Jûbê ninpûchô
Tags: neo noir, cult, violence, flashback, good versus evil, psychedelic, tragedy, romantic

Plot synopsis:
In Edo period-Japan, the Yamashiro clan mines gold in secret, and sends a shipment to the Toyotomi Shogun of the Dark as payment for his protection. The Shogun of the Dark intends to use the gold to buy advanced Spanish weaponry and overthrow the current government, the Tokugawa Shogunate. The ship runs aground onto Mochizuki territory in a storm, and the Eight Devils of Kimon, a ninja team with supernatural powers in the employ of the Yamashiro, kill the people of the nearby village of Shimoda to keep the gold shipment a secret.
While investigating the deaths, a Mochizuki Koga ninja team is massacred by the Devils. The sole survivor, Kagero, is captured by a Devil, Tessai, who molests her. She is rescued by Jubei Kibagami, a mercenary ex-Yamashiro ninja, who fights and eventually kills Tessai. Dakuan, a Tokugawa spy, blackmails Jubei into helping him kill the remaining Devils. To ensure his compliance, Dakuan stabs Jubei with a poisoned shuriken, and promises to give him an antidote once the mission is complete. Jubei learns from Dakuan that the leader of the Devils is Genma Himuro, the former Yamashiro ninja leader, who had ordered his team’s members to kill each other to cover up the location of the goldmine five years earlier. Jubei, who had been forced to kill his comrades to survive, decapitated Genma in revenge; Genma survived due to his immortality. Jubei is attacked by another Devil, Benisato, but he is saved by Kagero; before she can be questioned, Benisato is killed from afar by Yumimaru, Genma’s right-hand man, for failing her mission. Kagero agrees to work alongside Jubei and Dakuan, who informs Jubei that her body is infused with such deadly toxins that anyone who kisses or sleeps with her dies, which was why Jubei could kill Tessai.
The trio arrive in Shimoda, where they discover that the villagers died due to their water supply being poisoned, making it appear that they were killed by a plague. Jubei and Kagero fend attacks from three of the Devils – Mushizo, Zakuro and Mujuro Utsutsu; Jubei succeeds in killing Mushizo and Utsutsu. After finding the beached ship, Kagero deduces that the gold has been taken to Kashima Harbour, where it will be transported to the Shogun of the Dark in another ship.
Jubei, Kagero and Dakuan arrive at Kashima, which has been evacuated due to the townspeople’s fear of the plague. While Jubei battles another Devil, Shijima, Kagero sends a message to Hyobu Sakaki, the Mochizuki chamberlain, to bring his army to the harbour. She also learns from Dakuan that Jubei’s poisoning will only be cured if he copulates with her – the poisons in her body will counteract his. Kagero is captured by Shijima, and Jubei kills him, rescuing her once more. Kagero asks Jubei to sleep with her to cure himself. He considers doing so, but upon the arrival of the Shogun of the Dark's envoy in a ship, he leaves to prevent the gold reaching its destination.
Kagero arrives to meet Sakaki, but he stabs her, revealing himself to be Genma in disguise. Enraged, Jubei fights through waves of ninjas, but is nearly killed by Yumimaru. A gunpowder-rigged rat, left as a trap by Zakuro for Yumimaru for rejecting her advances, kills him, allowing Jubei to escape. He finds Kagero; mortally wounded, she admits her love for him and they kiss, curing Jubei’s poisoning. Before dying, Kagero gives Jubei her headband.
Jubei and Dakuan board the departing ship. On-board, Genma reveals his true intentions to the Shogun of the Dark’s envoy (who he kills) – he intends to use the gold to raise a ninja army to terrorize Japan, rather than serve as an ally to the Toyotomi. During an altercation with Zakuro, Jubei and Dakuan set the ship ablaze. As Jubei and Genma engage in a brutal fight, the gold becomes molten and engulfs Genma, who sinks to the bottom of the sea. Afterwards, Dakuan thanks Jubei, and expresses admiration for his and Kagero’s humanity. Deducing Dakuan’s intentions to kill him, the disgusted Jubei resumes his vagabond lifestyle, with Kagero’s headband tied around his sword’s hilt.

Review: 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.
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.
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.
