Ninja Scroll

Such a great movie!!

Ninja Scroll is among a small group of films like ‘Ghost in the Shell’ that are considered the quintessential Anime of the mid 90’s. This was a time when Anime was really starting to attract mainstream attention in the United States. Although Ninja Scroll is very derivative of its genre what sets it apart is quality. Like Street Fighter II the Movie it was released among a sea of similar type movies of inferior quality. SF II succeeded because it excelled in its core objective of creating thrilling fights. It is amazing to me how many fighting game tie-ins absolutely could not get the fighting right. That doesn’t mean that SF II or Ninja Scroll are at the quality of a Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro but they do what they do superbly. Unfortunately, for every Ninja Scroll there were dozens of garbage movies and eventually I lost interest in Anime because I was burned one too many times. My interest has been somewhat rekindled and I’m trying to replace some of the Anime I owned on VHS that loved but eventually got rid of when I upgraded to DVD and blue-ray. Ninja Scroll is one of the first to make the cut.Ninja Scroll’s target demographic is young males and as such is an aggressive testosterone filled movie. There is nudity, sexual assault and tons and tons of blood. I’m not trying to say that young males are drawn to sexual violence but other demographics may be repelled. Blood doesn’t flow from wounds it sprays as if being forced through a pressure hose. What Ninja Scroll does is it delivers what fans of the genre want. The plot is simple but not dumb. The characters are well developed and the fighting is AWESOME! It’s hard for me to think of more than a few Anime with comparable scenes of fighting and more interesting combatants. That is not to say that Ninja Scroll is a one trick pony. Ninja Scroll is one of those rare movies that nails just about everything from story to music and even the excellent U.S. voice acting.Let’s face facts. You can get away with almost anything in a film like this if you nail down the fighting. Do fans of Street Fighter II really remember anything besides the fights? The plot centers around an exceptionally talented Ninja named Jubei Kibagami who gets unintentionally embroiled in a war between the Tokugawa government and The Shogun of the Dark and must work his way through the Eight Devils of Kimon to take revenge on a man he already killed once. Jubei is cool, and reminds me a lot of Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop (which was released several years after Ninja Scroll), but it’s the Eight Devils who steal the show. They are by and large human in appearance and it’s never clear whether they are literally supernatural or simply extraordinarily talented fighters. In Asian film even normal humans are able to achieve supernormal powers through extreme training. Mushizo, for example, literally has a honeycomb within his back where killer bees live. That certainly is not something a human would be capable of having. Each of the Eight Devils is unique and highly inventive and it’s a blast seeing Jubei face off against these seemingly invincible foes. The writers were smart in keeping Jubei relatable and sympathetic and in most of the fights he wins only thanks to help from another.So what do you get with this release? There are zero extras and it runs in 4:3 aspect ratio rather than widescreen so prepare to have black bars on both side. This is the way the movie was created so this isn’t a complaint just something to note. They used the same dubbing used on the VHS copy I owned years ago that was put out by Manga Video but given the quality of the dubbing I don’t mind. Seeing this film after so many years was an absolute blast. I’ll admit there is a lot of animation shortcutting but the film holds up both in look and in story. In my short list of must own Anime films Ninja Scroll is near the top.

