Customer Reviews

Ninja Scroll

5 star:		(306)
4 star:		(70)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

Ninja Scroll is an excellent work of anime and cannot be praised too highly, but the new 10th Anniversary DVD edition only offers only a false widescreen - they have merely cut off the top and bottom of the view to give the appearance of widescreen. The DTS sound is not any fuller or crisper than the original fullscreen DVD, merely converted to DTS format. In short, this DVD is not worth upgrading to, and the fullscreen side is the only one worth watching. Save your money if you hope to improve on the original DVD's quality - the new anniversary DVD is actually an insult.

First, regarding its name: a more accurate translation from the original Japanese would be "The Chronicles of Ninja Jubei."

Second, regarding the "misogynism" in the film: While I understand how it might be interpreted that way, that's not quite true. Kagero is a fascinating character due to the tragedy of her curse. She plays a pivotal role in the story, but most importantly, the ultimate point of the love subplot is that Jubei's sense of honor is so strong and his heart is so pure that he will not use her as just a weapon or an object of lust, the way everyone else has used her. Even at the cost of his life (you will understand when you see it). That's what makes it such a powerful story.

This movie isn't for everyone, but it's an incredible film. It's extremely intense, so sensitive viewers should beware. The animation is beautiful; the action is intense and intelligently choreographed, not mindless and brutal; the plot is highly intricate and very well written.

The best anime that I've ever seen, period.

One tradition of Japanese manga and anime is based on the legends of Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi, who was a very real swordsman serving the Tokugawa Shogunate at the beginning of the 17th century. Jubei was known for wandering Japan, sometimes as a spy for the Shogun, and righting injustices with displays of his extraordinary swordsmanship. Kind of a Japanese Knight of the Roundtable.

In 'Ninja Scroll', this part is played by Jubei Kibagami, an itinerant ninja. He is drawn into clan politics when he comes to the aid of Kagero, a female ninja in service to the Yamashiro clan. To save Kagero, Jubei must successfully challenge Tessai, an evil ninja (one of the Eight Devils of Kimon) with the ability to turn his skin into stone, and the strength to chop walls down. Jubei succeeds, but Tessai swears vengeance, leaving Jubei deeply entangled in a struggle with the Shogun of the Dark.

The third player in this contest is Dakuan, the Shoguns spy. He is a deadly old man who recruits Jubei by giving him a poison that will kill him in a day and a night. Dakuan informs Jubei that Himuro Gemma, an old enemy that Jubei was sure was dead, was still alive, and, in the company of the Devils, was at the center of the plotting. Jubei, Dakuan, and Kagero must defeat the evil ninjas and discover the purpose behind the killing of an entire village.

Kagero is a poison taster, and, as a result, is permeated with deadly toxins. She can never take a lover, because even her kiss would kill. At this point in Japanese history such a woman was an outcaste, having little value in the eyes of her society. Jubei shatters her world when he insists on treating her as an honorable human being, creating a strong emotional tension that plays against the simple samurai action of the main plot.

Production qualities of the film are beautiful, echoing traditional Japanese art forms with a fine sensibility. Line and color are strong. Violence, of course, is present, but is tightly controlled, not dwelt upon. This is one of the best and most representative films of the more conservative Japanese traditions of anime. Worth seeing for its historical status as well as for its outstanding artistic values.

Ninja Scroll is pretty much the stereotypical fantasy anime movie. Over the top gore, over the top sex and perversion and over the top demons and monsters. But does that mean the movie is bad? No, it just means that you should probably keep the kids away from this one.

The first thing to realize about Ninja Scroll is that it really is not for the squeamish. Throughout the movie there are gallons of blood, limbs, bodies, a rape scene and also a scene with a snake and a woman (actually, there are tons of snakes but there is one in particular that will probably surprise you at least a little). There really isn't any time when there isn't either nudity or death after the first few minutes in the movie.

If you can stomach the violence and perversition you will find a well animated movie with a good, if standard, plot. The animation is very well done and the action sequences (and there are a lot) are easy enough to follow. While I thought some of the character designs were fairly annoying (especially the snake lady's face), they are animated well and individual enough to be able to identify each character with no problem (even those that you see only twice throughout the movie). The plot itself is fairly stock, but it works well in the context. A wandering swordsman is recruited by an old man to fight eight demons as well as a man that swordsman thought he had slain years ago. The two are also joined by a woman swordsman whose body is too toxic to for any intimate contact (though that is by no means a deterent of her getting naked a few times). After the characters are introduced it basically becomes one long drawn out fight with the plot trudging along in the background.