Ninja Scroll is an Anime Classic which is usually mentioned in the same sentence as Vampire Hunter D or Fist of the North Star.
However, I believe that as a movie, Ninja Scroll has a wider appeal.The visuals are top-notch, and the action is fast and clean.
Ninja Scroll is a personal favorite of mine and I find many amazing aspects to this animated film.The story, ninja action and characters are amazing.
By movie's end, you are sure to have felt many emotions as you watched Jubei's tale unfold.Anyone who wants to write this off as low-class entertainment aimed at a skewed demographic must not have actually bothered to watch the film.
The story is pure brilliance, the animation is spectacular, and there are elements of superb well-crafted love-plot, action, and any other element a great story needs.
Ninja Scroll is one of the better action movies i have seen from Japan, and explosive anime action, that in times is daring, sexy and passionately beautiful, as it shows Japan in carnage.
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 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..
It is just the imagination of some men somewhere and they thought it was good enough to put on the screen and make money.To all of the people trying to disseminate the movie and peel out meaning, "What are you trying to prove?"  There is blood, gore, some scenes not suitable for children and even some small-minded adults, and bad language, in general.
To all the people who want to sit down and see a well-executed anime movie with a plot with few holes and scenes that are unbelievable few and far between (even in the fantasy animation realm) while not have to think while watching - this is it.
All you have to do is enjoy.So if you haven't seen the movie and would like not a mind trip like Donnie Darko or 12 Monkeys, or not to have a moment that all is right for the character even though he went though garbage in the beginning like A Beautiful Mind or The Shawshank Redemption, or not to have a good cry like The Green Mile or Braveheart or not even to have to interpret your own meaning of what's really going on like Akira or Princess Mononoke, then just sit back and see how animation and that feeling that makes you wonder 'how did they think to put that in the movie' collides then watch Ninja Scroll.
If you go into it with an open mind then you will see why the action fans believe it one of the greatest anime movies ever made..
Ninja Scroll is memorable in that, for its intended audience, it's got a lot of very well animated violent sequences, some rough but sharply defined characterizations, and a journey/story that is not too hard to figure out.
Like my favorite 'cult' anime film, Fist of the North Star, Ninja Scroll has a story that needs a little paying attention to, but not by a lot.
After 5 years i saw more mangas and now i still think ninja scrolls is one of the top 5 mangas of all time.It's bloody action non stop the battles within the characters are the most spectacular i ever saw and believe me i saw many.I think it's the first movie a non manga fan should watch ,a manga fan has already seen it of course as it is considerated as a classic.It is not recommended for persons who don't like violence as some scenes are pretty gore bloody, but someone who likes blood it's an absolute must see here !!!
Anyone that knows me will tell you that watching Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is like being with a little kid about to jump into a pool "Watch this, watch this, watch this, you're not looking!" Naturally I would eventually find Kawajiri's most respected work in time, Ninja Scroll.The animation is fantastic, even by today's standards.
If you keep in mind that everything was hand-drawn (including the endless number of killer bees and snakes), anyone will be most impressed.The plot is that a ninja for hire named Jubei is forced into doing a mission for a secret government spy after taking down one of the members of the Shogun Of The Dark, which happens to be led by his old enemy, Genma Himuro.The story is a mindless action/fantasy film but obviously still enjoyable.
It has a few scenes that aren't for the squeamish (the most well known is the rape scene) but if you've seen Wicked City, that film has more sexual content.Overall this is an anime that is obviously well worth a buy, if you know what you're in for but personally, I prefer Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust..
Ninja Scroll features a wicked cast of characters, extraordinary fight scenes and stunning animation from Yoshiaki Kawajiri and Madhouse Studios!
Ninja Scroll with it's sweet top of the line animation is truly a joy to watch every time.
Easily one of my top 10 favorite animes of all time.Ninja Scroll (1993) Review: 9/10.
The dialogue, which you initially think is too simple and silly, becomes richer and more hilarious the more you watch and listen.I haven't seen a lot of manga but I believe this film is a perfect introduction for a Western viewer in broaching the genre.
Wouldn't dream of it) are very well animated, and have that certain 'magic' to it.A love story somehow gets into the movie, and it's actually fairly well done, and not something that the producer just threw in for the sake of having romance.
