Naruto: Set 4 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Naruto: Set 4 Blu-ray Movie Review

Naruto: Set 4 delivers more action-packed fun.

Naruto returns for more action-packed adventure with the forth collection of episodes from VIZ Media. The anime series is an adaptation of the original manga written and illustrated by the great Masashi Kishimoto. Originally broadcast on TV Tokyo in Japan, Naruto is one of the most popular anime productions of all time. The series is a fan-favorite from beloved animation studio Pierrot (Naruto: Shippûden, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations). Naruto: Set 4 includes episodes 83-110.

The action-packed adventures of Naruto and his fellow ninjas is brewing again in their new journeys. This time around the latest whirlwind involves Akatsuki. There is a major issue facing the ninja clan – a murderer who manages to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan. Sasuke must confront the murderer – who is none other than his brother, Itachi.

Naruto also faces a new mission of his own: training alongside the master Jiraiya. The ultimate goal? Naruto aims to learn how to master the skill of Rasengan. Meanwhile, a new battles awaits when Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade are confronted by Orochimaru. Yet the ultimate battle that awaits – the most dangerous one to date – is the war waged against Sasuke, as he unexpectedly starts to delve down a dark path. Can Naruto save his friend from himself?

The fourth collection of Naruto picks up where the third collection left off and continues to explore the exciting and action-packed adventures of Naruto and his fellow ninjas. The series is one of the most entertaining long-running series. The fourth set of episodes finds new ways to amp up the action. Exploring the journey of Naruto, the series focuses on each mission in a unique way while the production expands the odyssey.

Naruto is a series with wonderful characters. The series is all the more entertaining because of the great cast of characters. At the forefront of the production is the lead, Naruto. Naruto is a charming and fun character to spend time with. The hero of the story, Naruto is always determined to pursue his goal: becoming a ninja master. The character has great energy and enthusiasm. Though Naruto can be stubborn sometimes, he always pushes himself.

The action continues.

The series supporting cast is also central to the production. Sakura is one of the most beloved characters on the series. Her tough attitude and smart ninja skills make her an essential part of the series. In the fourth collection, Sasuke heads down a dark road that pushes him away from his more calm and collected self. The saga continues to expand on the journey of Sasuke and his own journey.

The animation on Naruto remains one of the core reasons why the series is such a popular success worldwide. The series has exceptional background artwork. The background animation looks as remarkable as always. The line-art makes a solid impression as well. The effort is outstanding. Considering the series is a long-running production, Naruto continues to be an engaging series animated with vigor by the team of animators involved from behind-the-scenes.

Another remarkable element to the production is the effort made on the character designs. The original character designs are outstanding and provide each of the central characters with a unique aesthetic to enhance the storytelling. The journey of Naruto and his friends is all the more compelling because of the designs given to the cast of characters. This is one of the strongest components of the original series.

Naruto is a well-written series as well. The production manages to strike a compelling balance between action and drama. The series remembers to focus on the individual journeys of the ninjas while still emphasizing the team-effort of the clan. The comedic backbone of the series is one of the greatest strengths of the production. Naruto is a charming protagonist and the dialogue for the character is frequently entertaining. The fourth collection amps up the drama department with the saga between Naruto and Sasuke starting to take the stage.

A central reason behind the success of Naruto is the direction. The series is entertaining in style and tone. The directing keeps the anime series engaging with heavy doses of action to keep viewers engaged. The series manages to explore the epic journey of the ninjas and the quest to greatness Naruto sets out on. No fan will want to overlook picking up the fourth collection.

Naruto: Set 4 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from VIZ Media, Naruto: Set 4 is presented in 1080i MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The series is generally engaging in high-definition and the presentation offers a modest quality boost. The series doesn't impress on the same scale or scope of a native high-definition presentation.

However, the upscale manages to do a solid job of enhancing the visuals. The set has a small uptick in quality with regards to color reproduction. Nonetheless, the colors sometimes appear to be muted on the whole (as this is not the most robust looking encode). The encoding quality is modestly better for the release (with the presentation having fewer compression artifacts). Nonetheless, fans should keep their expectations modest as this is not a native high-definition presentation and it will never match the same quality level of something produced as such.

Naruto: Set 4 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless, high-resolution audio tracks: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The audio quality on the release is generally impressive and satisfactory. The presentation is crisp and clear. Dialogue is easy to understand and well reproduced. The original score is well-integrated in to the sound mix and the music sounds clear on the presentation as well. The release might have benefited modestly from a surround sound remix but the stereo audio imaging is quite good for the presentation and fans will be pleased.

Naruto: Set 4 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Storyboards – Episode 85 includes a six-page panel click-through storyboard.

Storyboards – Episode 93 includes a five-page panel click through storyboard.

Making Of Cover Art – Gallery includes four click-through illustrations of cover art sketches during the development of the artwork.

Art Gallery includes twenty click-through sketch illustrations.

Clean Opening & Closing:

Clean Opening (HD, 3:01)

Clean Closing (HD, 3:02)

More from VIZ (HD, 3:57)

Naruto: Set 4 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Naruto: Set 4 is another entertaining collection from VIZ Media. The series remains one of the most popular anime series in the world and with good reason. The series has creative energy in spades: exploring the cast of characters while on their respective journeys. Though the release is only a modest improvement over past releases (given the release offers an upscaled presentation), the set is well worth picking up for series fans. Recommended.