Still great, 30 years later

Key Takeaways

• The film Ninja Scroll celebrated its 30th anniversary with a limited theatrical run, showing its enduring power.
• An ero-guro action show that combines eroticism and comedy, providing an unforgettable and daring viewing experience.
• While Ninja Scroll's narrative may be thin, its exciting action sequences, artwork, and unique characters have helped it achieve cult status.

Few animation studios have as much history or respect as Madhouse, and of the many famous creative directors, few are as famous – both for their ideas and influence – as Yoshiaki Kawajiri. More recently, Kawajiri's Ninja Scrolls celebrated its (late) 30th anniversary with a short run in North America, and all these years later, it's still an expertly designed tour to get your blood pumping.

For three nights only, starting September 11, Iconic Events is bringing the film to theaters as part of Anime Expo Cinema Nights, which includes exclusive pre-screening interviews with the director. Released in Japan in 1993, Ninja Scrolls considered one of Kawajiri's best; an action show that circulated during the anime boom of the 90s after its western release.

You'll find out why it's a Cult Classic

Viewers with photosensitivity beware, this movie has lots of bright lights. Even the trailer posted below has a lot of strobe effects.

Ninja Scrolls is the perfect storm of a film that is a love letter to the director's influence, and has become a very important work. Connect with those who love it Ghost in the Shell as animation helped inspire creators like the Wachowskis to create The Matrix. For everyone else, it's something that really likes the taste and remains for the fans, especially for the younger viewers, who are strangers to this movie for showing action and ultraviolence.

The story of the Ninja Scroll

The film follows Jubei Kibagami, a wanderer who wanders Japan as a swordsman for hire until a chance encounter sends him on a mission with the end of the country. Although he has no patience for politics, he is given little choice but to help the remnants of a Ninja family when he investigates why a plague has killed a village. Along the way, he must fight the Devil Kimon to stop his plan to overthrow the government.

Structurally, there is something very video game about its narrative, which adds a lot to its appeal. The film is a journey whose journey consists of a series of creatively created epic battles, where each Devil has his own beauty, skill and/or power at his disposal. In contrast, Jubei – aside from his excellent swordsmanship – is seen as “normal” by comparison. It gives him the air of an underdog and makes his victory more certain.

Ero-Guro Action Spectacle

After the opening sequence and the audience's introduction to Jubei, the film sets up its plot through a horror film. A group of ninjas whose training is obvious to the naked eye are killed by a power unlike anything they have; a man whose skin is as hard as stone. The sole survivor of the surprise ambush, Kagero, watched in horror as his clan leader was dismembered.

“Ero-guro” is a genre that defines the meeting of eroticism and humor, which cannot capture better. Ninja Scrollsthe vibe. It is rightly called pornography, but the term applies to war consciousness as much as to sexual content in general. Motion and excitement become inevitable in the supernatural and the occult, creating a bold and unforgettable viewing experience. You will never forget the first time you saw this movie.

A Simple Story, But Thoughtful Execution

There is a simplicity to it all, but at the best of times it doesn't feel simple. The execution is very skillful, and the art is too beautiful, it can not be considered as such. His story is thin in every way, but the way he tells it gives the film a good feel. The action is exciting, but also very patient; there is an emphasis on building anticipation before the sparks fly. A very good example is the fight between Jubei and Tessai.

An ordinary-looking swordsman – hardly different from the countless men the audience has seen killed – contrasted with a monster with a body made of stone. It's fast-paced that allows the tension to build organically, making the gruesome payoff all the more satisfying. Ninja Scrolls always has a new trick to show the audience, and rarely strays far from the most graphic.

Spectacle Can't Solve Everything

The pace is fast, the characters are impressive and memorable, and the action is relentlessly violent in the best possible way. These qualities elevated this film to its cult status, even with that bonus, whoever watched it. Ninja Scrolls may fit a few things. First of all, every time there is an exposition, the film is almost impossible to keep up with.

It's true that the background story of the film's location is interesting, but everything that was done with it is not very clear. Such things might have hurt the final confrontation, but it was saved by the presentation, which was no small feat. “Aesthetic” is not the absence of narrative; that's it READY history, and Ninja ScrollsThe climax is very clever despite the lack of story. What hurts the more overt narrative overall is the sexism that runs throughout.

Second, the Kagero Problem

The plot is easily forgivable in a film that focuses on its characters, their journeys and their relationships. Unfortunately, even then, Kagero's image is tainted by its weakness. Despite his powerful introduction, he never gets a chance to do anything cool. He never kills the bad guys, except for the first one, Tessai, and even then, there is a chest, and a big one. Kagero's body poisons anyone who sleeps with him.

Tessai died because he sexually assaulted Kagero before fighting Jubei. However, his poison was recorded as helping, as Jubei ended up causing Tessai to fall with his sword, reducing his participation. Meanwhile, the entire arc is about the shame of having a toxic body. His arc could be charitably interpreted as Kagero learning to see himself as something more than an object because of Jubei's treatment of him as a person, but that's giving too much credit.

He doesn't have much choice to make this message feel serious. Plus, even though Kagero wasn't sexually violent (Twice, I might add), it wasn't like his relationship with Jubei was that interesting to begin with. It's only a big problem because of how important it is to the story, and so it's frustrating that a movie with so much mythological action couldn't be bothered to give one of the main characters more.

There are better movies than

Ninja Scrolls

but at the same time, there is nothing like it, and with such inspired works and direction, that makes all the difference.

When I went to the theater to see this again, I was prepared for things not to age well for a 31-year-old (legal) movie. The biggest disappointment, therefore, was to realize how bad these characters were throughout the film. The title doesn't lie – this is still a great action movie. It wasn't as good as I remembered, and that made it hard to appreciate what he was doing. But make no mistake: it is impossible.

There are better movies than Ninja Scrollsbut at the same time, there is nothing like it, and with such inspired works and direction, that makes all the difference. As long as he doesn't pretend that his problems don't exist, there's nothing wrong with celebrating what works for him.

Ninja Scrolls will be available on Limited Edition SteelBook Blu-ray on October 22 courtesy of Sentai Filmworks.