Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 16 Blu-ray Movie Review

Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War is another action-packed collection of episodes within the popular anime franchise. The series continues the adventures of Boruto and his friends. Journeying with Boruto and the other ninja warriors yields plenty of fun for die-hard fans of the franchise. The anime series has returned once more and fans won’t want to miss out. From series creators Masashi Kishimoto, Ukyō Kodachi, and Mikie Ikemoto.

Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War features animation production by studio Pierrot (Black Clover, Naruto Shippūden). The series represents the spin-off and continuation of the Naruto program. The saga follows the adventures of Boruto. The box-set includes episodes 232-255. The original broadcast run was on TV Tokyo in Japan. The North America Blu-ray release of Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War was licensed by VIZ Media.

Adventure returns and more quests await in the world of Boruto and friends. This time around, Boruto and the others are facing new threats in the Land of Water. Danger looms ahead when an airship suddenly explodes. The airship explosion helps set off a stage of events that leads to a big new confrontation with the Funato War.

A battle begins with The Funato Clan and the Mizukage. Everything hangs in the balance with possible war on the horizon. The war could even potentially lead to an increase in fatalities. Team 5 and Team 7 even join forces to fight the good fight and try and quiet the storm of the war. Who will survive and can Boruto rise to the challenge?

The Funato War is another chapter in the long-running anime program. As the journey continues to explore the adventures of Boruto and the other ninja fighters, the saga explores the quest that the anime characters go on along the way. The result is that the characters find themselves in new and challenging action-packed situations.

As a spin-off, Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War is a saga that explores terrain that continues the original journey. Now there are more opportunities for the characters to expand the missions and find new ways to work together. The saga offers anime fans equal dose of nostalgia alongside something new.

One of the key elements of Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War is the animation. The animation remains one of the most essential parts of the production. The series just wouldn’t be the same without the team of animators working behind the scenes to bring the series to life. The artistic style of the production is compelling and there are a lot of elements that add to the series charm.

The animation showcases adventurous fight scenes and the fluid and crisp animation style is something to appreciate. The animators make sure to keep the aesthetic both colorful and ambitious. The scope of the series is one that builds and continues to highlight the ninja journey with background animation adding to the series sense of style.

Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War also features character designs by Hirofumi Suzuki (Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, Naruto Shippūden: The Lost Tower) alongside Tetsuya Nishio (Naruto, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG). The designs featured by the design team add to the production quality. The character designers understand the overarching style of the manga and the design work that is necessary to continue the ongoing legacy established with the characters.

The cinematography on Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War highlights the efforts of Nobuo Kimura  (Boruto: Naruto the Movie, Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow). A talented cinematographer, the cinematography on the series highlights one of the best qualities: colorful animation. The cinematography understands how to highlight the series artistic style. An impressive effort and one that is integral to the production.

Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War also depends on the action scenes to make the series excel and continue to find its footing overall. Fans know to expect quality action and this is certainly one of the key reasons the series is an enormous hit with fans. The action rewards fans. Audiences expect compelling fights and the ninjas undergo extensive fights to keep audiences enthralled.

The original series score composed by Yasuharu Takanashi (Naruto Shippūden, Fairy Tail) and -yaiba- (Naruto Shippūden, New Fist of the North Star) is a huge part of the production. The music for the production works well and is effective as background music for the series. The score has upbeat adventure and a sense of energy that aids the storytelling. The music certainly fits the style of storytelling and the ninja way.

Written by Makoto Uezu (Assassination Classroom, KonoSuba – God's blessing on this wonderful world!!), Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War expands on the series with more adventurous ninja fights and challenges. Fans are looking for more drama and action. This is fundamentally delivered by the series as it expands the story and offers more ninja fun.

Masayuki Kouda handles directing and provides a strong sense of fun for the anime saga. Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War continues the quest and brings back the ingredients fans of the production have come to expect from the series. Fans will be happy to set forth on new adventures.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 16 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by VIZ Media, Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The colorful animation looks bold and crisp on the release and there is plenty of quality animation on display. The encoding capably handles the colorful animation and the art style of the series. The line art and background animation are well reproduced.

The release benefits from good encoding and the bit-rate helps to preserve the details in the animation. Streaming video services comparatively provide a more compressed image that is not quite as ideal as the physical media counterpart (which provides higher video bit-rates). For perfectionists seeking the absolute best presentation possible, physical media provides a superior viewing experience.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 16 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release features lossless audio selections: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio sounds crisp and clear and provides the audience with good detail. Dialogue is clear and is easy to understand. The lossless encoding helps provide viewers with a superior audio option compared to streaming video services. Streaming video platforms provide only lossy (non-lossless) and encoding and for those who prefer a lossless encode, the physical media Blu-ray format continues to be superior for audiophiles and others seeking the best out of their audio.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 16 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first print run of the release includes a nice o-card slipcover. The slipcover looks nice and will look great on a shelf. The package element adds to the collectable nature of the physical media format.

The release includes the following on disc supplemental features:

Storyboards includes 5 click-through pages of storyboard illustrations.

Art Gallery includes 13 click-through slides.

Clean Opening (HD, 1:31)

Clean Endings (HD, 3:02)

More from VIZ Media (HD, 1:44)

Unfortunately, the release does not include a more extensive and in-depth supplemental package. The release could have benefited by including some audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes documentaries, making-of features, and cast/crew interviews. These sorts of making-of extras would have certainly been nice to see included on the release and would have added some extra value for collectors.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 16 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Boruto Naruto Next Generations – The Funato War is another collection of episodes in the anime saga. Fans of the franchise will want to check it out to continue the epic adventure. The series features fun animation and some nice production values. The saga expands with episodes 232-255. The episodes certainly provide fans with more adventures.

The Blu-ray release provides a high-definition presentation and lossless audio encode. The release has a selection of bonus features as well. The package includes an o-card slipcover for the first print run. The release includes select storyboards and an art gallery. Fans of Boruto Naruto Next Generations who have been collecting the releases will want to consider picking up the set and adding it to their growing anime collection. Recommended.