Studio: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment
Runtime: 89 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: Digital – March 18, 2025; 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD – April 15, 2025
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Synopsis: Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, the sequel to the 2018 anime feature film Batman Ninja from Warner Bros. Japan, is available on digital and physical media.
The feature film, featuring characters from DC and reimagined by Japan’s finest artists, finds Batman and his friends battling familiar faces transformed into villains in an alternate universe in a desperate attempt to save Gotham. Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is directed by Jumpei Mizusaki and Shinji Takagi from a screenplay by Kazuki Nakashima, with character design by Takashi Okazaki and music by Yugo Kanno. Produced by Warner Bros. Japan, the film’s animation is provided by Kamikaze Douga.
Special Features:
Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League Physical and Digital will include the following special features:
-Bringing the League to Japan – Go behind the scenes with legendary character designer Takashi Okazaki as he reveals his process for designing the Yakuza League.
-Anime Action: Choreographing the Fights – Step inside the intricately coordinated, animated action sequences with the filmmakers.
By James Harvey
Looking at the disc’s audio and video presentation first and, once again, it’s a great bit of work by the studio. Warner Bros. has given Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League a razor sharp 4K transfer, with everything looking crisp, clean and clear. Detail is impressive, the blacks are deep and full and the unbelievably vibrant colors nearly jump off the screen. There’s also no real macroblocking or compression to be found, with the studio unsurprisingly putting really fantastic work into the image.
There’s also no real issues to be found with the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, too. It performs as expected, with a front-heavy transfer that knows when to bring in the all the channels for the big action beats, giving Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League an ample surround mix to does right by this non-stop, bonkers rollercoast of a movie. The studio also provided a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio in Japanese.
Note: Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League was originally – and erroneously – released with just a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track rather than the advertised DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. A replacement disc was issued for those who bought the initial pressing of “Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, and those consumers can get for a replacement by emailing customerservice@moviezyng.com.
Also not up to snuff, but predictably so for a Warner Bros. home media release, is the disc’s bonus content. Included with the main feature here are just two bonus extras, running less than twenty minutes combined, along with a digital copy of the film. There’s not even a cardboard slipcase this time around.
Fortunately, and despite their respectively brief runtimes, the two special features included do end up dispensing some interesting tidbits about Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League‘s production. First up is “Bringing the League to Japan” (7:28), which follows character designer Takashi Okazaki as he goes through his Yakuza League designs. Here he breaks down the inspiration for each, and even points out some neat little Easter eggs and nods (such as Simon Baz appearing as a stuffed bear on Green Lantern’s costume, the fisherman-inspired look for Aquaman, etc).
The next featurette, “Anime Action: Choreographing the Fights” (9:06), provides a closer look at the film’s many fight sequences. Writer Kazuki Nakashima and directors Shinji Takagi and Jumpei Mizusaki (wearing a cool Bat-Manga shirt) break down their approach to the film’s many set pieces, showing off a wealth of legitimately gorgeous storyboard art in the process. Both featurettes manage to show-off some really great production art and offer up some nifty insight, even with their short lengths.
Even with the subpar lossless audio track, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League‘s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is still ultimately the superior edition for fans to scoop up. The video transfer here is second-to-none, visibly more vibrant and clear than the digital and Blu-ray releases, but the lackluster audio is a bit of a bring down. Still, even with its issues, the overall physical on-disc quality here surpasses anything streaming or digital.
A ludicrous blast from start to finish, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is an over-the-top thrill ride that shines bright on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. This silly sequel easily outpaces the original Batman Ninja, and is a worthy successor that’s bound to surprise fans. Despite an underwhelming audio mix, and the standard slight special features, those looking to scoop up this fantastically foolish feature should unquestionably spring for the 4K physical edition, though the regular Blu-ray and digital editions are fine alternatives. Highly Recommended!
Please note a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray copy of Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League was provided by Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment for the purpose of this review. The author also purchased an iTunes edition of the film for comparison and completion purposes.
[ Continue on to the Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League Animated Feature review ]