Sure, sometimes it seems like their bodies were a geyser, or something, but it wasn't TOO extreme, compared to some other things I've seen.All in all, I'd recommend you see this movie, it's more of a Jackie Chan flick than a Matrix epic, but they're both good, so why not see some nice and fun action?
Leaving that crappy end of the year party was one of the best decisions I've made in my entire life.The story of Ninja Scroll focuses mainly around Jubei.
I was amazed how Manga animation took the term one step ahead of anything ever done in the past.Jûbei ninpôchô or Ninja Scroll is by far the best animated feature i've ever seen.
The incredible attention to detail and beautiful imagery in this movie are something truely profound.The story is very clever and the more times you watch it, the more details you discover, which makes the movie more enjoyable every time because you can enjoy the fighting scenes without having to think about the story-line all the time.I really recommend this film to everyone because it brings to life another era, another world which will leave you stunned, i guarantee it.After watching animation for 4-5 years, i have come to the conclusion ...
For awhile, I almost gave up on anime because a lot of it sucked(I don't care for the violent sex and super-intense gore that pervades through many of these movies).But I happened to come across Ninja Scroll.This movie is excellent.
So don't think of it as a great story, it's about character, situation and action.Animation is one of the best there is, though with the use of some flashing lights in backgrounds, (when in action shots,) looks a little cheap.
From my young teen day's I was a big Anime fan, but now only a few of these film really excite me, one of them would be Ninja Scroll.
I'd like to start off by saying that I am not a fan of anime, I actually only watched this movie because a friend recommended it to me and I remember it being really popular with computer geeks when I was in high school.
Just doesn't look right to me and doesn't strike me as very high quality entertainment or even very skilled animation.Ninja Scroll, however, while there are definitely plenty of examples of that, has a lot to offer beyond just an animated action/violence cartoon.
There is some serious violence here, but I think that a lot of the novelty is not just to see killing and blood but to marvel at the extent of what can be accomplished in an animated movie that can't be done in a live action film.
Luckily however this was one of the best, narrowly beaten Akira, I throughly enjoyed the excellent animation, the smoothness of the characters and the great story.
Even the big-name anime's will only get five cover boxes at the most, which all lie in the shadow of hundreds upon hundreds of NEMOS.NINJA SCROLL is very good, and you know, Sitney probably remembers our little visit and parts of the movie.
The good thing about Ninja Scroll, is that beside of it's wonderful plot, it makes you feel as though the film is real and you can identify with the characters' feelings.
I recommend to see this movie even to people who don't usually watch animated films..
Set in the times of feudal Japan, where samurai and ninjas battled to the death, this finely animated movie has everything you need to make an exciting story to watch.
If you like blood and gore in a movie with an excellent story line then Ninja Scroll is the movie of you!!!!.
I watched it on DVD with both English and Japaneese voice-actors, and the English dubbing was fit to the movie (compared to other anime I've seen).
The perfect plot and the fascinating characters make this the most thrilling animated ninja film of all times.
Great animated movie, cool action scenes.
First of all, I have only been watching a couple of anime movies before, among Ghost in shell and Akira.
Let your prejudices away and you will enjoy it as I eventually did.Anyway, this movie was both well animated and contained excited and bloody action scenes which made my expectation more than a dream.
sure, i loved the movie; stunning animation, great story and plot, but i think the best recommendation i can give for this movie is to tell you to look at the other comments.
If you are a fan of animated movies then you have to see this one, it has to be one of the all time classics..
In many instances - like the fireflies' ravine scene or the night battle in the beginning of the movie - the film is technically superb, far superseding anything that Disney or the Dreamworks ever came up with (or can be expected to come up with, considering their gravitation towards an 8-year old audience).
This movie is a must for anime fans as well as for those who want to be introduced to this genre - I'd highly recommend Ninja Scroll over Sailor Moon, if you know what I mean..
"Ninja Scroll" is an action/anime made in 1993 by Yoshiyaki Kawajiri.
Like the other three anime movies I mentioned, this film was also English dubbed, but not subbed in Norwegian.
Perhaps the best pure action anime film there is.
Yoshiaki Kawajiri's Ninja Scroll (1993) is a stunning, animated fantasy adventure, set during the feudal period of Japanese history, and focusing on a renegade assassin forced to take on a clan of mystical samurai warriors with supernatural, or indeed, superhuman abilities.
