Ninja Scroll, Slice first, Ask questions later.
If you think anime is popping right now, then you may not remember the 90s. In the USA we consider the golden age of anime to be those heavenly years. Why, you may ask, my good man? I’ll tell you why. The titles. Oh, my god, the titles. Every young girl was falling in love with Mamoru Chiba in Sailor Moon.
Young boys wished they could pilot mobile suites when Gundam Wing blew away the competition. We all met Shinji Ikari and the people at Nerve in Neon Genesis Evangelion as well. The 90s had hit after hit, and those are just a few.
There was Dragon Ball, Rurouni Kenshin, Cowboy Bebop, and Akira. I’m talking about Slayers, GTO, Slam Dunk, and Yu Yu Hakusho respectively.
And to be honest with you, that’s not even the brunt of it. The 1990s was the single decade that made many fans fall in love with anime with banger after banger. today’s review is one of these super SS titles many people love. And some think of it as super overrated.
What about today?
Today we will do an updated review on the film Ninja Scroll. when I was entering the world of anime there were a few movies that most people that followed anime had seen for sure. Akira was the big daddy of them all. In second place fell to Princess Mononoke or Ghost in the Shell.
I’ll let you guys argue that, but ninja scroll often held the spot after that. I remember buying this VHS rushing home to watch it, considering I was only 10 years old at the time and my dad was sitting on the couch when I turned it on. This was a mistake.
He locked it in his closet before the first scene ended.
I snuck and watched it for the first time about a month later when I took the video to my grandma’s house without my dad knowing. I enjoyed the hell out of every moment. A true masterpiece, I thought to myself after every re-watch.
A few days ago I was looking for something to watch on Hulu, and my eyes lit up as I saw they tucked Ninja Scroll remastered in their library of Anime.
I thought to myself; I wonder if this is still as good in 2021 as it was back in those days of my adolescence. This is a review of Ninja Scroll.
What it’s about?
To be completely honest with you, I don’t think I really understood the plot of this movie until my 20th watch. for such a simple movie the plot is pretty intricate and deals with a lot of themes and history from the Edo period of Japan.
The Yamashiro clan finds a secret mine with incredible gold reserves, they keep this hidden, and plan to give the bulk of it to the Toyotomi shogun of the dark to fund the war they plan to start with the current government, the Tokugawa shogunate.
The Toyotomi Shogun was the previous government that ruled before the Tokugawa and apparently, they did not like their status as the previous shogunate.
While trying to transfer the gold to the Toyotomi shogun of the dark. A massive storm beached the ship carrying the gold Starting the events in this tale.
Storyline
The story follows our hero Kibagami Jubei. a wandering swordsman, ex Yamashiro ninja, and all-around badass. In the very first scene of Ninja Scroll, it is implied that Jubei is on another level with the mud stomping he gives a few goons.
It also implied that he has basically given his sword skill away for pennies on the dollar to help a poor village get back a priceless heirloom passed down by the shogun himself. A treasure that if sold could fetch its weight in gold, if not more.
From the very beginning, Jubei’s portrayal is a Robinhood-Esque antihero, that is not afraid to get his hands a little bloody.
Jubei by chance is walking through the wrong place at the wrong time and thrust into this conspiracy that has ties to his past life as a Yamashiro ninja.
The Mochizuki Clan
The Mochizuki clan rule the territory where the shenanigans took place, that is the location of the beached ship carrying the gold, being delivered to the shogun of the dark. They first received information about a plague taking place in their territory.
Not fully understanding what was going on, the Mochizuki sent a team of Koga ninja to investigate the area near Shimoda village. One thing I did not understand was why they sent only about twenty ninjas to investigate.
They understood that this was not a normal occurrence, and either needed to send a massive force to attack or a small force for undetectable reconnaissance.
These questions get answered later on in the film.
Kagero
Kagero is a Kunoichi living inside the Mochizuki Koga ninja clan. A poison tester that has the job of tasting food before the head of the Mochizuki. Upset about being left out of the preparation meeting for the group going to check out the disturbance in Shimoda village. She forces her way on the attacking force.
Kagero is a capable kunoichi with mid-level skill and impeccable timing. She is saved by Jubei and saves Jubei in what is certainly a moment of need. Early on you can tell that she struggles with her role in the Koga ninja clan and does not like being treated differently because of her female status.
She is also plagued because as a poison tester, her body is infused with deadly substances.
She has lost the ability to be with a man or raise children as becoming physical with anyone would cause them to meet an untimely demise. Kagero understands her position and has excepted the reality of her situation.
