Ninja Scroll: Movie Review #10

Review of the Week:

Nineties Ninjas

 

There are a lot of Anime out that have this distinct appearance, a certain aspect that labels them as a product of the time they were released. Ninja Scroll is very much a product of nineties, down to its animation, style and the quality of its English dub. In this movie’s case, it works to its advantage, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it works in all areas.

            Ninja Scroll takes places in a land where supernatural beings and monsters exist, that just happens to look like feudal Japan which justifies some of character designs. Probably the biggest example is the main character, Jubei, who looks like an American who decided to cosplay as a samurai. I should get into the plot before I lose track, in the film, Jubei gets caught in a scrimmage between a league of demonic ninjas and a shogun spy, who forces Jubei to help him out. While getting entangled in this mess, he also runs into a mysterious ninja girl with a deadly secret. I would try to explain the rest of the plot, but it's just too complicated and weird for me.

            While Ninja Scroll is a great standalone film, some of the animation did remind me of another animated film, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Though this isn’t much of a surprise since both films were animated by Studio Madhouse, this studio is also responsible for famous titles such as Death Note, Black Lagoon and more recently Death Parade. As for the decision to listen to it in either Japanese or English, surprisingly enough I still say English. While the dub is more or less standard, there are some big names in the cast. Some of the names include Wendee Lee (Cowboy Bebop) and even Richard Epcar (Ghost in the Shell). Both of their performances are great and memorable.

            Just want to add some final thoughts before the verdict, one thing people should be aware of is the violence. It’s extremely graphic and there are some depictions of rape as well, so if you decide to watch it: DO NOT watch this in a public place or with family, they’ll probably think something’s wrong with you. Other than that, this movie is a good time, if you’re into ‘90s anime.

Final Rating:

Ninja Scroll is currently available on Blu-Ray and DVD both online and at some local video stores, I found my copy at a Bullmoose store in Salem, NH. I’m not sure if you can watch it on legal streaming, if anyone knows, please do inform me in the comments along with thoughts on the film itself. As for alternate recommendations, I first point you towards another ‘90s anime, Berserk, though the series is only part of a larger story, it’s still worth checking out, lastly, I recommend checking out the film Highlander, while this has a more modern setting, it’s better as a whole and it also has some songs performed by Queen (which is AWESOME).

Until Next Time, Relive the Past…