Why So Blu?

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

In this sequel to Batman Ninja, the Batman family has returned to the present to discover that Japan has disappeared, and a giant island – Hinomoto – is now in the sky over Gotham City. At the top sit the Yakuza, a group of superpowered individuals who reign without honor or humanity and look suspiciously like the Justice League. Now, it’s up to Batman and his allies to save Gotham! Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is now available on 4K UHD Blu-ray!

 

 

Film

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is one of those movies where you pause every 15 minutes just to ask yourself, “Am I actually watching this?” And the answer is yes, yes you are — and it’s wild in all the right ways.

Right off the bat (no pun intended), the movie grabs you with its ridiculous but somehow awesome premise. Imagine if Batman got tossed into a hyper-stylized anime version of feudal Japan again, but this time he’s not alone — the Justice League is there too. Only, they’re all reimagined as Yakuza bosses. Flash has a full-on Tokyo drift car gang. Aquaman’s got a tattooed naval crew. Superman? Let’s just say his entrance is very extra. It sounds like chaos, and it is, but it’s also kind of beautiful.

The animation is slick and confident. It blends traditional 2D art with bursts of digital effects that make fights pop. The sword clashes, the rooftop chases, the neon-lit alley battles — they’re all eye candy. The voice acting leans into the drama, especially the Japanese dub, which makes everything feel even more epic and absurd.

Story-wise, don’t expect deep plot twists. It’s mostly about style, vibes, and letting iconic characters go absolutely off the rails in this over-the-top setting. There’s some vague talk about time rifts, honor, betrayal — the usual. But let’s be honest, you’re here to see Batman swing a katana and fight a giant mech piloted by Yakuza Joker. And yes, that 100% happens.

Video

NOTE: Stills are provided for promotional use only and are not from the 4K or HD Blu-rays

Encoding: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: 2160p

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10

Layers: BD-66

Clarity and Detail: This 4K transfer is razor-sharp. You can catch every line in the intricate armor designs, the subtle textures in the Yakuza tattoos, and even the grain of the old scroll backgrounds. The animation style is bold and stylized, and the extra resolution makes it pop without over-sharpening.

Depth: There’s a solid sense of depth throughout, especially in those wide, cinematic shots of neon-lit cityscapes or towering feudal castles. Foregrounds and backgrounds separate cleanly, giving some scenes a nice layered, almost 3D-like feel. The HDR helps sell it.

Black Levels: Inky and consistent. Shadows are deep without crushing detail, which is perfect since a lot of the movie takes place in nighttime alleyways or moody interiors. Batman’s cape and cowl look properly dark without losing texture.

Color: Colors are wild in the best way — super saturated when they need to be, but balanced with naturalistic tones where it counts. The Dolby Vision/HDR10 really boosts those purples, reds, and neon blues. Flash’s scenes especially glow, and Joker’s chaotic palette is a visual trip.

Flesh Tones: N/A

Noise and Artifacts: I will preface by saying that the Yakuza League characters have stylized character designs in which their “line work” is purposely on the “jagged” side. It is done for aesthetic purposes, so viewers should not confuse it as an error in the transfer. Aside from that: Clean all around. No visible banding, no compression hiccups, and no digital noise getting in the way. Even during fast action scenes or effects-heavy shots, the image holds steady without blurring or ghosting.

 

Audio

Audio Format(s): English Dolby Digital 5.1 (0.4Mbps), Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 (0.4Mbps)

*We’re still waiting to hear back from WB to see if the audio track is intentional or if there will be a fix. It was initially listed as having an English/Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack but only has two DD 5.1 tracks. We will update accordingly.

Subtitles: English SDH

Dynamics: The mix sounds decent, but it’s definitely held back by the lossy Dolby Digital track. Explosions, sword clashes, and power surges still punch through, but they lack the crispness and depth you’d expect from a proper lossless mix. Everything feels slightly compressed — like the movie’s holding back just a bit.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension: The LFE channel does what it can. Bass kicks in during big fights and mech stomps, but it doesn’t hit as deep or as cleanly as it should. You’ll get some rumble, just not the kind that shakes the walls. Definitely on the lighter side for a movie with giant robots and thunderous combat.

Surround Sound: Rear channels are active, especially during battle scenes and chase sequences, with solid directional cues. You’ll hear shouts, weapons clanging, and ambient effects swirling around you. It adds energy, but again, the lossy audio limits the detail. It’s immersive enough but nowhere near reference quality.

Dialogue: Clear and front-loaded. Voices are easy to understand whether you’re watching in Japanese or English. There’s no distortion or muffling, but like the rest of the mix, it lacks that extra finesse and nuance that a lossless track would’ve delivered. My preference is the Japanese audio track but it is busy because it is in English SDH, so you will get every little description, which will clutter the screen at time. Purists rejoice, rookies be warned!

 

Extras

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League has two short featurettes on the making-of the film. They both go into how they went about turning some of the iconic DC superheroes into anime characters. I thought they were cool but too short and too few. A digital copy of the film is also included.

• Bringing the League to Japan 
  
• Anime Action: Choreography the Fights
• Digital HD

Summary

If you’re a fan of the original Batman Ninja, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League on 4K UHD  pushes things even further. It’s not trying to be grounded or make perfect sense. It’s just here to have fun, and if you’re willing to roll with it, you’ll have a blast. Put your logic on pause, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the ride. Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League 4K UHD Blu-ray has a great video presentation, but drops the ball severely in the audio department. The extras are no better. For fans only but non-fans should also check out on artistic merit.

 

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League 4K UHD Blu-ray

is now available! 

 

ORDER NOW!

 

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