by Maju Marfori, Reporter and Philip Pham, Guest Writer

With Naruto Shippuden DVD Set 25, Viz Media presents episodes 310-322 on 2 DVDs.  One the longest running anime/manga franchises ever, Naruto and the world Masashi Kishimoto created has become famous the world over for its epic storylines, memorable characters, and most importantly, the relationships those characters have with one another.  Of course, being an anime adapted from a Shonen Jump manga series, there are awesome fight scenes—but the significance and impact of those battles are only truly effective if the viewer actually cares about the characters.  This is where Naruto truly shines.  I care about Naruto and his friends (okay, most of his friends).

The anime has been in production for almost 14 years and it’s hard not to build up an overwhelming sense of attachment to these characters.  We watched Naruto mature from a misunderstood, loud troublemaker with a heart of gold, shunned by his fellow villagers, to gradually transforming into one of the most powerful characters, all while earning the respect of his village.  But after all these years, Naruto’s tale is finally coming to a climax with Naruto Shippuden DVD Set 25.

These episodes in Naruto Shippuden DVD Set 25 put the viewer right in the middle of what is called the Fourth Great Shinobi War.  Naruto and his comrades are attempting to combat the mysterious faction known as the Akatsuki and foil their plans for world domination.  Yes, very cliché, but the actual plotline is far more intricate than what it seems.  In the world of Naruto, there is a reason for everything and Kishimoto makes sure of it.  The red-and-black robed Akatsuki wish to carry out their plans to capture all nine of the Tailed Beasts.  Unfortunately for Naruto, he is in possession of the Nine-Tailed Beast which is embedded within his body, and, in the process of extracting said beast, will lose his life.  He has become the Akatsuki’s main target.

The Akatsuki member White Zetsu has created millions of clones of himself and with the help of Kabuto, the Akatsuki have resurrected powerful shinobi via the reanimation jutsu to fight on their side, so there will be plenty of combat for all characters to go around!  So to this point, the main objective of the Five Great Shinobi Countries is to protect Naruto and defeat the Akatsuki in order to prevent them from achieving their goals.

Naruto Shippuden DVD Set 25 episodes 310-320 are what fans consider to be “filler” episodes—meaning they tell stories and introduce characters that are not covered in the manga and, therefore, are not considered to be canon.  They are, with a few rare exceptions, story arcs that are self-contained and have zero impact over the rest of the series.  Frequently, these episodes are introduced as flashbacks in order to break away from the current story for weeks if not months (Naruto just wouldn’t be Naruto without flashbacks).  Generally, these filler episodes are very lighthearted and distractions from the main storyline.  I will say, the one thing they do accomplish is put the spotlight on more of the supporting cast as opposed to Naruto himself.  Some of these characters get very little screen time during the main story.

Highlights

Episode 310 – Note: Episode 310 is best viewed after finishing episode 309 since it is a 2-episode story arc.  In this arc, we get a flashback of Team 10 (Team Asuma) along with Naruto receiving a mission from Tsunade to save a young feudal lord from captivity.  We get to see Naruto and Choji go up against other in a food eating contest which was actually quite funny!

Episode 311 – There are some funny moments in which Naruto and friends visit a hot spring together.  Yep, you know somebody’s going to get clobbered by Sakura and Ino for peeping!

Episode 317 – A surprisingly good episode featuring the underdeveloped Shino facing off against the even-more-underdeveloped Torune (one of Danzo’s bodyguards).  The insect-hosting Aburame clan members get some screen time and we get somewhat of an origin story for Torune that would never have been told otherwise.

Episode 320 – The Raikage’s lollipop-loving bodyguard, Omoi, gets the spotlight this time.  Omoi takes it upon himself to find and rescue a squad of young Hidden Cloud shinobi.  Best of part of this episode?  Apparently you can acquire oxygen from underwater bubbles using a lollipop stick in the Naruto universe.  Who knew?  Omoi manages to save a group of people nobody cares about nor will probably ever see again.  Really, I’m only putting this episode in here because I think Omoi is a cool character who doesn’t get much exposure.

Episode 321 – Fillers are finally over.  Back to the main storyline!  The battle wages on as the allied forces fend off the White Zetzu army and reanimated shinobi on all fronts.  The masked Akatsuki leader, rumored to be Madara Uchiha, makes his move as he leads an army of resurrected jinchuriki.

Episode 322 – Naruto, Gaara and Onoki, the Tsuchikage fight a reanimated Madara Uchiha.  Questions surface about who the man in the mask really is.  Even in a weakened form, Madara shows why he is one of the most feared shinobi of all time.

Overall

Naruto Shippuden DVD Set 25 has a very low canon to filler episode ratio.  That being said, I would recommend this set to collectors and Naruto fans who must have everything.  I generally have not watched all of the Naruto fillers in the past, but in addition to episodes 321 and 322, there were episodes on here that were very well done.  I don’t envy the task of the anime writers having to create completely new stories and characters that are only utilized in a few episodes—but they make do with what they have, and, for the most part, did a good job with the ones in this set.  The animation quality was excellent throughout.  It’s definitely something the series has improved upon over the years with consistency.

The presentation by Viz is good, the menus are easy to access, I had no problems with the audio or subtitles and the picture quality is good for the DVD format.  The English voice dub is sufficient if you aren’t in the mood to read subtitles.  The extras are standard fare.  You get a few storyboards, art gallery pictures, and a clean opening/ending with song subtitles if you so desire.  As much as I think Naruto Shippuden DVD Set 25 is a decent release, the quality of anime coming with DVD set 26 will knock your socks off!  Collectors should definitely look to pick that one up as well.

Rating:  ComicsOnline gives Naruto Shippuden DVD Set 25:  3 out of 5 Premium Instant Ramen bowls.

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