Dakuan
Dakuan is a spy for the current Japanese government, the Tokugawa shogunate. He was sent along with a group of his cohort to investigate the Toyotomi clan’s actions.
I am making assumptions that they have been investigating the shogun of the dark for a while before this tale. Dakuan seems to have a spring of information about the enemies that are secret or hidden to us.
He reveals he is the last one of his group left alive. Able escaped the massacre of his companions while attacked by the eight devils.
Dakuan first tries to ask for Jubei’s help, but after being turned down he poisons our hero and promises him an antidote and 100 Ryō after the completion of the investigation.
Dakuan is a schemer that carries a monk’s staff with the ability to extend to great lengths,
he also is a master at disguise and escape.
Setting actions into motion and controlling the pieces like a chessboard is his way. He tries to avoid combat himself while finishing missions.
Eight Devils of Kimon
The eight devils of Kimon are Boss, our sub-bosses in the film that plague our man Jubei. he first encountered them while resting in a small hut near the abandoned Shimoda village that was the source of questions in the film.
Tessai a sword skilled behemoth brings Kagero to the hut Jubei is resting in after he captures her and does some pretty uncomfortable stuff. Jubei being the dude that he is helps Kagero escape this predicament, but that turns the devil’s attention to him.
The eight devils of Kimon are all extremely talented and psychotic warriors that have some kind of supernatural abilities that heightens their prowess in battle.
But it can also be said that they are more dangerous to each other even more than Jubei himself.
Let’s go over them individually.
Tessai
Tessai is a juggernaut of a man standing at least 3 heads taller than anyone else in the film. He moves his massive body with lightning-quick speed while attacking his enemies.
Tessai also has superhuman strength and high-level sword skill. he uses an exotic lance that has sword blades on both ends. Tessai’s ability is to harden his outer layer of skin into stone, which helps him defend against all attacks and use his body as a weapon.
Tessai is one of the more simple members of the group as his motivations seem monetary and lustful.
He and Yurimaru are sent to intercept the Koga ninja team at Shimoda village.
Mushizo
Mushizo looks more like a leper than a fighter, his twisted features and thin body don’t look adequate for combat.
He uses these facts to his advantage as he carries quick-strike weaponry.
He normally lures his opponents in close, then attacks. Carrying a thin two-pronged pitchfork and stashes other secret weapons on his person that he uses for surprise attacks. His finishing attack is a poison-tipped throat needle.
Mushizo can control hornets from a nest he hides within his body.
Zakuro
Zakuro is one of the main instigators of the movie. Moving in silence and pushing events forward. Her role is both important and insignificant. we see little of her until shit gets real and honestly; I think that’s a good thing.
She has the ability to control once-living things like a marionette.
She uses this ability with her knowledge of gunpowder to set traps and cause unknowing adversaries to be blown to smithereens. It is revealed early in the story that she loves Yurimaru and wanted to be with him.
Having eyes for Genma, Yurimari passed on that opportunity. Zakuro showed him that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Mujuru Utsutsu
Mujuru is the only one in the eight devils of Kimon that does not possess a supernatural ability.
He is a large man that seems to have an amount of superhuman strength and an extraordinarily high level of sword skill.
Mujuru is blind and thus has honed his hearing to an incredible state that he uses while in combat.
He saves Jubei’s life because of his selfish desire to face him in a duel to the death.
Benisato
Benisato appears to be one of the least combat-experienced members of the Eight Devils of Kimon. she is a seductress that normally kills her victims after catching their eye physically. she seems to have some kind of hypnotizing ability that many people associate with the cobra.
She tries to seduce Jubei while he is relaxing in the hot spring, nearly catching him with his pants down, literally.
Without Dakuans interference, Jubei might have met his end there. We know she has a sexual relationship with Genma and his favor.
Benisatos supernatural abilities give her the same attributes of snakes, which she controls to do her bidding.
She can call snakes forward from her flesh and also escape tight situations by casting off her skin and slithering away.
Yurimaru
Yurimaru is the second in command of the group. He is another primary instigator that puts walls in front of Jubei and plots the execution of Shimoda village.
He is cold and calculating and seems to be an intelligent man. His love for Genma makes him do some questionable things that cause hiccups in the execution of the overall plan to retrieve the gold from Shimoda village.
Yurimaru is a highly skilled warrior and capable assassin. he has the ability to transmit high levels of electricity from his body.
Combining that with his skill with a thin metal wire that he can manipulate at will, he executes his victims from afar.
Shijima
Shijima is the reconnaissance and information ninja of the bunch. A high-level assassin with abilities that keep him hidden. His main ability is to hide in any area that there are shadows.
He uses this ability to both sneak up on his enemy and escape harm.