The music in this film is pretty good. Maybe not something you would rush out to buy on a CD later, but it moves the movie along well enough and contributes to the action. The sound fx fit very well and seem to work well with the action on the screen.

In the end I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good samurai flick or to anyone who likes tons of bloodletting. Again, though, keep it away from the youngins.

As far as relatively empty, popcorn action anime is concerned, you always leave the theater (or your living room) rather disappointed. Yes, there's huge robots, or ninjas, or whatnot, but unless you are a (big) fan of the genre, not every anime movie is really that watchable.

Enter Ninja Scroll.

While sidestepping the usual tenets of anime that every film must have robots or cute schoolgirls, it still deals with something fairly Japanase: the Ninja. And while I'm sure profound dramas exits about how difficult it is to lead the life of a ninja and what not, 'Ninja Scroll' is not one of these movies.

Playing out like a video game, 'Ninja Scroll' establishes its introduction (let's call them 'cut scenes') and within a few minutes brings you into the storyline, which goes like this: Jubei, our hero and protagonist, must fight a menagerie of bad guys, all with cool powers. One has a weapon that splits opponents in half, another houses a beehive in his back, yet another can transport himself through shadows.

Sounds cool, eh? The animation and pacing live up to their name... Ninja Scroll has the possibility of ruining all other anime for you...

Granted, it's not as extensive as 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' (apparently the apex of anime) or 'Perfect Blue' (another good film from this year), but it is damn good nonetheless and a fine first DVD for anyone interested in the genre.

For kids? There's plenty of gore and blood, and a heap of oversexual content (including a rape scene)... Wouldn't recommend it for anyone under 13 or younger.

Ninja Scroll is the work of director Yoshiaki Kawajiri and was released in 1995. It is the story of Kibagami Jubei, a master-less samurai that wanders feudal Japan and hires his craft and his sword to whoever can pay-or whoever has a decent cause. He one day stumbles on the village of Shimoda, where the whole populace has apparently succumbed to a deadly plague and where a ninja clan has been recently annihilated by a demon. Stopping to rescue the only ninja left alive-a beautiful girl named Kagero-he unwittingly becomes part of a story that mixes shogunate politics, demonic warriors, a cachet of gold large enough to tilt the kingdom on its ear and the return of his most hated foe, Himuro Gemma.

The animation is some of the best I've ever seen. The colors are lush and full. The tone changes constantly and fits the mood perfectly. From the dark corners to the lit fields, the contrast in Ninja Scroll provides it with another layer with which to tell its story. As for the action, well, I wish all animes had action like this. Anyone who's seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon can tell you that the rooftop scenes are nothing compared to the ones found here. There you had two persons jumping, here whole clans of ninja leap into the air and face off against Jubei. You have some dastardly demons with strange powers-including their leader, Gemma, who cannot die. (The solution to this problem is both very fitting and very appropriate). The sound is also finally given its due. From the thunk of shurikens to the crashing of Tessai's sword through tree and ninja to the flapping of Mushizo's wasps, you can now hear it as beautifully as was recorded. The best scene for sound, though, is the fight between Jubei and Mujuru (the blind swordsman). All of a sudden, the sound Jubei makes becomes very important. The simple rustling of leaves and movement of grass becomes enthralling-because they could all lead to Jubei's demise.

This review is directed to those who, like myself, are not avid anime fans. I own three anime DVDs: Ghost in the Shell, Akira, and Ninja Scroll, and I enjoy all three. However, Ninja Scroll is far the most enjoyable to watch. But this review is not a comparison of the three.

I would like to praise the writer/director of Ninja Scroll for creating such an exciting and artistic work while at the same time retelling the ancient tale of the reluctant hero. The plot was sufficient enough to withstand the weight of the amazing action sequences and fun sexual content. The character development was superb. Jubei (the hero) is not portrayed an all-powerful superhero. Instead, we just see a gifted fighter with an immense will to survive.

