Ninja Scroll

A great movie to just sit back and enjoy, not in the mind set of Akira, Ghost in the Shell or Perfect Blue just a great all out action film. When I first saw this movie I was amazed by the high quality of the action and the animation. To this day they both still stand the test of time. One of the best anime's set around the time period of feudal Japan, although the main reason to see this film is for the characters. Not so much for the good guys but the villains. The designs of the villains are outstanding and there individual powers uniquely brilliant.

This week I was fortunate to watch three fantastic animes(which I love from watching the likes of Studio Ghibli) in a row, Akira, Ghost in the Shell and this, Ninja Scroll. Ninja Scroll captivated me from start to finish, with the ultra-violent scenes and gore it is perhaps not for all, but from an animation and storytelling perspective it is really one of the most engrossing animated films I have ever seen. The animation is stupendous, every action has so much detail but the backgrounds and colours have many moments of dark or ethereal beauty to them. The music is haunting and sweeping, the characters are interesting with a lot of depth and conflict in them, but other than the fast, clean and incredibly compelling action the star was the storytelling, often dark and poignant but never less than riveting. Overall, captivating from start to finish, a must see. 10/10 Bethany Cox

If you want to see a poor version of this, watch Sword For Truth. If you want to watch how Manga should be made, this is the film for you! The characters match those of folk tales, yet are completely believable, and lovable/detestable at the same time. The storyline is interesting, and the relationships between the characters.

The animation is terrific, and even though this film was made in 1993, it still captivates today.

Fans of this genre will enjoy this movie, but so will people who aren't into animé.

This is a terrific film, and one that you will be able to watch over and over again, if you love quality.

Jubei Ninpocho (Ninja Scroll) ***1/2 out of **** Director: Yashiako Kawajiri

Masterless samurai for hire is "tricked" by aging government spy in order to partake in assassinating eight supernatural beings during the era of feudal Japan. Ultraviolent premise is not for all tastes, but fascinating visual punch and original story telling (emphasized greatly by Kawajiri's expert direction) make this a much see for animation buffs. Kawajiri's finest film to date is dazzling and gripping from start to finish.

Ninja Scroll is easily one of my favorite anime movies. Great animation (the minimal movement in Japanimation far superior to the over-produced Disney cloned animation style), great story and characters, a decent running time - it all works for me.

Recently here in Australia, the movie has thankfully been re-released in the 10th Anniversary Uncut version. After a controversial screening on commercial TV some years ago, the video version was upgraded from MA to an R-Rating, and had some sex scenes cut. The new DVD has been restored, uncut.

A classic, highly entertaining and impressive anime - strongly recommended to Japanime newbies :)