DuskFey

Anime in 200 Words: Naruto: The Cross Roads

Premise: Naruto: The Cross Roads shows a mission that takes place very early in squad 7’s time together. The squad goes out to save a filler character and have to fight shinobi who are stronger than they are.

Required Viewing: Make it past the Zabuza saga in Naruto. If you don’t, you’ll have no idea what Sasuke is talking about.

Spoiler: After the credits, there is a scene that shows Sasuke as a member of a group that he is not involved with in Naruto. It’s really confusing to someone who hasn’t started Shippuden yet.

Art: This is computer animated. Everything looks fine, but some scenes give off a Vocaloid vibe. In particular, Sasuke’s simple designs combined with digital movements reminded me of Miku, and it’s an odd connection to make.

Characters: Sasuke and Naruto are still in the anger-fueled stage of their rivalry, Sakura is a damsel in distress, and Kakashi is sadly absent for most of the OVA.

Overall: Entertaining, but it doesn’t really add much to the overall story of Naruto. This is about as bland as it gets; not good enough to inspire, nor bad enough to scar.