Customer Reviews

Ninja Resurrection (Essential Anime Collection)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(39)

 

 

I work in an anime rental shop so i get this all the time. Everyone and their mom loves "Ninja Scroll" but nobody, and i mean nobody likes this one. Here is why: everbody starts this movie up expecting N. Scroll pt2...when it is NOT the same artist, author, or creator of ninja scroll. The only two things that mislead are 1.ninja in the title 2.the main character has the same first name. I am telling you now, THIS IS NOT NINJA SCROLL 2! If you are like me and you just want more samurai action with a cleaner art style than ninja scroll, then this is for you. The story hits a cool aspect of christianity in japanese culture and its abolishment and what it leads to. Definately just as gory, fast paced, and samurai as ninja scroll, but in my eyes...better than.

Early 17th Century Japan was a particularly grim period. It is marked by the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate, several abortive efforts to open Japan up to the world and a bloody rebellion by the small Christian minority that led to the exclusion of foreigners from Japan for over 200 years. The Christian rebellion and its suppression at Shimbara was a struggle with few heroes and all too many villains on both sides. 'Ninja Resurrection' tells a part of the story of those events, combining both history and legend in its telling.

Jubei Yagyu, a historical figure, was sword instructor to the Tokugowa regime, as well as in regular use as a spy and assassin. Therefore, it is no surprise that Jubei was sent to invade the Christian stronghold at Shimbara to weaken the fortification and, if possible, assassinate the leaders of the rebellion. Tokisada Shiro Amakusa, whose followers thought he was the new Christ, was killed, and the rebellion collapsed. The result was a massacre - 37,000 Christians dead at the cost of less than 2,000 samurai.

The prophecy that declared Shiro to be the returned Christ also -redicts that, if frustrated, he will return as Satan. The first part of this DVD tells about Shimbara, and sets the scene for the second part, the incarnation of Satan. Here we have a little pastiche about Yagyu clan home life followed by a demonic sex scene and the rebirth from a woman's corpse of the slain Shiro. Somehow, Shiro's reanimation includes the return of 4 of Japan's most legendary swordmen as demons.

And now comes this DVD's greatest flaw. There is no resolution or conclusion, just an abrupt end. Nor is there any sign of an anime follow up, although there have been several other films (not anime) that deal with Jubei's further adventures. Being left cold at a point that feels like the middle of the plot definite has a chilling effect on one's enjoyment. This is a shame, because the artwork and acting in these two episodes really is excellent, and a continuation would certainly have been successful. Beware, the film contains some very adult scenes and an amazing amount of bloody violence.

Knowing this was in no way related to Ninja Scroll, I went ahead and purchased it based on the good reviews it has gotten from folks who actually liked it. Good for them; they can watch it over and over.

I found the story--what there was of a story--in both of the two shorts to be painfully inconsistant. For example, one historical character that is refered to will not commit suicide (and is consequently tortured) due to his Christian beliefs; however, another character (likely the most important character) is about to commit suicide in spite of his Christ-like status when the story (yet again) changes direction. No real character development occurs nor does any plot development for that matter.

Now, about that animation... Well, if your idea of really slick animation is panning across stills done in a traditional Chinese (yes, Chinese) painterly style, then this film is for you. However, if you grade your animation by the fluidity of motion, the creativity of scene, and the life-like character of the fantasy created, I recommend you check out the Brothers Quay Collection. Of course, if you want to stick to the traditional ninja story with excellent animation, there is always Ninja Scroll.

The animation was very good. But the story was hard to follow. But when the fighting scenes started to get me into it, the movie just stoped and said "to be continued" it is only 45 minutes long. I don't reccomned this video unless you get all of them.

Well okay, I agree NINJA SCROLL is a superior product to this, but let's face it, these two products have absolutely nothing in common except that Yagyu Jubei is the central protagonist. Misguidedly titled NINJA RESURRECTION is yet another adaptation of Yamada Futaro's MAKEI TENSHO, filmed umpteenth times already, most recently as REBORN FROM HELL. I personally am tired of this series and I wish Japanese animators could just move on to some other interpretations of the ninja mythology. It was once refreshing to combine the elements of horror/fantasy and jidaigeki action, but the novelty has gone out of it. And why should the Yagyu clan, the OFFICIAL fencing teachers of the shogunate, be promoted to the heroic status all the time? Their ninja activities were basically those of secret police who go off and assassinate those who dare to resist Tokugawa rule. WRAITH OF NINJA has its heart in the right place...

Despite pretentious but informative introduction to historical background, this OAV series plays really fast and loose with Japanese history and culture, even within its improbable fantasy context. The filmmakers appear to harbor hilariously strange notions of Christianity, even more so than the most dunderheaded Hollywood action film's stereotypes of Middle Easterners. And yes, as a reviewer noted below, it was completely against the faith of Tokugawa-era Japanese Christians to commit suicide, as Shiro in the first episode proposes.

Technically, the animation is totally skewered toward style over substance. Character animation suffers a lot compared to the detailed background cels and fluid movement. DVD production is, however, top-notch quality, with easy-to-read yellow subtitles and excellent stereo sound. A.D. Visions deserves some compliments for this, since I have seen MANY anime DVDs that are basically no better than VHS versions, or in the case of, say, dubbed version of DEVILMAN, stinkingly worse.

