Tokimoto Sengoku History: Black Lion - Jinnai Chapter - In-depth review and recommended points

"Tokimoto Sengoku History: Black Lion Jinnai Chapter" - Nagai Go's sci-fi Sengoku action revived as an OVA

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

November 21, 1992

■Release and sales

Nippon Columbia

■Frequencies

45 min

■Original Story

・Original work: Go Nagai

■ Director

・Director, production/Takashi Watanabe

■ Production

・Animation production: Minamimachibugyosho, Tokyo Kids ・Planning and production: Dynamic Planning and production: Nippon Columbia

■ Story

Osaka in the 8th year of Tensho. The Iga ninja army, attacked by Nobunaga's forces, continued to resist bravely. However, they were gradually at a disadvantage due to the superhuman fighting power and immortal body of the demon Douma Jinnai, also known as the "Ninja Killer". Iga ninja Tenno Shishimaru challenges Jinnai in an attempt to get revenge, but is easily defeated. The Nobunaga forces, boasting overwhelming strength, actually possessed an out-of-place artifact that should not have existed in the Sengoku period...

■Explanation

Manga artist Nagai Go's sci-fi warring states action manga "Black Lion" has been made into an OVA. It is planned and produced by Dynamic Planning. Nagai Go is a master of many masterpieces such as "Devilman" and "Mazinger Z", and his unique world view and storytelling have captivated many fans. "Black Lion" is also a novel work that combines sci-fi elements with the historical background of the Warring States period, and its appeal has been further expanded by being made into an OVA.

■Cast

・Shishimaru/Yasunori Matsumoto ・Oyu/Yuri Amano ・Jinnai/Yusaku Yara

■ Main staff

・Production Producer / Yamazaki Osamu・General Supervision / Yamazaki Osamu・Screenplay / Hayasaka Ritsuko・Takagi Yasuomi・Director, Director / Watanabe Takashi・Supervision / Yamazaki Osamu・Original Story / Nagai Go・Character Design / Motohashi Hideyuki・Mecha Design / Ohata Koichi・Animation Director / Motohashi Hideyuki・Art Director / Sunagawa Chisato・Sound Director / Matsuura Noriyoshi・Background Music / Anzai Fumitaka・Music Production / Nippon Columbia・Animation Production / Minamimachibugyosho, Tokyo Kids・Planning, Production / DynamicPlanning and Production / Nippon Columbia

■ Main Characters

Tenno Shishimaru is an Iga ninja born in the age of warring states with the divine mission of defeating the Demon King, Oda Nobunaga.

■Detailed story and character analysis

"Tokigen Sengokushi: Kuro no Shishi Jinnai Hen" is set in Osaka in the 8th year of Tensho and depicts the battle between the Iga Ninja Army and Nobunaga's forces. Of particular note is the presence of the demon Douma Jinnai. He is a powerful enemy nicknamed "Ninja Killer", and his fighting power and immortal body cause great suffering to the Iga Ninja Army. The protagonist, Tenno Shishimaru, experiences the hardship of challenging Jinnai only to be killed in return. However, his determination and courage are at the heart of the story and leave a strong impression on the viewer.

Yasunori Matsumoto's voice as Shishimaru perfectly expresses the strength and passion of the character, while Yuri Amano's voice as Oyuu also stands out as an important character supporting Shishimaru. Yusaku Yara's voice as Jinnai is realistic in his portrayal of a ruthless villain, successfully making the audience feel fear.

■ Production background and roles of staff

This OVA was planned and produced by Dynamic Kikaku, based on the original work by Nagai Go. Watanabe Takashi, who directed and produced the work, faithfully reproduced the worldview of the original work while succeeding in drawing out new charms through visual expression. Motohashi Hideyuki, who was in charge of character design and animation direction, provided visuals that highlighted the individuality of the characters, creating a strong visual impact. Ohata Koichi, who designed the mecha, also emphasized the science fiction elements by realistically depicting out-of-place artifacts that should not have existed in the Warring States period.

Sound director Noriyoshi Matsuura brought out the best in the voice actors and expressed the characters' emotions in a rich way. Fumitaka Anzai, who was in charge of the background music, provided music that combined the tension of the Warring States period with the mysticism of science fiction to enhance the atmosphere of the story. The music production by Nippon Columbia also played an important role in improving the quality of the entire work.

■Evaluation of visual and auditory elements

The visual elements of "Tokigen Sengokushi: Black Lion - Jinnai Hen" are characterized by a fusion of realistic depictions of the Sengoku period and science fiction elements. In particular, Jinnai's battle scenes are visually very appealing, with impressive speed and power of movement. The character designs are also unique, and the bravery of Shishimaru and the kindness of Oyuu are conveyed through the visuals.

In terms of auditory elements, the background music and the voice acting add to the excitement of the story. Anzai Fumitaka's music skillfully conveys the tension of the Warring States period and the mystique of science fiction, evoking emotions in the viewer. The voice acting is also excellent, especially Matsumoto Yasunori's performance as Shishimaru, which strongly conveys the character's passion and determination.

■ Theme and message of the work

"Tokigen Sengokushi: Black Lion - Jinnai Hen" fuses the history of the Sengoku period with science fiction elements to explore the transcendence of time and space. The protagonist, Shishimaru, has a divine mission to defeat the demon king, Oda Nobunaga, and fights to fulfill that mission. Throughout the story, it depicts how powerful individual determination and courage can be. Jinnai's presence also symbolizes the fear of a powerful enemy and the courage to overcome it.

The message of the work is the importance of facing difficulties and the strength of bonds with friends. The relationship between Shishimaru and Oyuu shows the importance of supporting each other even in battle, and leaves viewers deeply moved.

■ Viewer recommendations and related works

"Tokimoto Sengokushi: Black Lion - Jinnai Hen" is highly recommended for viewers who want to enjoy a unique worldview that combines the Sengoku period with science fiction. It is a work that can be enjoyed not only by fans of Go Nagai's original work, but also by those who like history and science fiction. In addition, the story is condensed in the OVA format, which is also appealing in that it allows you to feel deep emotions in a short amount of time.

Other related works by Nagai Go, such as Devilman and Mazinger Z, are also recommended. These works also have unique worldviews and strong characters, and fans of Black Lion will surely enjoy them. Also, Sengoku BASARA and Samurai Warriors are interesting anime set in the Warring States period. These works also offer a fusion of history and fiction that can be enjoyed.

Conclusion

"Tokimoto Sengokushi: Black Lion Jinnai-hen" is a sci-fi warring states action OVA based on Nagai Go's original work, with visual and audio elements of extremely high quality. The story, which depicts the courage and determination of the main character Shishimaru, as well as the bond with his friends, deeply moves viewers. This is a work that is highly recommended for those who want to enjoy the unique worldview that combines the warring states period and science fiction.