Easily one of the best anime movies ever created.Tech specs:First things first, this exceptional film is over 20 years old. It still holds up. Having said, err typed that, be prepared for a couple of things; the aspect ratio. Since this film was made when CRT televisions were used in most homes you'll discover the aspect ratio is set to 4:3. For widescreen flat screen televisions you're going to have black bars on the sides not the top and bottom. Next the film looks like it was transferred from a VHS tape so the menu and selections are going to look like some high school kid or a porno movie production associate made them. These are not complaints on my part, just giving all perfectionists a heads up. There are no frills like extras or the like, as I mentioned the film is over 20 years old. Although there is audio commentary by the director, and other major players in the film which is absolutely awesome. The commentary provides some insight into the old days of cel based anime. Stuff like that is what I love about commentaries.Now the film: Like I said this is easily, EASILY one of the BEST anime films ever made. Made in 1993 this film changed the way I looked at entertainment, movies, animation, and storytelling. I normally prefer subbed anime but when I bought the VHS tape in '95 I was not disappointed with the English voice acting, I may even venture to say that it may be just as good as the Japanese voice acting. I wore out the tape, I watched it so many times. Jubei (the protagonist) sounds like a California surfer dude but that is OK because his character is so deep and developed that different scenes exemplify his complexity as a character and the voice provides a very laid back attitude combined with wisdom that comes from experience. You are not going to find flashy CG here at all. From my understanding it is all traditional cel animation which is incredible considering how amazing some of the visuals are in the movie. I don't want to delve into the story or the plot too much b/c I think if you're a fan of anime you owe it to yourself to watch this movie; at $10 for the DVD and $15 for the Blu ray take a chance if you're on the fence about this film. Keep in mind though there is extreme violence, I mean EXTREME and some sexual situations/scenes that are NOT for the easily offended. There are so many layers to the plot as well the characters, the good guys and the bad guys. There is strife between so many sides as well between the good guys, the bad guys, and WITHIN both groups. The demons all have their unique talents as well the old man (government agent), Kagero (the sexy female ninja), and Jubei. There are times when I felt genuine sympathy for the character Kagero. Her beauty and her talent work against her throughout the entire film and it's almost like she feels no relief at all, not even at the end.I have one gripe but it is very minor and that is that it is not possible to remove the English subtitles from the Japanese voice acting version of the film. You get 3 audio options regarding the film, English w/o subtitles, Japanese w/ English subtitles (again the subtitles are not negotiable), and Japanese commentary w/ English subtitles.To conclude I am very very happy this film is out again and extremely affordable, the embossed slip-case cover is really cool and the disc case's cover portrays the awesome image of the 8 devils, Jubei, and Kagero. 94 minutes of ninja awesomeness,spectacular (CEL!!!) animation, and political intrigue.

Did not work on my region free player. Even tho several other import films with region A works fine.

Pasan los años, y Ninja Scroll sigue siendo una de las mejores películas de animación japonesa de los 90, con un guión crudo y oscuro, que otorga a la película un cariz pero muy emocionante y un ritmo trepidante.De la mano de Jubei emprenderemos un viaje por el infierno, conoceremos unos personajes diabólicos pero llenos de carisma, disfrutaremos además de una soberbia animación a la vieja usanza, con una calidad de imagen tremenda y un sonido muy bueno.Una lástima que no traiga Castellano para aquellos que gusten del doblaje, aunque la VOS es una delicia.Compra obligatoria si eres amante del anime, sobre todo del de los 90.