BTW, Shiro's retainer who betrays him and frames Jubei in the first episode seems to be wearing a coat with Yagyu crest emblazoned on it... did I really see that? He may be revealed in later episodes as a Yagyu agent, thus making Jubei realize that HE was betrayed by his own clan, and turning him into a more sympathetic character. Or so I hope, since he is a total cipher in these two episodes.

This is a poor "successor" to Ninja Scroll. It's not made by the same production studio or director. And even falls during a different time period. The only similarity is the existence of a guy named "Jubei." Mediocre animation, fairly good dubbing, excessive violence (the only plus) and a weak storyline. Overall, if you're a Ninja Scroll zealot, you'll very likely become annoyed (if not angered) by this 40 minute 'introduction' to an anime series which was never completed.

... Here is my review. Please this is only my opinion so read others before making a final decision.

Animation - The animation is okay I guess. I'm not an aficianado of Anime, so I cant really judge. I'd say its slightly better than a Saturday morning cartoon.

Plot - There are too many holes in Ninja Resurrection to actually call it a story. Its more like a couple of action sequences tied together by an overall plot. A plot that ends in a cliffhanger! Jubei doesn't save the girl, doesnt win the day, all is not right in the world. Just as things get ugly, END of DVD. This is where I feel cheated. I can handle a bad movie, but this is unfinished, and I think thats total crap. Nothing is resolved at the end of this DVD.

Characters - Jubei seems pretty cool, though he hardly fights anyone other than a bunch of 'red shirts'. But lets face it, you can hardly call those fights. Typical sequence, Jubei gets jumped by 15 'red shirt' ninja's, he flashes his sword in a wide arc, 15 ninja's are dead. The main fight in this DVD actually is in the beginning and it is very comical. I wont go into details, but it is sad.

There are other charcters that get introduced, only to vanish 5 minutes later, never to be heard from again. Jubei's Ninja friends in the beginning are a pretty interesting bunch, but you never hear from them after the said above main fight. It happens again later on when you are introduced to two female fighters. They are there, then gone 5 minutes later. Flip to the back of the DVD box and you will see Jubei flanked by two women and a bunch of Ninjas. Those are the two above mentioned women, and nowhere in the DVD you will find this scene. In fact the two women's only fight occurs during a sparring match where both used wooden practice weapons, not what you see on the back of the box.

I will end this by saying that they did a good job on the DVD box. It looks nice and has a nice description, but it is misleading. Rent this before you buy it.

Going against the grain, I'll say that Ninja Resurrection (not a Ninja Scroll sequel - as many have pointed out - and not meant to be) was an entertaining look into very loosely translated Japanese culture that has been dashed with other influences as well. Still, this seems to be what bothers many people about it, the fact that a movie might take liberties with handed down legends, salting them with concepts that also involve other esoteric entities while birthing its own tales of a Christlike figure not fulfilling his destiny and being reborn as the son of the devil. I, however, have no such qualms with these types of ideas taking place, in fact encouraging creativity in such matters, nor do I have a problem with the violence that saturated much of the bloodstained movie. So, I accordingly found the movie appealing. Abruptly ended when things were at their worst, mind you, but nice to watch.

The two parts included on this films were not, in fact, that bad at all despite the little "speedbumps" in the plot that oftentimes do manifest themselves. The first, dealing with an insurrection taking place at the hands of some Japanese Christian Farmers, focuses on a legend that had been past down about one that would come as a deliverer. Still, the message goes on to warn that if his destiny should be blocked and this person weren't allowed to become Christ, he would return as the son of Satan. At a young age a few events transpire to seemingly show who this great deliverer will be and, through the struggles of the greatly outnumbered souls that decide to follow him, a wheel is set into motion, one greased with the manipulation and intrigue, that means to test these words fully.

The second is the culmination of ideas birthed in the first, feeding off of the characters and adding to them, bringing about some additional plot twists in the process. This has some exceptionally strange ideas that are forced into play, asking one to pay attention in order to catch all of the intrigue being birthed. It does have its problems here, however, leaving openings that should have been plugged and ending too soon before anything can be solved, but its still not bad.

If you are looking for another Ninja Scroll, this isn't your film. If you want something without any violence, a traditional piece, or something bulging with new forms of animation, then perhaps you should avoid it. Still, if you want something different and, above all, a bloody type ofentertaining, you might want to check this out. Just be expected to be left hanging at the end.

Ninja Scrolls had mature artwork, dynamic action, developed characters and a deep story. The violence in Ninja Scrolls was inherent to the story.

Ninja Resurrection has that childish, low detail artwork. The story is VERY weak. The characters have little development (you barely see Jubei in the second episode). The ULTRA, ULTRA violence belongs in something like Legend of the Overfiend - a repugnant anime of sick and twisted proportions. Contrary to popular belief, this show is not for adults. It for violence loving perverts.

I just received this DVD, just finished watching it, and just finished dumping it into my garbage bag. What a disappointment.

Was a complete waste of money! I LOVED Ninja Scroll! and thats why I bought Ninja Ressurection, in the belief that it would be just as good..

To be honest.. It wasnt good at all.. The storyline.. heck WHAT storyline?? The images.. *blergh*.. and the ending...?? WHAT ending??!! Ninja Ressurection seemed more like an introduction to a whole new series...

After the 'movie' finished I felt like throwing something at the TV. Thats how bad it was!