From visionary Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda (Best Animated Feature, MIRAI, 2018), a powerful, time-bending animated adventure about SCARLET, a medieval-era, sword-fighting princess on a dangerous quest to avenge the death of her father. After failing at her mission and finding herself gravely injured in the “Otherworld,” she encounters an idealistic young man from our present day who not only helps her to heal but shows her the possibility of a future free of bitterness and rage. When confronted again by her father’s killer, Scarlet faces her most daunting battle: can she break the cycle of hatred and find meaning in life beyond revenge?

For in-depth thoughts on Scarlet, please see my colleague Megan Loucks’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Scarlet comes to Blu-Ray with a magnificent, vibrant 1080p transfer. While certainly not as flawless as the 4K UHD Blu-Ray likely is (it was not made available to me for review), there is a stellar amount of depth and clarity to the image with discrete flourishes coming through clearly. One of the areas where the film really shines is the fluidity of the character designs. The subtle touches that are added to each individual are quite striking. The level of detail these animators put into each environment beams through here.

The colors present in this transfer are practically radiating off the screen with the wide range of hues permeating every inch of the frame. The textures, from the character designs to the environments, are extremely impressive and give the film a real sense of dimensionality. Black levels are incredibly strong with no signs of compression artifacts or digital anomalies of the sort. This is about as close to perfect as a Blu-Ray disc can look. While this is likely a marvel in 4K UHD, those who go with the Blu-Ray release will still be dazzled.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release boasts a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original Japanese, along with an English dub, which both make a splash when warranted. We always advocate listening to the original language track, but the English dub is well done if you refuse to read subtitles. This disc does not include the Dolby Atmos tracks that are present on the 4K UHD Blu-Ray, which presumably opens things up in effective ways. That being said, this disc brings this narrative to life with a depth and clarity of sound that is commendable. During memorable clashes, the action sounds and other raw effects flow out of your side and rear speakers. Each sound is deftly placed with perfect spatial awareness.

The track engages all of the active channels with panning effects that really make you feel like you are in the thick of the skirmish. The utilization of environmental effects comes through naturally. There is a valuable amount of activity in the low-end response. Dialogue comes through clearly without getting overpowered by the score or any sound effects. Sony has done great work here, so those with a good surround sound setup should have fun with this one. Although if you really want fully immersive sound, you will want to spring for the 4K UHD Blu-Ray to partake in Dolby Atmos.

Special Features

Interview with Mamoru Hosoda: A nearly nine-minute conversation with the filmmaker in which he discusses the challenges of adapting this story, the qualities of the animation, the score of the film, and much more.

Animation Tests (2:08)

Art Design Gallery

Concept Art by Tadahiro Uesugi
Storyboard Comparisons (6:35 total)

Final Thoughts

Scarlet comes up a bit short when exploring the work of Mamoru Hosoda, but there is still so much to admire from a visual majesty standpoint. The film is simply stunning, and there are numerous sequences that will take your breath away. The problems creep through a bit more when you start breaking down the script, which does not fully succeed with this gender-swapped take on Shakespeare. Hosoda’s earnestness does not completely fit into this particular story, which needs a bit more emotional nuance. Nevertheless, even a lesser outing from one of our great anime filmmakers is worth a watch. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring an excellent A/V presentation and a fine selection of special features. If you are a fan of the film and are capable, you might want to spring for the 4K UHD Blu-Ray, but this Blu-Ray is rock solid. Recommended

Scarlet is currently available to purchase on Digital platforms. It will be available on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, and DVD on May 19, 2026.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.