The appeal and reviews of "Jubei Ninja Scroll": A masterpiece anime that delves deeply into the world of ninjas

All-round evaluation and recommendation of Jubei Ninpuchou - Jubei Ninpuchou

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

others

■ Release date

June 5, 1993 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Tokyo Theatre

■ Eirin Number

113929

■Frequencies

92 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Yoshiaki Kawajiri

■ Director

Yoshiaki Kawajiri

■ Production

Produced by Animate Films, produced in cooperation with Madhouse, produced by Victor Company of Japan, Toho, and Movic

■ Story

Kibagami Jubei, a freelance ninja, accidentally saves Kagerou, a female ninja of the Koga group employed by the Mochizuki clan. She and her companions infiltrate Shimoda village to find out the cause of an epidemic, but are attacked by the mysterious ninja group, the Kimon Eight. All of her companions are killed, and she is the only one who survives. Having saved Kagerou, Jubei becomes the target of the Kimon Eight. During this time, he is caught in a trap set by the government spy, Doroan, and is forced to investigate the enemy's plot. In the process, Jubei comes face to face with his past grudges.

■Explanation

This is a period drama entertainment anime work written, scripted and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Released in 1993, this work combines ninja-themed action with deep human drama, and has been praised for its visual beauty and clever storytelling. Director Yoshiaki Kawajiri is known for the work, which fully embodies his vision, having worked on the original story, script and direction. In addition, with the cooperation of Animate Film and Madhouse, cutting-edge animation technology was used for the time, leaving a strong visual impact. Furthermore, it was a commercially successful work, co-produced by JVC, Toho and Movic.

■Cast

・Kibagami Jubei/Yamadera Kouichi/Kagerou/Shinohara Emi/Nagaro An/Aono Takeshi/Masked Samurai/Saka Osamu/Himuro Genma/Gori Daisuke/Dojin/Nagai Ichiro/Tessai/Otomo Ryuzaburo/Shijima/Omori Akitoku/Akari/Takashima Masara/Genyume Juro/Wakamoto Norio/Yurimaru/Seki Toshihiko/Pomegranate/Katsuki Masako/Mushizou/Nomoto Reizo/Hans/Mori Koji/Genpachi/Yara Yusaku/Shinkuro/Sugawara Junichi/Sakaki Hyobu/Moriyama Shuuichirou

■ Main staff

Director, original author, scriptwriter, original character designer: Yoshiaki Kawajiri; Character design, animation director: Yutaka Minowa; Art director: Hiromasa Ogura; Director of photography: Hitoshi Yamaguchi; Sound director: Yasunori Honda; Music: Kaoru Wada; Producers: Shigeru Kitayama, Masako Fukuyo, Kazuhiko Ikeguchi; Production producer: Masao Maruyama; Production cooperation: Madhouse; Production: Animate Film; Production: Victor Company of Japan, Toho, Movic

