Review for Naruto Shippuden: Box Set 2 (2 Discs) (Review)
Thursday, 5th August 2010, 16:49

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Introduction
Are we ready for more Naruto? There was something of a protracted wait between the end of Naruto, and the release of the first instalment of Naruto Shippuden in the UK. It was enough to dull the pain of relentless filler, and it was also enough to re-ignite that enthusiasm that I initially had for the adventures of this bright orange ninja. I have to admit that I was quite jazzed for the first collection of Shippuden adventures back in June, and that anticipation was certainly rewarded. But Manga Entertainment seem to be playing catch-up with Naruto Shippuden, in much the same way they did with the first series, only this time they aren't only chasing the US distributor Viz, who handle the Shippuden chores in the US. But also Crunchyroll, who simulcast Shippuden to the world not long after the Japanese television broadcast. We've had the first 13 episodes on UK DVD; the Japanese are up to episode 170. So it is that barely two months after the first set, we get the second set of episodes on DVD, and in the interim, we've had the first Shippuden movie as well. That movie turned out to be much the same as all the other Naruto movies, which was something of a disappointment. It still hasn't worn off that thrill I still feel at the prospect of more televised Naruto, especially episodes that continue the manga storyline.

15 years previously, the Hidden Leaf village was plagued by the Nine-Tailed fox demon. The Fourth Hokage ninja sacrificed his life to defeat the menace, and sealed up the spirit in the body of a newborn child. That orphan grew up as Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous prankster with great ambition. He wants to be the strongest ninja of them all and be granted the title Hokage, leader of the Hidden Leaf village. In the first Naruto series, we followed him on his training as a ninja, tutored by Kakashi, and partnered with his ideal girl Sakura, and his archrival Sasuke. Of course Sakura was sweet on Sasuke, which didn't help, but slowly the three became firm friends.

The dark clouds of ambition tore that friendship apart though, but it wasn't Naruto's ambition. It was Sasuke's, sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, slaughtered by his brother Itachi. He grew up wanting revenge on Itachi, and wanting to gain in power and strength as quickly as possible. Sasuke gave into the temptation for easy power, offered by the renegade ninja Orochimaru, when Orochimaru infiltrated the village during the Chunin exams, and assassinated the Third Hokage. Sasuke left to join Orochimaru, and Naruto swore to get him back. For the last two and half years, Naruto has been in training with the sage Jiraiya, and he's now returned to the village, empowered and ready to rescue his friend. But Orochimaru and Sasuke haven't been resting easy either, while the Akatsuki group of renegade ninja, of whom Sasuke's brother Itachi is a member, have been accelerating their plans, and top of the list is obtaining the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, the one that is currently sealed up in Naruto.

Manga Entertainment present the next 13 episodes of Naruto Shippuden spread across 2 discs, 7 episodes on disc 1, and 6 episodes on disc 2.

14. Naruto's Growth
15. The Secret Weapon is Called…
16. The Secret of Jinchuriki
17. The Death of Gaara!
When last we left Naruto Shippuden, Akatsuki had made their first move, and kidnapped Gaara, now Kazekage of the Sand Village, to perform a ritual that removes the One-Tailed Beast within him. Of course, such an operation would leave the patient dead, not that the members of Akatsuki care. They have the same fate envisaged for Naruto. But Naruto and the ninja of the Leaf Village have raced to the aid of their Sand allies, and even now with Granny Chiyo, sage of the Sand, they are tracking down the hideout of Akatsuki so that they can rescue Gaara. But first they have to deal with two of Akatsuki's number who stands before them. Gai, Lee, Neji and Tenten confront Kisame, while Granny Chiyo, Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura face off against Itachi, Sasuke's brother. It isn't long before Naruto is drawn into Itachi's hypnotic Genjutsu, but not everything is what it seems, especially when Naruto has a new jutsu of his own to unleash.

18. Charge Tactic! Button Hook Entry!
19. Traps Activate! Team Guy's Enemies
20. Hiruko vs. Two Kunoichi!
21. Sasori's Real Face
Team Gai and Team Kakashi rendezvous at the lair of Akatsuki, but they are faced with a barrier that will take all of their skills and abilities to defeat. There are five seals on this barrier that must be removed simultaneously, difficult when they are spaced kilometres apart. Gai's team spreads out to handle the seals, while it will be up to Sakura to handle the more physical barrier. But waiting for them are Sasori and Deidara, and just to make things difficult, they split up. Deidara takes Gaara and flees, succeeding in leading his target Naruto away with Kakashi in tow. That leaves Granny Chiyo and Sakura to face Chiyo's grandson Sasori, and this isn't going to be a pleasant family reunion. If either pair was hoping for backup, they're going to be disappointed, as by removing the seals, Gai's team have unleashed a trap. Gai, Lee, Tenten and Neji now have to face their exact duplicates, in essence they have to defeat themselves.

22. Chiyo's Secret Skills
23. Father and Mother
24. The Third Kazekage
25. Three Minutes Between Life and Death
26. Puppet Fight: 10 vs. 100!
Gai's team is in a stalemate, Kakashi is having a hard time reining in the impulsive tendencies of Naruto, and so it's down to Sakura and Chiyo to defeat Sasori. But in the twenty years since Chiyo last saw her grandson, he's changed beyond recognition, a puppet master of unparalleled ability, exceeding anything his grandmother taught him. On top of that, all of his puppets carry poisoned weapons, so that Chiyo and Sakura can't even get close. His most fearsome talent though, is that he turns his foes into puppets, and among his defeated menagerie is the Third Kazekage himself, with his devastating Iron Sand jutsu. But Sakura wasn't just sitting around for the last two years odd. She's got some fearsome abilities of her own now.

Picture
Naruto Shippuden gets a 4:3 regular transfer that is clear and sharp throughout. There are some minor compression artefacts that are only really noticeable during freeze frame, and as you would expect, it's an NTSC-PAL conversion. Shippuden's animation, and its character designs are sharper and crisper than Naruto's. It's certainly more detailed than the first series, and the colours are a mite more muted. At this stage of the game, it's clear that the animators' love is being poured into the project, and while it is still limited and simpler than shorter run animations, it's still no slouch to look at.

Sound
The DD 2.0 English and Japanese stereo is more than adequate in recreating the original experience, and given a little Prologic magic does offer a pleasant ambience and some discrete action. Yasuhara Takanashi takes over the music reins from Toshiro Masuda, and the result is if anything even less memorable than the music from the first series. But it works well enough in driving the action, and it doesn't get overbearing. The rap song opening certainly works in kicking off the new series with the right triumphant mood. Once again, I only sampled the English dub and found it acceptable if unspectacular. It certainly isn't the worst I have heard, but some of the actors don't seem particularly suited to the characters.

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