Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 18 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 18 Blu-ray Movie Review

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell brings the concluding chapter of the action-adventure anime. Boruto Naruto Next Generations – Farewell features animation production by studio Pierrot (Naruto, Naruto Shippūden). Created by Masashi Kishimoto, Mikie Ikemoto, and Ukyō Kodachi, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell was originally broadcast on Japanese television on TV Tokyo. Produced by Koichi Machiyama (Boruto: Naruto the Movie, The Last: Naruto The Movie), Makoto Hijikata (Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals), and Takehiro Toteno, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell features voice-performances by Yūko Sanpei, Yūma Uchida, Junta Terashima, Junko Takeuchi, Chie Nakamura, Noriaki Sugiyama, Kokoro Kikuchi, and Ryūichi Kijima.

Boruto Uzumaki (Yūko Sanpei) is back for one final mission. The end is near and Boruto has more dangers in front of him than ever anticipated. Naruto Uzumaki (Junko Takeuchi) is feeling ill and everything seems to be hanging in the balance. Can Naruto survive to see another day with the assistance of Sakura Uchiha (Chie Nakamura) and Sasuke Uchiha (Noriaki Sugiyama)? Naruto’s unyielding friends hope that they can save him from an untimely demise.

Yet even more danger is lurking around the corner with Kara’s Code (Junta Terashima) fighting Boruto, the village, and Kawaki (Yūma Uchida). Will Boruto have to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to help save Naruto and the others? The endgame has arrived and the final hours of Boruto will unfold. Not everyone may live to see another day in the sun. Who can survive the endgame and be the ultimate ninja?

As a spin-off of the beloved Naruto anime franchise, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell brings the cast of characters that have become so beloved with series fans. Boruto, Naruto, Sakura, and the others are brought back for one last go. Boruto has had quite the journey and dedicated fans will be interested to see the character one more time. The character designs by Hirofumi Suzuki (Naruto, Boruto: Naruto the Movie) and Tetsuya Nishio (Naruto, Naruto Shippūden) are well done and stay faithful to the other installments in the anime franchise.

The animation has always been one of the best highlights of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell features art direction by Hideyuki Ueno (Ace of Diamond, Kaiji: Against All Rules). The animation is colorful, vibrant, and engaging. The team of animators on the production brought the same arsenal to the series that one can see with previous series in the franchise, from Naruto to Naruto Shippūden. The art style for the series keeps the iconic signature style that began with the Naruto manga and was translated well with the anime.

The cinematography by Nobuo Kimura (Naruto Shippūden the Movie: Bonds, Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow) is good at showcasing the aesthetic of the series and its vibrant art. The cinematographer provides the bold lighting needed for the action-adventure and lighting is well handled, too. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell brings the classic style of cinematography back for the last outing.

The score composed by -yaiba- (Naruto Shippūden, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie) and Yasuharu Takanashi (Naruto Shippūden, Fairy Tail) is enjoyable and adds to the series sense of fun. The series music has always been a highlight of the anime. The score provides a nice backdrop to the action-packed fun. The score is a constant for the series and something fans can enjoy.

Written by Masaya Honda (Naruto Shippūden, Monster Strike Animation the New Series), Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell brings the series to a close (at least for now). Fans of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations will want to see the end of the saga. The finale has arrived and fans won’t want to miss finding out what happens to Boruto, Naruto, and all the rest of the ninjas.

Directed by Masayuki Kouda (Naruto Shippūden) and Noriyuki Abe (Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho), Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell sends off the series. Fans have been on a long journey with it – spanning multiple different sagas across multiple series. The spinoff of Naruto, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations finally bids “farewell” with this volume. It won’t stop fans from asking for more.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 18 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by VIZ Media, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation showcases the animation well. Colors "pop" on the release. One thing nice about the Boruto presentation is that compared to some of the earlier Naruto series the animation is in native high-definition.  

Some of those other sagas preceding the Boruto spin-off had SD sources upscaled on the format (as sourced from lower fidelity video source). Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell has a native high-definition source and the final volume is no exception. Colors are more robust as a result and line art is crisper compared to a standard definition presentation. Though the video quality can still be a little soft looking at times, it's still a pleasing high-definition video presentation.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 18 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Yasushi Nagura (Arifureta - From Commonplace to World's Strongest, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon) is well-done and presented on the release. Dialogue is crisp and clear sounding. The English subtitles are done well and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors. The score is also nicely integrated into the 2.0 audio. The soundstage should be similar between versions – both the English and Japanese language options are 2.0 (and neither source has a 5.1 surround mix).

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 18 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes in a standard Blu-ray case. The release comes with an o-card slipcover. The artwork underneath the slipcover is the same as the artwork on the slipcover itself. There is no reversible or alternative artwork. The inner cover-art does include interior artwork, though. The artwork has an image showing the starry skies at night. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell has a nice enough package design for the final volume. (Though the inner sleeve artwork would have looked a lot nicer in a clear-case as it's difficult to even see the reverse-side artwork without a clear case – otherwise, one has to pull out the cover-art to admire the interior artwork momentarily).

On disc supplements include:

An Interview with Mattew Mercer – English Voice of Yamato (HD, 8:42) is a supplement that will appeal to fans of the English dubbed version. In fact, Mercer is a voice-actor who has some serious fans (the type of fans who are eager to go to anime conventions). This type of supplement adds real value for dub fans who are hoping for some insights from the cast members.

Storyboards includes 5 click-through pages of storyboard illustrations.

Art Gallery includes 13 pages of click-through sketch illustration pages.

Clean Openings (HD, 3:02)

Clean Endings (HD, 3:02)

More from VIZ Media (HD, 1:31)

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 18 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – Farewell brings the Naruto spin-off to a close. The series has been a long ride for diehard fans, spanning multiple series and sagas across the Naruto-verse. The final set of episodes brings the series to the end. Fans who have been following along will want to see how the series wraps up.

The Blu-ray release provides a high-definition presentation and lossless audio encoding. The release also includes an o-card slipcover. The box-set also provides a selection of bonus features – including a voice actor interview.

Though die-hard Boruto: Naruto Next Generations fans might find it hard to say goodbye to the series, the finale has arrived. Fans who have been collecting all of the volumes thus far will be pleased to complete their collection. Boruto fans: it is time to add one more box-set to the anime shelf. Recommended.