Welcome to Astral Animations, where we'll examine the imports of Japanese animation currently available in the United States.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the movie.
That said, on to the review!
Once upon a time, the Toyotomi ruled Japan, but they were overthrown by the Tokugawa, beginning the reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate. One former retainer of the Toyotomi has dubbed himself "Shogun of the Dark" and has rallied 16 clan lords to his cause. But any great rebellion needs funding, and the Shogun of the Dark has finally found his funds. But when the funds that could make or break their rebellion disappear during a terrible storm, he dispatches the Eight Devils of Kimon to recover it for him. And their involvement could spell the doom for all of Japan.
When rumors of an epidemic in a secluded village spread, nearby villagers evacuate immediately. But the leader of the Koga ninja of the Mochizuki clan is suspicious and leads a troop of ninja to investigate. There is only one survivor: the woman, Kagero, who's skill is deadly and who's kiss is deadlier still. She is captured by the first of the Kimon devils, a giant named Tessai whose skin becomes nearly unbreakable rock. He has her way with her...and thus begins the downfall of the Eight Devils of Kimon. For chance has brought the wandering ninja, Kibagami Jubei, into that same village. He rescues Kagero and the two flee, but now both are suspicious of exactly what's going on...especially when Tessai reappears in town, determined to kill Jubei. Instead, it is Tessai who dies, victim of both Kagero's and Jubei's attacks. The monk, Dakuan, who is secretly a shogunate spy, warns Jubei that having killed one of their number, the Devils of Kimon will not rest until they've avenged Tessai's death. Jubei waves aside the monk's warning and goes on his way. But the devils aren't far behind.
Eight in number they are, and all mostly inhuman monsters. There is the man-giant, Tessai, who's skin changes from ordinary flesh to rock-hard stone. There is the woman, Benisato, who can shed her skin like a snake and animate it to do her bidding, who can call forth thousands of snakes to kill her enemies, and can secrete them within her own body if need be. There is Mushizo, whose body houses a wasp's hive and who can communicate with his tiny tenants and direct them to act as spies or killers. There is Mujuro, the blind swordsman, who of them all is the only one with a shred of honor but whose skill with a blade is inhuman. There is the one-handed Shijima, who travels in shadows, shooting the claw that forms his left limb through the air with deadly speed and accuracy. There is Zukuro, the scarred woman who through some horrendous misuse of chemistry turns living people and animals into unwilling vessels of death and destruction. There is Yurimaru, able to fling endless spools of wire over immense distances through which he can communicate or channel bioelectric energy with which he can kill or, worse yet, torture. And finally, there is their leader, a man well known to Jubei: Gemma Himuro, who he once killed to avenge the deaths of ninja sent against him that Jubei had no choice but to kill. But against these terrible foes, can Jubei--even aided by Kagero and Dakuan--hope to survive? And will they be able to save Japan as well?
Ninja Scroll is a movie-length anime feature taking place in feudal Japan. Don't let the title fool you, though. The Japanese name for this is "Jubei Ninpucho" (or "Juubei Ninpoucho," take your pick) but for some reason Manga Video translated it as "Ninja Scroll." As far as I could tell, there weren't any scrolls to speak of, excepting the single note that Kagero sends back to the Mochizuki clan.
Of all the ninja-related anime I've seen, this is probably one of the most dramatic. It gives Ogre-Slayer and Oger-Slayer 2: Grim Fairy Tales a run for the money in the blood and gore department. From the beginning to the end--when Tessai's spinning two-ended blade decimates Kagero's ninja squad to Jubei's frenzy at Kashima Harbor--there are more gouts of blood sending showers of blood everywhere and body parts lying around than in any of the other ninja anime I've seen. But it isn't the blood and gore that makes for a great film, it's the plot itself. Or, I should say, the sub-plot. Imagine: a beautiful woman unable to make love to anyone because anyone who sleeps with her dies finally falls in love with a man who doesn't seem to want her for her body, yet worries about her as much as a true lover does. Sound like a doomed romance to you? Well, let's throw in the minor detail of Jubei having been poisoned by Dakuan to ensure his cooperation with a poison that will kill him in a day entire whose antidote only Kagero could possibly provide. How's that for a difficult situation?
One of the more intriguing things about this film is that it isn't entirely Jubei and company who finally kill the Eight Devils of Kimon. Jubei kills Tessai with a bit of indirect help from Kagero, and does so again while fighting Mujuro. And even Dakuan helps against Zukuro. And Jubei kills three of the other devils entirely on his own. But in truth two of the devils, jealous of the others, killed off their compatriots. For example, Yurimaru (who is, in my eyes, possibly the most outstanding of the devils because of his unique talents) kills Benisato, supposedly because she'd failed to kill Jubei twice--and was in danger of being forced to divulge their plans--but the fact is that Benisato and Yurimaru were competing for the same man, and Benisato's defeat just happened to provide him with a plausible reason for eliminating his competition. If you think about it, though, this egocentricity in the Eight Devils of Kimon is really the only thing that enabled Jubei, Kagero, and Dakuan to succeed: if they had ever decided to work together instead of solo, Jubei and his friends wouldn't have stood a chance.
Manga Video is the American distributor of Ninja Scroll. There are scenes that I wouldn't recommend for viewers without parental guidance, and some I wouldn't recommend for viewers without younger fans' guidance (which means, obviously, scenes involving sex, nudity, and violence, and scenes involving superhuman abilities, fantastic elements, and other things that parents probably wouldn't be able to understand). No offense, parents. I've seen both the subtitled and the dubbed versions, and neither one of them is bad. There are some minor discrepancies between the English subtitling and the English dubbing, but it's all right overall. Take your pick and enjoy!
You can likely purchase Ninja Cadets on videotape at any video store that sells Japanese anime. You can also order it through the Manga Video website.
Interested in buying this video? You can! Just follow the link to order the English subtitled or the dubbed VHS version, or even the English subtitled DVD version. You can also visit the Stellar Video Store for other titles.
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