Ninja Scroll || A Movie Review

These past few days I've been relentlessly busy with a lot of stuff—from stressing laboratory tests, follow-up checkups, school reports, activities, and nerve-wracking quizzes—there is almost no break except for evenings. Evenings are usually the time where I relax, and part of my relaxation is watching anime. I was about to download another episode when my phone complained about its storage. To let my storage breath, I deleted files and pictures, and that's where I encountered this another dark anime recommendation and yeah—I sidetracked again (lol). So join me as I share with you a bit of the story of a wandering swordsman in this 1993 anime movie, Ninja Scroll.

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About the Anime

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Ninja Scroll (Jubee Ninpuuchou) is an action fantasy anime movie that aired June 5, 1993. This movie was produced by Animate Film, Movic, and Toho and was animated by Madhouse. It's genre is action, adventure, fantasy, with a bit of both romance and horror. It's a more than an hour movie that was set in feudal Japan, where ninjas, samurai, and feudal factions exist. This movie isn't really suitable for all viewers because not only does it have a lot of gore, but there's also explicit portrayal of sexual scenes that may disturb some viewers.

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A swordsman who does jobs for gold, Jubei wanders alone with only his sword as his companion. Since he's a mercenary swordsman, it's inevitable that he'll make enemies while doing his job. Because of an unexpected betrayal, he had been masterless since then and decided to live a life away from chaotic feudal power struggles. However, after saving a female ninja from getting raped by a hideous stone man, he unconsciously steps into those chaotic feuds again.

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Dangerous and troublesome enemies sought him, and after being saved and tricked by an old ninja man, he was left with no choice but to join him in uncovering the truth behind the chaos that's been happening to them. Being the sole survivor of her ninja clan, Kagero—the woman whom Jubei had saved—joined him. She said that she's indebted to him, so she'll want to repay that by joining them while also continuing her clan's last mission. They delved into dark schemes and plots that will soon bring back the past that Jubei has already buried. With his formidable foe back, he's more than determined to slay him again, no matter what it costs.

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I can't say that the ending satisfied me because it's more like an ending of a sole anime arc rather than a denouement of a whole movie. It isn't really hanging, but for me, it's kinda promising another story after that, and it indeed did. This movie is a prequel of a later series, and I'm glad that I watched this first because usually I end up watching the sequel first rather than the prequel. The story was really dark and is riddled with gores and occasionally sexual scenes that might make you uncomfortable—however, for me, some of it were necessary to highlight details that we thought were unnecessary but will hold meaning in the later parts of the movie. So if you're sensitive and uncomfortable with those kinds of scenes, scram now and steer clear because this isn't for you.

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It's pacing was quick, and its major battles can attest to that. Those battles were really enjoyable, but they ended abruptly. The action scenes were pretty straight to the point, which was understandable since it's just a movie. If it's an anime series, battling with a single or couple of enemies would have last an entire arc. Anyway, even if it felt sometimes off-putting and rushly executed, it's way much better than dragging fight scenes with exaggerated fighting drama.

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As for its art style, I'm not really fond of it, but it's not bad for me either. It's not a great art style, but it just fits well with the mood of the movie. The colors that were used were mostly dark, which matches right with the sinister feel of the story, and for its animation—it was definitely amazing! The action scenes were really gripping and entertaining to watch because they were animated smoothly. The movements were so fluid, and the angles and composition were pretty dramatic. For me, this dramatic execution added depth and impact to the emotions and message that they wanted to impart—and its utilization was really effective.

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The soundtrack was the usual 90s music, and it really suits the feudal theme. I had no qualms for the sound effects and the background because it just fit right with the vibes of the movie. The ending song really captured me because it's so nostalgic. It really made me stay until the last few seconds of the movie, and although the meaning behind its lyrics was not that relatable with the movie, its tune was definitely giving. It gives off melancholic vibes, which really made me feel sadder about its ending.

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My personal rating for this anime is 8.9/10. It has entertaining fighting scenes that I really enjoyed much, and personally, I think its animation was on par with the fluidity of the new animes. It's really amazing that this anime was made in the 90's, and I was quite baffled why it wasn't that famous, but I do have an inkling why. I think it's because of its sexual scenes, especially the rape depiction which was portrayed explicitly. I know that a lot of viewers were turned off because of these details, but yeah—it's from the 90s, and I think animes from that era were more bold in depicting those kinds of themes. Nevertheless, putting aside the ninjutsus, this movie was a pretty realistic and credible portrayal of the Japanese feudal era. So if you're up for an action anime with a great mc and awesome fighting scenes—then you've stumbled on a good one, for surely you'll enjoy Ninja Scroll.

Before I end this review, I gladly share with you its trailer, so—

Have you already watched this movie? Or is this your first time encountering it? Feel free to leave a comment if this movie piques your interest. That's all for now, minna-san! I hoped you enjoyed reading my review.