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The recent surge in Shueisha manga sales, including the impressive backlog revival for Boruto: TBV, is directly tied to the nationwide NatsuComi summer promotion currently taking over Japanese bookstores.

As part of this campaign, buyers are rewarded with special bonus items, which this year feature a highly sought-after set of 22 metallic cards. This promotion caused the July 1 Shoseki Top 100 daily rankings to be completely dominated by Shueisha releases, including heavy hitters like One Piece, Kaiju No. 8, Ichi the Witch, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Sakamoto Days, and Hunter x Hunter. The campaign has even sparked a noticeable wave of scalping, with people bulk-buying popular series like One Piece, Kaiju No. 8, and Ichi the Witch purely to collect the limited cards before reselling the manga.

Remarkably, despite the franchise being highlighted in stores for its 10th anniversary, Boruto was not actually given a dedicated metallic card in this lineup and isn't being actively pushed by the campaign's main merchandise.

Yet, the series is still experiencing a fantastic spillover effect from the general influx of bookstore traffic. During its fifth week of sales, Volume 8 saw a brilliant climb from #115 on June 30 to #36 on July 1, holding strong at #35 the following day.

Even more exciting is that on July 1, all previous volumes from 1 to 7 successfully re-entered the Top 100, and by July 2, the entire backlog formed a tight, consistent cluster in the Top 200, occupying ranks #126 through #183.

Japan's massive content industry investment could be huge news for Boruto and Naruto.
The Japanese government has officially begun preparations for a new centralized organization dedicated to expanding Japanese anime, manga, games, and music worldwide, modeled after South Korea's highly successful KOCCA. As part of its long-term strategy, Japan plans to invest a staggering ¥34 trillion in public and private funding by 2033, with ¥3.3 trillion allocated to the anime industry and ¥1.6 trillion to manga. The goal is to grow overseas sales of Japanese content from ¥6.1 trillion in 2024 to ¥20 trillion by 2033, making entertainment one of Japan's key economic sectors.

For Boruto and Naruto, this could have significant implications. The government specifically wants to support large-scale productions, strengthen international marketing, expand distribution networks, accelerate official translations using generative AI, and combat piracy by making official releases available much faster. Better funding and stronger overseas strategies could make it easier for publishers and studios to invest in high-quality seasonal productions instead of the old long-running weekly model.

The government is also planning ¥11.5 billion in subsidies for 15 major companies involved in expanding Japanese content overseas. The expected recipients include Shueisha, which publishes Naruto and Boruto, as well as Crunchyroll, which streams anime globally. The subsidies will help cover translation costs, advertising campaigns, overseas events, and platform expansion. The target is to increase the combined subscriber base of participating services from 100 million to 300 million worldwide.

Another interesting point is that overseas sales of Japanese content have now surpassed Japan's semiconductor exports, highlighting just how valuable anime, manga, and games have become to the country's economy. Because of this, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration has officially designated the content industry as one of Japan's 17 strategic growth sectors.

None of this guarantees a new Naruto series or confirms anything about the Boruto anime's return. Government funding doesn't write better scripts or animate episodes by itself. However, it does create a much stronger financial environment for major global franchises like Naruto and Boruto. If Japan is serious about making anime one of its biggest international industries over the next decade, few franchises are better positioned to benefit than one of the country's most recognizable IPs.

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*Hiroyuki Honda is a prominent Japanese manga editor who serves as the Deputy Editor-in-Chief for Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump

August 5, 2017, 08:00

MANTANWEB Editorial Department Anime / Manga In 2014, Masashi Kishimoto’s popular manga "naruto," which spanned a monumental serialization of about 15 years, came to a close. Currently, "BORUTO -naruto next generations-," a manga depicting the exploits of Boruto - the son of protagonist naruto Uzumaki - is being serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha), and its anime adaptation is broadcasting on the TV Tokyo network. It is said that many children are becoming fans of "naruto" through "BORUTO." About three years have passed since the conclusion of "naruto," so why does its popularity remain undiminished? Also, what about Kishimoto-san’s highly anticipated new work? We spoke with Hiroyuki Honda from the Weekly Shonen Jump editorial department, who handles the editing for "BORUTO" and is also closely involved in the anime.

◇ The Secret to Its Popularity Lies in the Strength of the Characters: No Lies in Their Emotions

"naruto" is a manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014, depicting the growth and struggles of Naruto, a troublemaker from the Village Hidden in the Leaves (Konohagakure), as he strives to become the village's top ninja, the Hokage.

In "BORUTO," Naruto's son takes over as the protagonist. The anime film "BORUTO -naruto THE MOVIE-" was released in August 2015, the manga began its run in Weekly Shonen Jump in May 2016, and the TV anime has been broadcasting since April 2017. For the "BORUTO" manga, Kishimoto provides the original story and supervision, while Mikio Ikemoto, who formerly served as Kishimoto’s assistant, handles the artwork.

