Naruto Shippuden: Set 10 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Naruto Shippuden: Set 10 Blu-ray Movie Review

With every set, Naruto Shippuden moves closer to its long-awaited conclusion. Naruto Shippuden Set 10 includes episodes 249-276, which narrate the end of Naruto’s training to harness Nine-Tails’ chakra and the beginning of the Fourth Great Ninja War. This installment of the series is largely character-driven but prepares the ground for an epic battle, and Naruto Shippuden Set 10 manages to balance character moments and larger events perfectly. The collection has several exciting fights and reveals and does not hold back on delivering the emotional payoffs that the long-running series promised fans.

Having bid farewell to Kushina’s spirit, Naruto returns from his training with a more mature understanding of his parents as well as himself. He gains the ability to perform using Nine-Tails’ chakra, which proves to be a valuable asset in the upcoming war. Indeed, Madara’s forces are already mustering, and the time has come for the Five Great Nations to formally declare war on him.

The episodes within Naruto Shippuden Set 10 focus on different storylines and develop several cool subplots. Guy engages in one of his last battles, which provides a powerful emotional payoff to the viewers. Konan’s showdown with Madara is even more spectacular and impactful. Her determination not to disappoint Nagato and incredible skill shine through in this fight, which finally concludes the long-drawn conflict with Pain. Meanwhile, the Fourth Great Ninja War is only just beginning on this set. Kabuto’s Reanimation Jutsu produces an impressive spectacle, as the villain manages to summon legendary shinobi from different eras to battle his will. The Allied Shinobi Forces are already on the battlefield, and Naruto, having completed his training, is surprised to realize that his island was not aware of the developments.

The episodes that narrate the early stages of the Fourth Great Ninja War might seem to drag a bit due to the slow pacing. Indeed, the story needs to establish the battlefield and the forces mustering there, which takes time and patience. The viewers are treated to multiple long-winded speeches and tactical discussions before any real fighting begins. However, Naruto Shippuden Set 10 generally manages to avoid getting bogged down in the exposition and provides the viewer with more action, large-scale battles, and emotional moments than pure tactics and strategy.

Perhaps, the most notable strength of the tenth set of Naruto Shippuden is the sense of foreboding, which pervades all episodes. It seems as if all the pieces are falling into place for an inevitable and spectacular confrontation, and the earlier episodes tease the larger conflict. Naruto Shippuden contains more moments that make the viewer realize that the time for the ultimate battle has come, and the long- expected moment is finally approaching.

All the major characters present in the episodes have already been developed with dozens of episodes, and even those who survived the previous battles are ready to deliver to end the war.

Pierrot, as always, provides high-quality animation in every episode of Naruto Shippuden Set 10. The episodes included in this collection fall within the average quality but do provide more spectacular fights and beautiful scenery than usual. Some episodes contain more detailed and exciting battles, which indicates that the resources were prioritized to produce the most spectacular effects and animation possible.

Indeed, the famed Paper Person of God is showcased to full extent, providing an amazing spectacle. The abilities used in this technique are as beautiful and devastating as ever, and the visuals are consistent with this assessment. Konan’s showpiece is not the only impressive one, as Guy’s duel with Kisame is equally impressive. Other than that, all the characters retain their expressive facial features in most episodes, which helps them convey the required emotions. Beautiful animation and it works wonders.

The set’s large-scale battles manage to capture the enormity of the battlefield and the number of shinobi present there without getting too cluttered. In addition, there are excellent unique outfits and design. Naruto Shippuden Set 10’s background artwork is equally impressive, and some of the episodes contain exciting and spectacular locations. The ones set on Naruto’s island and that end up depicting the early stages of the war are notable for their breathtaking vistas. Fans of the series will continue to cherish the quality of the saga and the anime storytelling.

Naruto Shippuden: Set 10 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by VIZ Media, Naruto Shippuden Set 10 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition across four Blu-ray discs. Naruto Shippuden Set 10 continues Viz Media's strong trend of high quality HD remastering. The series has never looked better.

While Naruto Shippuden is a digitally painted television anime, it still looks good. Line art is generally crisp and clean, colors are vibrant and full-saturation, and the various bright outfits and scenery (Naruto's orange, the island setting) look good.

The encode itself is also mostly solid. The animation retains much of its clarity even in fast-paced fights or when using heavy particles/smoke/chakra effects, and there isn't much macroblocking or banding to speak of, with the odd exception of some episodes with especially heavy effects. Shadows aren't something to write home about either, but at least it doesn't squash everything into black.

It's not perfect, it has the occasional softness, and some digital flaws are still present due to the show's roots, but overall Viz Media does a great job remastering these episodes for the home video release on Blu-ray disc.

Naruto Shippuden: Set 10 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio tracks. Both the Original Japanese and English dubbed tracks are presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The Japanese language audio includes English subtitles. I prefer the English dub track and the actors convey the needed emotional weight in several key dramatic scenes. The English dub is nothing to sneeze at as the actors have largely settled into the roles, delivering performances that are perfectly adequate, managing to capture the comedy, drama, and action of the original.

The dialogue is easy to understand, the music comes through clearly in the mix, and the effects in the fights are satisfying without over powering the voices. As this is a television series, there isn't much point in an immersive surround sound experience, but the tracks are nonetheless clear, dynamic, and lossless compared to the early DVD releases. Lossless audio is always a massive benefit of physical media and the Blu-ray disc format.

Naruto Shippuden: Set 10 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The bonus material remains similar to what has been put on previous Blu-rays for the franchise. The set includes a nice selection of a few key extras. Fans will appreciate what is provided. The release includes:

Storyboards includes 6 click-through pages.

Art Gallery includes 6 click-through illustrations.

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:33)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 3:07)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor VIZ Media.

The set also provides an exclusive double-sided art card inside of the box-set.

Unfortunately, the set could be more robust in terms of bonus features. VIZ Media did a solid job with what is provided here but it could still be better overall. The release could have been significantly better with audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes features, making-of documentaries, cast/crew interviews, convention panels, and more. Alas, the set is somewhat sparse in extras. Fans who are considering between a "one time" stream and purchase are often persuaded by a more robust supplemental package.

Naruto Shippuden: Set 10 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Naruto Shippuden Set 10 begins the Fourth Great Ninja War. Viz Media has provided a remarkable viewing experience, featuring a 1080p encode, lossless audio tracks, and a decent set of supplementary features. It is another chapter worth recommending to the fans of the franchise who opt to watch Naruto on Blu-ray over streaming. Blu-ray has many advantages such as higher bit-rates and lossless encoding compared to lossy on streaming. At the same time, those who want to get into the series should consider watching Set 10 after the previous sets since it is a continuation of the overarching narrative.

Naruto Shippuden Set 10 may be one of the best sets yet with remarkable battles and enough fun to keep the viewers engaged. Fans who have been collecting the saga on physical media won't want to miss out on this worthwhile box-set. Highly recommended.