He also has that shadow clone Jutsu that makes multiple copies of himself while employing his other abilities. His weapon of choice is a 5 bladed crossbow that shoots out at lightning speed, impaling his enemy instantly.
He also had the ability to take over his opponent’s mind for a short period or until his opponent kill him.
Genma
Genma is the boss hog, or big bad in this film. He and our boy Jubei go way back to the days when Jubei was a Yamashiro ninja.
Genma is the leader of the Eight Devils of Kimon and a Vicious hand to hand specialist. Cold Calculating and self-important, Genma has his own goals he is trying to accomplish by any means.
We are not told what his rank was as a Yamashiro ninja. But he was in control of groups of men. I guess I would call him a leader or commander of some sort. After finding the gold reserves, he commands his men to kill each other to keep the location of the reserves hidden.
After slaying his comrades, Jubei waits for Genma and beheads him. The boss of the Eight Devils of Kimon has the power of immortality or Reincarnation. He can control every bone, muscle, and organ in his body allowing him to avoid death.
This also gives him the ability to shape-shift and assume the identity of others. Genma is ultimately self-serving and barely flinches when his comrades die.
Being immortal, he seems to think that time and lives are of no great importance to him.
Is the anime worth its reputation?
Today, Ninja Scrolls would still be a great watch. If you have not seen this movie before, then I would definitely recommend giving it a watch ASAP.
If you have seen it before, then I would still recommend giving it another glance, just to refresh.
Make sure it is the remastered version and the visuals are amazing.
There is a good reason this title helped foster many people into the ranks of the otaku by the boatload, and those reasons are still on full display.
1. the animation
The animation still shines, even at 27 years old. The look of this film can still compete with and outdo modern anime films today. There are very few scenes where animation is reused, which was a big thing in those days.
You can tell the great effort that was included in every single frame and every fight scene as it flashes before your eyes.
The character designs are on par for the time, long-limbed, majestic, and somewhat detailed, but clean. There are many films like it, but the animation in ninja scroll is legendary in its sub-genre and has become the standard teaching tool for historical Japanese sword fighting anime after its release.
Sword of the stranger and Basilisk are two outstanding works that took inspiration from this classic film.
2. The Plot
The plot of Ninja Scroll is summed up easily. A swordman is on a quest to stop the forces of evil from starting a war.
Simple, right? That would be incorrect. The plot of Ninja Scroll executes so well that you don’t realize that the movie takes place over about 2 days.
It is so engaging that you believe that the feelings that Kagero has for Jubei have taken weeks, if not months, to deepen.
This is an anime where characters have supernatural powers and perform such amazing feats, but the realism is still so close to home. Abilities and powers do not mean that someone cannot perish.
Being a hardened warrior does not mean you don’t have emotions and feelings.
There is no evil just for evil’s sake tropes in this one. Everyone’s drive is a selfish desire to get what they want, and that makes the plot stand as more than a simple slash’ em-up.
What makes it unique?
In 2021 there is nothing unique about ninja scrolls. the times have slowly passed it by. There are other titles based on this era that do the story element better. There are other titles that are in the samurai genre that have better fight scenes as well.
The animation in ninja scroll is amazing and can still stand the test of time and still look amazing for its age. There are anime in this genre that do that better as well. The soundtrack is just ok and provides nothing I would consider groundbreaking even in its early days of release.
Honestly, there are plenty of stories about Yagyu Jubei, the Person Kibigami Jubei was based on in a few different anime today.
But the one thing that makes this anime unique is that if this film did not exist, then the other Genre would not as well.
Ninja Scroll is the grandpa, the big daddy of them all. Ninja Scroll showed those other anime how to do it right.
Being an amazing film in its own right and providing the framework for others to follow is the reason it still ranks high today.
Reasons to watch?
Ninja Scroll is an amazing time no alcohol required, with great pacing and visuals to die for. There is a reason this is on the list of best anime films of all time. It is a must-watch for any otaku that calls himself an otaku.
If you wanted to see when the paradigm shifted on historic Japanese anime, then this is the one for you. If you are a younger anime fan that has already seen Basilisk and Sword of the Stranger, then give this one a watch.
I know a lot of young anime fans that don’t enjoy going back past a certain year, but if you have not seen this one you are missing out.
The final verdict?
Simply get your popcorn ready and do it. You will thank yourself later, trust me. It’s streaming right here on Hulu, and they have a 7-day free trial.
If you have enjoyed this review, please look at another post from Anime Bullyboy right here.
If you’re a fan of classic anime, Like I am, please leave me some of your favorite classic titles in the comments. And maybe I’ll drop a review on it soon.
