Naruto: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Naruto: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

A must-see long-running action anime series arrives on Blu-ray at last.

One of the most entertaining and long-running anime series in television history, Naruto is a must-see gem. The anime adapts the popular manga illustrated and written by Masashi Kishimoto. Aired on TV Tokyo in Japan and on Cartoon Network in North America, Naruto finds a perfect balance between comedy and action packed adventure. Produced by acclaimed animation studio Pierrot (Naruto: Shippûden, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations), Naruto: Set 1 includes episodes 1-27 of the long-running anime series. Believe it!

Naruto follows the adventures of young ninja-in-training (and certified goofball) Naruto and his best-friend companions, the badass heroine Sakura and suave-but-cold Sasuke. The trio are trained by one of the greatest ninjas around: the mysterious and “always- late” Kakashi. The characters must train with Kakashi to become better ninjas and succeed at their dangerous action-packed missions. Naruto dreams of one day becoming the greatest ninja of them all: a Hokage, a leader of the people who inspires others. Naruto must also learn to understand the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit within him. Can Naruto's dream become a reality?

The first set of Naruto episodes gets the series off to a great start. The action and adventure quotient is extremely high from the get-go. The level of energy in each episode is readily apparent and it makes this an even more entertaining experience. The story explores the early days of Naruto and his huge journey towards being an expert ninja. The exploration of his growth is a big part of the early series episodes. The story- lines in set one also focus a great deal on Sakura and Sasuke and how the trio work together as a team. As the episodes progress, the program becomes more serious and some seriously big challenges await the characters as the journey continues.

Naruto? Blu-ray? Believe it!

The animation on the anime series is one of the best elements of the entire production. Despite being an early 2000's production, Naruto still holds up well after all these years. The series looks beautiful and has a creative art-style which is utilized in every episode. The character designs are memorable and make a big impression (especially in regards to the lead trio of characters). The background art work is also a sight to behold: the outdoors landscapes are vividly realized and add a sense of charm to the series. As the series explores a comedic episode, the visuals are usually a bit lighter in tone and with vibrant color while the darker, more-intense action-packed episodes often demonstrate a gray color-tone that is quite interesting.

The original music score by Musashi Project and Toshio Masuda (Excel Saga) adds something special to each episode. The scores are upbeat and energetic. I often find myself humming the music as it is enormously entertaining and spirited. The themes are catchy and inspiring. The sense of adventure remains consistently exciting throughout the entire first set.

Featuring scripts by Katsuyuki Sumisawa (Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon), Naruto is a well-written anime series that does a solid job of adapting the original source material. Having grown up often reading the Naruto manga, it was nice to see how well the anime translates the characters and the storyline. The scripts find a perfect blend of comedy, action, and mystery that keeps the series feeling fresh and engaging. Sumisawa is one of the best screenwriters in the anime industry and his efforts on Naruto make it one of the most essential anime series of the 2000's.

Hayato Date (Naruto: Shippûden, Revolutionary Girl Utena) brings Naruto to life with exhilarating non-stop action. Date also remembers to spend time focusing on the characters. The filmmaking is exciting and never seems to miss a beat. Few long-running anime series are capable of hitting so many right notes so consistently. Date balances the storytelling well through his creative visuals and fresh approach to the material. Naruto is a badass anime that no fan of the medium should go without seeing. Don't miss it!

Naruto: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from VIZ, Naruto: Set 1 is presented in 1080i MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame (despite the back of the case indicating the set as a 16x9 widescreen presentation). Thank goodness the original aspect ratio has been preserved and was not cropped unnecessarily. The presentation is surprisingly good looking given that the release is essentially a standard-definition upscale (with interlacing to boot). The video encode does seem to exhibit better compression than the series would be able to showcase on DVD.

Colors are a little better and there are fewer issues than a typical DVD with regards to compression artifacts. The picture-quality isn't as good as native high-definition anime: viewers shouldn't expect it to be as good given when the series was created (many anime productions produced in the time-period were just starting to become animated with digital production processes – and the efforts were not finished the same way as anime produced on celluloid or on modern displays). Nonetheless, VIZ produced a commendable set which offers fans a minor upgrade.

Naruto: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo presentation. The lossless audio is available in English and in Japanese (with English subtitles). Naruto sounds great on this release and receives an impressive upgrade in regards to audio fidelity. The lossless, high-resolution audio tracks add some extra clarity and depth. The vocals are crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Fans will be pleased.

Optional English subtitles are provided. Subtitles may also be selected for only the songs & signs.

Naruto: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Interview with Maile Flanagan (HD, 12:41) features a discussion on the anime with the English dub voice-actor for Naruto.

Art Gallery is a click-through presentation of original sketches done for the anime production.

Clean Opening Credits (HD, 2:59)

Clean Closing Credits (HD, 3:03)

The release also includes a selection of trailers (HD, 3:54) promoting other releases available from VIZ.

Naruto: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Naruto finds the perfect balance between action and comedy. These elements are strong from the get-go on the first set. The action-adventure is exhilarating. Fans of long-running anime classics should consider it a must-see essential. The storytelling is great, the characters are memorable, and the animation is exquisite. The Blu-ray release is a small but appreciable upgrade for fans of the series. The release comes highly recommended. Bring on set two!