Naruto: Set 5 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Naruto: Set 5 Blu-ray Movie Review

Naruto returns to battle!

Naruto returns for more entertaining adventures. The fifth collection of episodes is another exciting one that fans will want to explore. The series adapts the beloved manga series from the original creator, Masashi Kishimoto (who both wrote and illustrated the manga). The series was broadcast on TV Tokyo in Japan. From animation studio powerhouse Pierrot (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto: Shippûden), Naruto: Set 5 includes episodes 111-137. Fans won't be able to resist.

Naruto is still facing down his greatest and most complicated mission to date: saving his friend, Sasuke. After spiraling down a dark path, Sasuke becomes his own worst enemy and Naruto must help defeat him (as he tries to help Sasuke overcome a darkness from within). The battle between Naruto and Sasuke has only just begun.

Naruto's fellow ninjas must also face their own task: going up against the dangerous and skilled Sound Ninja Four clan. Can Kiba, Choji, Neji, and Shikamaru defeat the clan and be the victorious heroes at the end of the fight? The ultimate battle unfolds with Naruto facing off against Sasuke once more (at the Final Valley). The battle leads Naruto and friends down a new journey with some of the biggest obstacles facing the way of the ninja to date. Can Naruto ultimately save the day and defeat Sasuke?

The fifth collection of Naruto is another compelling set (with plenty of merit). The release explores the ongoing battle that is waging on between Naruto and Sasuke. The confrontation between the two characters is one of the most compelling journeys on the series to date. Fans of the anime series will be intrigued by the ongoing epic and the story that unfolds.

The series remains one with compelling characters. Naruto is one of the most enjoyable characters and it is no surprise the series became a success with him as the central protagonist. Naruto remains stubborn and headstrong through thick-and-thin and there is a lot to appreciate about the character's energetic personality. The supporting cast adds to the series as well. Sasuke faces new challenges as he turns to the dark side (and series fans will find the development to be a major part of the collection).

The epic continues.

The animation is stunning. The series is a gorgeously animated production. Everything from the background artwork to the line-art is superb. The team of animators did exceptional work here: bringing Naruto and the world of the ninjas to life. The animation is creative fun.

The character designs are impressive as well. The character design for Naruto helps showcase the personality of the central protagonist. The supporting cast of characters are given ample room to breathe as well. Sasuke has an especially noteworthy character design (which highlights his own personality traits – including foreshadowing the darkness the character faces in these episodes). A strong effort.

The action scenes are intense and exciting. There is no doubt in my mind that one of the key reasons Naruto became such a global phenomenon is the well-designed fight scenes. The action is intense – bringing fans something exciting episode-to-episode. The ninja battles are well staged and some enormous creativity is on display. The spectacle of it all is worthwhile.

The series is well written as well. The fifth collection includes some darker moments in the saga but the storytelling remains compelling. The journey of the characters remains an intriguing one. Fans of the production will want to see what happens next. The saga unfolds with the scripts continuing to give audiences a combination of action-packed fun and adventure.

Naruto is a well-directed series as well. One of the central reasons the series is such a huge success is the direction. The saga is so well directed and the action scenes are well staged. The production has creative energy in staging the big moments (providing fans with plenty of spectacle). Another fun outing for fans.

Naruto: Set 5 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from VIZ Media, Naruto: Set 5 is presented in 1080i MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The release offers fans some improvement over previous DVD editions but the upscaled presentation doesn't look quite as pristine as a native high-definition presentation. The color reproduction looks a little bit better. A somewhat soft encode but one that showcases fewer compression artifacts.

While the upscaled presentation won't ever look as pristine as a native high-definition encode can provide, given the source-element limitations, Naruto: Set 5 is still worthwhile and there is enough merit to the release. The release demonstrates fewer compression artifacts and slightly better encoding. The release looks nice enough despite some limitations in the source-material.

Naruto: Set 5 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release includes two lossless audio options: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The lossless, high resolution audio sounds crisp and engaging. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The stereo imaging is quite nice and handles the material well. This is an impressive sounding audio presentation. The fight scenes are brought to life with plenty of gusto. A solid effort by VIZ Media.

Naruto: Set 5 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

An Interview with Ben Diskin (HD, 5:43)

Commentary – Episode 133

Commentary – Episode 134

Commentary – Episode 112

Art Gallery includes 14 click-through illustrations.

Clean Opening & Closing:

Clean Opening (HD, 4:32)
Clean Closing (HD, 3:02)

More from VIZ (HD, 3:43)

Naruto: Set 5 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Naruto: Set 5 includes more exciting adventures with the ninja clan. Naruto continues his quest to be a ninja master while facing off some new challenges – such as the unexpected danger of Sasuke. The Blu-ray release offers fans a modest picture-quality improvement and a nice audio presentation. Supplements are modest but there are a couple of nice inclusions for the release. Fans seeking the best presentation quality possible for the series will want to pick up the set. Recommended.