■ Main Characters

・Kibagami Jubei
The protagonist. A rogue ninja employed for money. He happens to pass by a female ninja called Kagerou of the Mochizuki clan, and is drawn into a battle with the Kimon-shu. His lightning-fast sword strokes turn into kamaitachi swords that slice through his enemies. He was once a member of the Yamashiro clan's ninja group. He is ordered by the clan lord to eliminate the corrupt ministers who are lining their pockets, but due to a scheme by the group's leader, Himuro Genma, he ends up killing his own comrades, and he beheads Genma and runs away. On the way, he is poisoned by the government spy Dokoan, and cooperates on the condition that he receives 100 ryo and an antidote to the poison. He then learns that the leader of the Kimon-shu he is fighting is Genma, and decides to fight them. He treats the female ninja Kagerou as a woman, and does not embrace her even when his own death is approaching. He is finally present as Kagerou dies, and heads to a decisive battle with Genma for himself and for her.
・Heat haze
A female ninja of the Koga clan who serves the Mochizuki clan. When the entire group is about to head to a village where an epidemic has wiped out everyone, she joins them. In normal times, she serves as a poison tester for the clan lord. She is immune to poison because the poison has soaked into everyone that it will kill anyone who embraces them. When Mushizo unleashes a swarm of bees, she stands in front of them and scatters flower petals mixed with a paralyzing drug into the air. Due to her unique constitution, she tends to waste her own life and reject others, which often leads to conflicts with Jubei. As soon as she finds out what the Kimonshu are up to, she uses a bird to send a letter to the clan's elder retainer asking for help, and it seems like she is just doing her job, but when she finds out that the only way Jubei can remove the poison that was put into his body is to have sex with her, she entrusts herself to Jubei, and we can see a change in her feelings behind the scenes. However, she is ambushed, confesses her true feelings in Jubei's arms, shares a final kiss, and dies while thanking Jubei. At the end, Jubei attaches Kagero's memento to his sword.
・Dakuan
An old man dressed as a monk and a government spy. He involves Jubei and Kagerou in his mission. He is cunning enough to investigate Jubei's past and Kagerou's abilities in advance, and get them to cooperate with his plans. He makes good use of his emaciated body, disguising himself as a tree branch and possessing the ability to stretch his arms like rubber. He can also jump from place to place using a retractable shakujo.
・Masked Warrior
He is one of the retainers who serve the Yami Kubo, a man who plots the revival of the Toyotomi clan. He is easily killed by Genma, who has hidden ambitions.
・Genma Himuro
He is the leader of the Kimon-shu and the head of the Kimon Hachinin. He plots various schemes in the Mochizuki clan. His martial arts, which combine power and speed from his muscular body, surpass Jubei's swordsmanship. He was once the leader of the Yamashiro clan's ninja group. He uses a plan to make his fellow ninja members kill each other, but Jubei, who survives, beheads him. However, he survives because he has mastered the immortal technique called the "reincarnation technique." Even when his right arm is cut off, he reattaches it on the spot, and even when his forehead is caved in and he dies, he quickly revives. In the end, he becomes one with the molten gold and sinks deep into the sea. The final scene is modeled after the T-1000 from Terminator 2.
・Doujin
Having previously been interrupted by Jubei, he leads his minions in an attack at the beginning of the story, but is easily defeated and the contraption doll he was inside is cut in half.
・Tessai
One of the Eight Demon Mon Guardians. He annihilated the Koga Clan of the Mochizuki Clan. He wields a giant tokko (dokko) like a boomerang, and his skin changes to that of a rock. When he touches Kagero while trying to rape her, the poison spreads. He becomes shaken when his body starts to fall apart during the fight with Jubei, and is hit in the head by his own tokko (dokko) that he threw just before, killing him. As he died, he left a mark of Jubei's face, so Kurisato targets Jubei's life.
One of the Shijima Kimon Eight. His left hand has been modified into a weapon called the "Demon Claw," and he can freely enter and exit the shadows. He also has the ability to control corpses like puppets. He tries to kill Jubei by controlling the heat haze, but is defeated by Jubei.
・Benisato
One of the Eight Demon Gates. The ultimate snake charmer who can control countless poisonous snakes. She also sheds her skin like a snake and escapes. She was a female Genba swordsman who could use two swords, but after failing to kill Jubei twice due to the jealousy of Yurimaru, she was secretly killed by a thread wrapped around her.
・Utsutsu Mujuro
One of the Eight Demon Gates. Although he is a blind swordsman, he is able to run freely in the bamboo forest he is lured into, and even overwhelms Jubei, who attacks him while listening to the sound of the bamboo being cut down. He even uses his blindness to his advantage, reflecting sunlight off his sword to blind his opponent. Just when he is one step away from killing Jubei, he is stopped by chance and is defeated by Jubei.
・Yurimaru
A handsome and gentle man who commands the Kimon Eight. He is in the arms of the ambidextrous Genma, and even rejected Sekirei's confession. This earned Sekirei a grudge. He generates electricity from his entire body, and wraps his opponents in sturdy steel wire, electrocuting them to death. He tries to kill Jubei, but is tricked by Sekirei's explosive device and dies in an explosion.
・Pomegranate
One of the Eight Demon Mon Guardians. A woman who can freely manipulate gunpowder. She has a scar under her right eye. She confessed her love to Yurimaru but was rejected, and holds a grudge against him. The explosive device is activated when a rat or human with a fire buried in their stomach goes to the gunpowder. She eventually drives Yurimaru to his death, but she herself is doused in oil and set on fire, causing an explosion.
・Mushizou
One of the Eight Demon Mon. A deformed man who can control hornets with ease. The lump on his back is a giant hornet's nest, and he attacks Jubei and his friends with a horde of hornets, but when he enters the water, the hornets in the nest have no way to escape and begin to tear through Mushizo's body, exploiting this gap and decapitating him.
・Hanza
He is the head of the Koga clan, which serves the Mochizuki clan. When the entire group was heading to a village where an epidemic had wiped out everyone, he tried to leave Kagerou behind, but she joined them of her own accord. He was quite worried about her. However, he was attacked by Tessai, who ripped off both of his arms. Later, his eyes and mouth were covered and he was used by a pomegranate to spark an explosive, scattering him to pieces.
・Genpachi
He is a member of the Koga clan who serves the Mochizuki clan. When the entire group heads out to a village where an epidemic has wiped out everyone, he is defeated by Yurimaru who attacks them.
・Shinkuro
He was a member of the Yamashiro clan's ninja group. Due to a plan by the group's leader, Himuro Genma, he and his comrades were forced to kill each other, and he attacked Jubei, not going against the rules, but was killed by Jubei.
・Hyoubu Sakaki
A senior retainer of the Mochizuki clan. He is killed and replaced by Himuro Genma.