Honda explains the background behind the creation of "BORUTO":

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Honda believes the charm of "naruto" largely stems from "the sheer strength of its characters. There are no lies in their emotions, and they possess a sense of reality. That is where it truly stands out." Since "naruto" was serialized for about 15 years, readers who were high school students when it started are now in their 30s. To pass on the charm of the world and characters to a new generation, "BORUTO" was seemingly created like a "reboot."

Both the "BORUTO" anime and manga are peppered with elements that will make long-time "naruto" fans grin, while simultaneously aiming for content that even those who don't know "naruto" can fully enjoy.

"The number of new fans among elementary, junior high, and high school students is growing faster than we expected. Much like with 'Dragon Ball,' it's now being enjoyed across two generations - parents and children," Honda notes. Just as planned, they seem to have succeeded in capturing a new audience while keeping existing fans thoroughly entertained.

◇ Masashi Kishimoto's Highly Anticipated New Project is in the Preparation Phase

Mikio Ikemoto, who handles the artwork for the "BORUTO" manga, is a manga artist who has participated as an assistant since the early days of "naruto." Regarding the reason for appointing Ikemoto, Honda explains:

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Kishimoto participates in the "BORUTO" manga as the creator and supervisor, and he is also "deeply committed and keeping a close eye" on the anime version.

Honda reveals, "Ultimately, it is Kishimoto-sensei who makes 'naruto' truly 'naruto.' Think of it like the final step of painting the eyes on a Daruma doll to bring it to life. While the manga is meticulously planned out down to the finest details, for the anime, we allow the staff to have free, open discussions. However, Kishimoto-sensei isn't present in those discussions; we rely on the power of brilliant creators."

The "BORUTO" anime will enter a new arc, the "Uchiha Sarada Arc," starting with the broadcast on the 9th. This new arc is based on naruto*: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring* (naruto-ナルト-外伝 ～七代目火影と緋色の花つ月～), which was a short-term intensive serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2015, focusing on a story centered around Sasuke Uchiha's daughter, Sarada. Honda says, "With the story's progression so far, now that viewers have grown to love Boruto, we hope they will come to love Sarada next."

"naruto" never ends... The protagonist's mantle has passed to his son, and various creators are inheriting those genetics to pass them down to a new generation. On the other hand, what everyone is curious about is Kishimoto's next work.

Honda reveals, "All I can say is that the new work is in the preparation stage... But I believe there will be an opportunity for it to see the light of day in the near future. Hearing the project ideas from the sensei, I always find myself amazed: 'This is such a complex story, so why does he make it so incredibly easy to understand?!'" In addition to the future developments of "BORUTO," we should also keep a close eye on Masashi Kishimoto's upcoming project.

Translation Insights and Cultural Notes

• Honorifics and Hierarchy (-san vs. -sensei): In the Japanese text, the editor alternates between calling the author "Kishimoto-san" (a polite, standard honorific) and "Kishimoto-sensei" (used for masters of a craft, teachers, or manga creators). In the English translation, "Sensei" is preserved when referring to both Kishimoto and Ikemoto in professional contexts because it highlights the master-disciple relationship and their esteemed status within the manga industry.
• The Daruma Doll Metaphor (ダルマに目を入れてもらうイメージ): Honda uses the phrase "like having someone paint the eyes on a Daruma doll at the very end." A Daruma is a traditional Japanese wishing doll bought with blank white eyes. You paint one eye when making a commitment to a goal, and the second eye only when that goal is achieved, symbolizing "awakening" or completion. Honda uses this to explain that while other creators do the heavy lifting, Kishimoto's final review is what breathes authentic "life" into the franchise.
• The Concept of a "Reboot" (リブート): The text explicitly uses the English loanword ribūto (reboot). Legally and narratively, BORUTO is a direct sequel, not a reboot. However, Honda uses the American comic book definition of a "reboot" conceptually—meaning a fresh entry point that lowers the barrier of entry for new, younger readers so they don't feel intimidated by Naruto's massive 72-volume backlog.
• Translating the Spinoff Title (七代目火影と緋色の花つ月): The literal translation of the Japanese subtitle is "The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Flower-Viewing Month" (where Hanatuzuki is an archaic poetic term for the third month of the lunar calendar, or early spring). This has been translated using its official VIZ Media/English release title, naruto***: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring***, to maintain accuracy with global franchise standards.
• Industry Terminology:
  • Pen-ire (ペン入れ): Literally "putting ink in." It refers to the crucial manga production stage of tracing over rough pencil sketches with professional dip pens and ink.
  • Tajuu Kage Bunshin (多重影分身): Left alongside its widely recognized English translation, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu," to ensure instant recognizability for fans of the franchise.

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