In 1997, when Teletoon opened its channels in Canada, it presented Anime films such as Patlabor, the Macross Plus OVA Series, Wings of Honneamise, and Ninja Scroll. Latter movie which caused quite a commotion within the channel as it was a violent historical drama. With a content that went beyond the rest of its programming. So when Canadian television started implementing Age ratings for its programs in October 1997, the film got rated as 18+. Which was considerate regarding the violence in that story. Though what was really uncalled for was how Patlabor, the Macross Plus OVA Series, and Wings of Honneamise got the same Adults Only rating. A really shameful censorship that screamed again at the ignorance/prejudice back then that Anime was violent trash. Which people like Segolène Royal and the French Medias spewed out a lot in the 1990s. Though it wouldn’t be until Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away‘s success and its Berlin/Oscars wins that people would start recognising Anime as a genuine story medium.About the age rating of Teletoon`s Anime Movies, it wouldn’t be until 1998 that they would get a proper and respectful rating. Now I don’t know if people from Japan or viewers complained to Teletoon about this, but I can say that something happened back stage to make TV officials change their mind and rate the films properly. With Patlabor and Wings of Honneamise getting a G rating, Macross Plus a 13+ rating, while Ninja Scroll still got a 18+ rating. and a Warning in its commercials that this was not a family film. Which shows how the production had stirred some people. Especially when I read on YouTube a few years ago how a French Canadian viewer had asked Teletoon to broadcast successful Anime series instead of some of the disappointing Canadian/USA series we had; and he got a reply from a very irritated TV official who said that in no way would they put on their airwaves 18+ trashy programs like those Anime. Though they would eventually put anime series like Goldorak on their Teletoon Retro channel. Was this person one of the original employees back from 1997 who had expressed discontent for Ninja Scroll? Who knows. Either way, that person’s reaction confirmed to me that some people still had hostility toward anime, even after Miyazaki’s success and even though they showed series like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh. Which made that woman’s reaction quite strange.Back to the Ninja Scroll subject, though that film was rated for adults only like South Park and Duckman, teens were not afraid to watch those programs. Either behind their parents’ back or with their permission. And though I saw the film in 2000, it wouldn’t be until this year where I would finally discover the Original Japanese version. Whose voice acting was even better than the English Dub; latter which was excellent, though I found the original Japanese work more impressive. An emotional and dramatic range of performances that capture the film’s topics.The Ninja culture and the historical tensions within Japan as intestinal wars occur between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi families as they try to hold control of Japan.And it is up to their respective ninjas to make sure their bosses needs are satisfied. Getting as far as to back-stab allies and implicate passersby into these political fights. Such as Kibagami Jubei, an ex-Ninja from the Yamashiro clan, who is forced to be part of this battle when Dakuan, a Ninja working for the Shogunate, poisons him with a shuriken whose venom will kill him in 24 hours unless he takes a proper antidote. Counter-poison Dakuan knows the secret, and will only give to Jubei if he helps him in this mission. Working alongside that wild card of a Ninja, Jubei will also work with Kagero. A Food Taster whose body is so filled up with Poison that she can kill people with only a kiss. Making her much cold and distant with so many people.So through these 24 hours, the three ninjas shall have to live with one another. Accept their qualities and flaws. Always wondering if and when the others could backstab them. Which makes this film quite a spectacle of tension. And with the Eight Devils of Kimon they have to vanquish, their obstacles enter paranormal territories. Indeed, each foe has super powers that make them as lethal as unpredictable. Including their leader, whom Jubei will have quite a surprise as he is linked to his past.In its script, the director Yoshiaki Kawajiri, co-founder of Madhouse Studios who also worked as director and animator at Osamu Tezuka’s Mushi Productions and Tezuka Productions, presented in Ninja Scroll a sublime work of narration. An homage to many Ninja stories in the Japanese Folklore, but also a chance to present bold and dramatic scenes. With excellent dialogues and great protagonists/antagonists. Which make the voice actors work even more delightful to watch. And knowing that Kawajiri designed everybody`s appearances, it makes the story follow his vision more precisely. Mature visuals within a gorgeous Japan; with beautiful forests, springs, coexisting with villages affected by the plague and political wars. So fans of classics like Rurouni Kenshin and Akira Kurosawa’s work will adore this movie. Including fans of Clamp as the director worked on an OVA for the series X, which is quite evident in the mature character design and the romantic plotlines .For the voice actors, what a perfect cast. With Koichi Yamadera as Kibagami Jubei, I instantly recognised him from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop. Witty and strong willed, his voice was perfect for the character, alongside Emi Shinohara as Kagero, a voice actress I knew from Sailor Moon as she played Sailor Jupiter. Special kudos also to Takeshi Aono who voiced Dakuan. Knowing him from his Jinmen role in Devilman, he was perfect to play an ambiguous individual. Unpredictable and cunning, he is a delight to hear. The corresponding voice for this diabolical role.In sum, Ninja Scroll is a classic of Japanese animation that evolved from a two-part OVA series into a film which got beautiful praises worldwide for its cell animation, its story, but also for Kaoru Wada’s sublime soundtrack. An orchestra of tension and romance which makes that story magical, mysterious, and unpredictable. Which I shall do a review of eventually.And knowing that they did a series to this incredible film, I just hope we shall get a new Blu-Ray/DVD release of that TV show, but also that sequel which Yoshiaki Kawajiri has been working on for years.

Awesome movie!!!! Best Ninja anime which is not overly teenager colourful but a dark adult adventure fulfilling almost all the cool ninja cliches

古い作品ですので、画面の激しい点滅など今では見られない手法も有ったりします。ストーリーなどは普通なのですが、演出が良いのかグイグイと引き込まれ最後まで一息に見る事が出来ました。音楽、EDの曲も良く大人（おじさん）なら楽しめると思います。価格も安くこだわらない人にはお勧めです。