is really a traitor. When his adventure began, he had a situation opposite to that of Naruto in the past. He had friends and a family, his main problem being an absent father. So, he didn’t have any particular reason to surpass himself. But since he is the main character, we had to find a way to make him act. For his part, Kawaki has a similar situation to Naruto. I thought that swapping the positions between Boruto and Kawaki would allow for a better progression of the story. It’s an idea I had relatively early on. - Mikio Ikemoto
The motivation of Naruto, not fighting for simple recognition nor defeating the enemy physically but ideologically, is one of the best aspects of the series. So, Boruto being in a situation where he has to improve himself and become stronger, not only to regain his identity but also to reach Kawaki, who he still considers his friend and a member of his family, was necessary for him to achieve his potential. Also,Boruto’s rivalry with Kawaki differs fromNaruto and Sasukeas it has its own meaning; this was discussed in the Nuit à Konoha’s interview.
Masashi Kishimoto: In fact, Naruto and Sasuke are very similar. They aren’t that intelligent; both have a go-getter side, and they’ve both lost something important. So, even if they’re in opposition, these characters are alike in their essence.
As for Boruto and Kawaki, however, their very existence is completely opposite. Boruto’s a character who doesn’t realize how lucky he is, despite having a lot from the start. Kawaki’s a character who has lost everything and doesn’t realize his own value. Naruto and Sasuke, and Boruto and Kawaki are rivals in the story. But I think their relationships are pretty different in Naruto and Boruto.
Mikio Ikemoto: In the Naruto-Sasuke and Boruto-Kawaki relationships, each one is a rival to the other to assert their worth. However, their opposition is very different. In Naruto, the protagonist is constantly in opposition in which he expresses and conveys what he feels to Sasuke. By doing this, he evolves as a protagonist.
On the other hand, in Boruto, it’s Kawaki who’s in the position of someone who shows a strong attachment to the main character, Boruto. Boruto, having become a young man, is a character who’s fully evolved at once from the beginning. He is insightful and with great open-mindedness. Compared to Kawaki, the importance of what he carries on his shoulders is different. It will be more like Kawaki showing evolution as a character. Besides that, I think there are numerous contrasts between Naruto’s scheme and that of Boruto.
Boruto evolved thanks to Kawaki and now understands his mistakes and has to fight with more things at stake, as he had his village turned against him. This makes Boruto not only a more relatable and charismatic protagonist but also someone who has motivation and knows the path he will follow.
So, even if he may have failed to gain the respect of the readers duringBoruto: Naruto Next Generations, the current events ofTwo Blue Vortex’sstory have cementedBoruto as a complete protagonistwho honors the revolutionary determination that his father demonstrated in the original series.
Sources:UzuRepo,Fanverse.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex
Years after fleeing his village with Sasuke, Boruto returns to confront the dark changes that have occurred. With memories altered and Kawaki now seen as the hero, Boruto faces a world where he is the outcast. The two rivals must settle their differences as their Otsutsuki powers grow more dangerous.