The world of Ninja Scroll could be seen as a direct continuation of the worlds of Wicked City and Hell City Shinjuku, with monsters and demons invading a seemingly naturalistic environment and subverting it, whilst simultaneously offering us a film rich in character, action and convincing period detail.The story is full of texture and information, while still managing to find room to pander to the genre's prevalent notions of sexual violence and gore; as limbs are hacked off in jet-streams of blood and characters engage in brilliantly rendered scenes of balletic swordplay, magic-tricks and martial arts.
Ninja Scroll is without a doubt one of the best anime's i've seen.
It's a good movie and that is true, its damn true!Watch it if you like anime, and you are older than 14..
From all the hype and good reviews I have heard various friends of mine tell me about Ninja Scroll, I was expecting something very astonishing along the lines of Akira or Laputa, but what I recieved was a blood bath, that some how had a love story weaved into it, and at least two other very altering scenes.
I thougth Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had much better fights, so add this to great story, likeable characters and beautiful panoramas, there is no way I could possibly enjoy Ninja Scroll..
I'm totally fascinated about how the works of effects, and how they choose to tell the story during the action scenes, such as ninjas fighting.
It's for sure one of the best ninja animes out there that I've seen this far in my life.
But Ninja Scroll is a prime example of such film - you'll want to see it again & again & again, and then maybe a couple of times more.
this was one of the first anime movies i'd seen, maybe the first, so of course not knowing any better, i thought this was as good as they came.
they are all truly works of art, and are generally underappreciated by the public, largely in part to movies like ninja scroll.
ninja scroll is very entertaining, and the animation is very very good, its just not what im looking for anymore.
There are few animated movies that put it all together.Ninja Scroll intertwines a very compelling high action, violent story (which includes love), with absolutely magnificently detailed visual pictures.
If you have never seen anime or have no interest, I will bet you will enjoy this!Yoshiaki Kawajiri has many many great movies and they all have the same high quality art that Ninja Scroll is comprised of.Psychedelics go very well with this movie!
The movie is, really, just a series of fantastic fight scenes, but I kept coming back to the confusing plot.But there is only one reason why anybody watches "Ninja Scroll", and I'm aware it's not the plot.
"Ninja Scroll" is one of few animations I've seen that is sickening in its violence.
Some good action scenes, well animated with reasonable amount of intrigue.
Ninja Scroll is one of my favourite all time anime.
Best Anime film I've seen yet!.
Although I didn't really like Anime movies at first, I got the taste because of movies like Ninja Scroll.
While not considered one that raises consciencous "issues" like Akira, Ghost in the Shell, or Grave of the Fireflies, Ninja Scroll is absolutely guaranteed to entertain.This anime involves some of the best and bloodiest battle scenes ever seen, and the eight devils of Kumon are among the most memorable villains known to anime.
Ive seen a few Manga movies, and have found them visually stunning but lacking in character and plot development, this however cant be said about Ninja Scrolls, what a movie, I had intially seen this on TV late one night with a PG rating, I was surprised as I saw that the movie was highly unsuitable for kids under 18, that aside I was most impressed despite the violence level showing a story worth sharing and raving about, its basically about a young man called Jubei who finds himself intangled in a civil war of sorts, where he mets a variety of Good and not so Good(evil) characters, heaps of fast paced action scenes, a bit of romance, betrayal and of course MDK (Murder Death Kill) this is an above average, Good vs Evil type of story, a movie that can follow to its conclusion it made me laugh and cry, you wont regret watching it if you happen upon a copy..
if i had seen akira first (despite the fact that it is a good movie) i think i would have been like many of the people who don't like anime.
But instead, here, it is a casual thing, without any explanations, just to get the plot together.Maybe, It's because of the movie's explicit sex scenes and blood, that others rate it so high, but I just can't find it satisfying enough.I really got disappointed from Ninja Scroll, because I had high expectations about it ( as I explained above ).
It has good action, sex, characters, and story.
If I suggested someone to watch an anime, Ninja Scroll would be on the bottom of the list..
Fans of this film often declare Ninja Scroll to be one of the best anime films of all time.
I'll tell you why = all the comments are from people who like action films regardless of plot or animation quality.