The action scenes are among the best I have ever seen, with battle choreography that is comparable to that of the best filmakers. The villians are imaginitive and original, not to mention devious. The plot is extremely imaginitive, touching on topics that are not common to the "super robots and cute little girls" world of Japanese Anime: love triangles, rape, greed, self esteem, and homosexuality. This film was enjoyable from beginning to end, and if you are searching to expand your collection into something new, pick up this DVD. Its pure enjoyment.

This movie is an excellent example of what true Japanese animation should be. There's not a lot of sex in the movie, so if you're looking for that, keep looking. The movie revolves around the basic good versus evil. I really enjoyed the fight scenes, and the character development helps get you into the movie. I would recommend this movie to new and experienced Anime fans.

In order to tell you how good it is, let me tell you my viewing experience ...

I had followed anime from the 60's thru the 80's as a kid, and in the 90's I rediscovered it with this movie. When I began my rediscovery I sat thru the beginning of this film with skepticism(not from hype, just from the cliche it exuded on first appearance). I sat thru a 10 minute gore fest of blood and mutilated bodies decimated by mysterious superpowerful ancient ninja in a tribal feud during Japan's unification period 400 years ago. Soon, I was witnessing a dismal rape slowly unfold ... I gave the movie 2 minutes on my watch and I was ejecting. Suddenly, the whole depressing story which lead me in via a thread of characters each being killed so you follow another until their demise became a story of three lone wolves uniting vicariously to defeat a menacing power which could throw Japan back into the dark ages. The story which almost had me disgusted to the point of rejection turned into an affirmation of man overcoming his past mistakes and failures against all odds. This movie kept me on the edge the whole time. Every character seemed fragile and yet powerful. It makes a moral statement, and in the end covers all the bases of classic literature. On top of this, put in brilliantly directed animation, art and design. Every character is unique and unforgettable. A must for EVERY action film fan or comic book fan. This is definiely one of the finest movies ever made, period. Puts Disney to shame. Very adult, very skillful, very thoughtfully put together. To this day I haven't seen a finer anime movie, and am hard pressed to find many modern movies of this genre that can compete with this cult classic. I rank it up there with Casablanca, M, Red, Citizen Kane and Evil Dead II.

Three movies--Akira, Ghost In The Shell and Ninja Scroll--each broke new ground and pushed the genre in the mainstream. "Ninja Scroll" is the most fun and watchable of these efforts, and despite the fact that it was released in 1996, continues to be among, if not THE best, in ninja/swordsmanship movies.

This is one of those "three-watchers": watch once to get acquainted, twice to fully understand, and three times to get the full effect. You could very well leave impressed after your first viewing, but numerous viewings reveal more and more each time.

Wandering ninja Jubei Kibagami (based on a popular swordsman of Japanese lore) is drawn into a battle with the Eight Devils of Kimon, with the beautiful and lethal Kagero on his side, as well as a government agent. Jubei must survive battles with each of the Devils--a rock-skinned hulk, a blind swordsman, a portable wasp hive, a snake-controller, a re-animator/shadow manipulator, a wire-toting electrecutor, an explosives expert and a resurrectable boss--all the while attempting to solve a mystery revolving around gold, murdered villagers and a mysterious plague.

The animation is top-notch. It isn't thin and computer-like, as in Ghost in the Shell, but it's as close as you can get to a moving Marvel or Image Comic. Everything is lightning fast and no sounds are wasted: you'll notice every chirping bird or falling leaf with the tension that this film builds. The shots are masterfully beautiful--a charging Jubei is shown via reflection on the blind swordsman's sword held close to his face--and the animation is consistent throughout.

Not to confuse what you might have heard--the violence is extremely graphic, not the sex scenes. The sex scenes are nothing worse than what an R-rated flick might produce, but the violence is up there in the level of "Gladiator" or "Saving Private Ryan," but it's not something that goes throughout the movie so much so that it becomes disgusting.

The English dub is passable, capturing both Jubei's calm confidence as well as Kagero's fire, but like most anime, the Japanese version is the superior. The storyline remains generally the same in either version, although there are some significant, but not plot-disturbing, differences between the English and Japanese versions.

Each "Devil" is unique and cleverly thought-out, each a challenging fighter. Jubei is an anti-hero, reluctant to join the fight, and scraps his way through battles, using his smarts as well as his steel.

Definitely recommended for older fans, anime fan or not. It has anime's cliche graphic violence and nudity, but its plot, vocal performance and direction are excellent, among the best ever for the genre. Five stars doesn't do it justice.