Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie Review

The return of Boruto.

Boruto Naruto Next Generations – Kara Actuation continues the adventures of Boruto and his friends. The series is from creators Masashi Kishimoto, Mikie Ikemoto, and Ukyō Kodachi. The animation is produced by studio Pierrot (Black Clover, Naruto Shippūden). Originally broadcast on TV Tokyo, Boruto Naruto Next Generations – Kara Actuation provides more action-packed fun for followers of the anime.

Boruto Uzumaki (Yuko Sanpei) is on a brand-new mission with more unexpected obstacles in front of him. The ninja is on a journey with his clan – a journey which takes him to the mysterious Land of Silence. The strange world before him is home to disgraced ninjas who are no longer practicing.

Encountering these disgraced ninjas, Boruto fights Deepa, a fighter who is graced with great ninja skills. Experiencing a fight that delivers more than bargained for, Boruto decides to train harder than ever before. Can Boruto and the next generation of ninjas emerge as the heroes everyone needs?

The series is partly a success because of the characters and the realm inhabited from the original Naruto series. Boruto brings something different to the table in the spin-off franchise while remaining partially true to the original vision of the original series. The supporting cast also provides the series with some interesting character dynamics.

The animation is one of the chief successes of the production. Under the lead art direction of Ichiro Uno (The Last: Naruto The Movie, The World Is Still Beautiful) and Koji Yabuno (Naruto Shippūden: Blood Prison, Space Brothers) Boruto Naruto Next Generations – Kara Actuation showcases the artistry inherent within the production. The art direction by Hideyuki Ueno (Nana, Ace of Diamond) also manages to make strides with the production and the visual aesthetic the series displays. The team of animators handle the production in an effective and creative way.

A new chapter in the saga.

The character designs by Hirofumi Suzuki (Naruto Shippūden: The Lost Tower, Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom) and Tetsuya Nishio (Naruto, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG) imbue the series with a sense of charm that is consistent with previous generations of the anime franchise. The designs fit the characters nicely and manage to help the series achieve a good tonal balance between comedy and action while highlighting the strengths and quirks of each character.

At the core of the series long-term success has been the action sequences and staging. The series has a fast-paced tone with a lot of ninja battles – the sort to keep audiences invested in the fight scenes. As the series explores the journey of these ninja fighters, Boruto expands with more intense sequences featuring the core cast of characters. While the series might not be in the same exact league of the original Naruto, the action is nonetheless entertaining and well-staged.

The visual element of the series is compelling. Featuring cinematography by Mai Masuno (The Last: Naruto the Movie, Boruto: Naruto the Movie), Boruto Naruto Next Generations – Kara Actuation showcases stirring visual flair. The series has a bright and colorful aesthetic which is highlighted exceptionally well by Masuno. The cinematography shares a similar aesthetic to the original Naruto.

The original score composed by -yaiba- (Naruto Shippūden, New Fist of the North Star) and Yasuharu Takanashi (Naruto Shippūden, Fairy Tail) entertains with fast-paced music against the backdrop of energetic action sequences. The music imbues the production with enough energy to carry the production. Boruto is more exciting because of the music.

Written by Makoto Uezu (Assassination Classroom, KonoSuba – God’s blessing on this wonderful world!! ), who contributes as the chief screenwriter on the program, Boruto has a similar storytelling approach to Naruto. While the series doesn’t walk the same exact path as the original series in the anime franchise, it resembles it in some respects, with an interesting comradery between the main characters.

Noriyuki Abe (Yu Yu Hakusho, Bleach) and director Masayuki Kouda (for the later episodes as found on this collection), direct the series and bring the production its fast-paced style and action-packed tone. Abe and Kouda are confident in their craft and bring Boruto Naruto Next Generations – Kara Actuation forward with top-notch action and suspense for the Naruto spin-off series.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from VIZ Media, Boruto Naruto Next Generations – Kara Actuation is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release has a strong high definition presentation. The release showcases superb color reproduction and excellent detail. The image is crisp and well-defined. The animation style is well preserved by the release as well (and the encoding capably handles the action sequences). A solid effort by VIZ Media.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0  stereo (with English subtitles) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The lossless audio impresses with exceptional dialogue reproduction and overall clarity for the presentation. The encoding capably preserves the details of the soundstage. The music score is well presented and preserved in the soundmix.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Storyboards is a click-through gallery includes five pages of storyboards.

Art Gallery includes sixteen character sketches.

Clean Opening (HD, 1:30)

Clean Endings (HD, 3:01)

The release also includes trailers (HD, 1:06) promoting additional releases available from distributor VIZ Media.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 12 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Boruto Naruto Next Generations – Kara Actuation brings the Naruto spin-off series to a new chapter of the ongoing saga. Fans of the anime franchise will be pleased to continue the adventures with Boruto and the other ninjas. The animation is one of the highlights of the series (and the action scenes are well staged). The production benefits from some nice design elements. The Blu-ray release from VIZ Media includes a solid presentation and a small selection of supplemental features. Boruto fans will certainly want to pick up the release. Recommended.