■ Theme songs and music

・TM
"Everyone is listening to Ballad in the distance."
Lyrics by Sho Sanekawa Composition by Ryohei Yamanashi Arrangement by Hiroshi Shinkawa Vocals by Ryohei Yamanashi

■ Evaluation and recommendation

Jubei Ninja Scroll is a masterpiece released in 1993 by director Yoshiaki Kawajiri, and can be said to be a very innovative work in terms of the fusion of period drama and animation. The work is loved by many fans for its visual beauty and deep storytelling. Below, we will go into detail about the evaluation and recommendation of the work.

Story and Characters

The story of Jubei Ninja Chronicles begins when freelance ninja Kibagami Jubei meets a female ninja named Kagerou by chance and rescues her. Kagerou goes undercover to uncover the cause of an epidemic, but is attacked by the Kimon Eight and loses a companion. Jubei ends up fighting the Kimon Eight to rescue Kagerou, and is then tricked by the government spy Dokan, and is forced to uncover the enemy's plot. This story is not just action, but also depicts a deep human drama through Jubei's past connections and his relationship with Kagerou.

In particular, the relationship between Jubei and Kagerou is the core of the work, and the words and actions exchanged between them leave a strong impression on the viewer. Jubei continues to treat Kagerou as a woman, refusing to embrace her even as her death draws near. Meanwhile, Kagerou rejects other people due to her unique constitution, but decides to give herself to Jubei for his sake. The relationship between these two is depicted as a consistent theme throughout the work, and leaves a deep impression on the viewer.

The characters of the Eight Demonic Mon Guardians are also unique, each with different abilities that they use to the fullest in their battles with Jubei. In particular, Himuro Genma's immortality technique, Kureha's ability to control poisonous snakes, and Yurimaru's ability to generate electricity are important elements that add excitement to the story along with their visual impact. The portrayal of these characters leaves a strong impression on the viewer and enhances the appeal of the entire work.

Animation and visuals

The animation of Ninja Scroll was created using cutting-edge technology for its time, and is visually stunning. In particular, the fluidity of the battle scenes and the realism of the character movements are key elements that draw the viewer in. The detailed depictions of the backgrounds and art are also beautiful, firmly conveying the atmosphere of a period drama.

The character designs are also uniquely attractive thanks to the work of Yutaka Minowa, with Jubei's cold-hearted expression and Kagero's fleeting beauty leaving a strong impression on viewers. Furthermore, the unique designs of the Eight Demonic Monarchs also leave a strong visual impact. These visual elements are important in enhancing the appeal of the work as a whole and leaving a strong impression on viewers.

Music and Sound

The music for Jubei Ninja Scroll was composed by Kaoru Wada and plays an important role in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the music that heightens the tension in the battle scenes and the emotional melodies in the scenes depicting the relationship between Jubei and Kagero leave a strong impression on viewers. The theme song, "Everybody's Listening to the Ballad in the Distance," is also a beautiful song that symbolizes the theme of the work and resonates deeply with viewers.

The sound effects were also meticulously designed under the direction of Yasunori Honda, and the sound of sword fighting in the battle scenes and the sound effects of the special abilities of the Demon Eight increase the appeal of the work as well as the visual impact. These music and sound elements are important factors in increasing the appeal of the work as a whole and leaving a strong impression on the viewer.

Recommendation

Jubei Ninja Scroll is a highly innovative work that combines period drama and animation, and has been praised for its visual beauty and deep storytelling. In particular, the relationship between Jubei and Kagerou, the unique characters of the Eight Demon Mon Guardians, and the advanced animation technology are all important elements that make a strong impression on viewers. The music and sound elements also enhance the appeal of the work as a whole, resonating deeply with viewers.

This work is highly recommended not only to those who like period dramas and animation, but also to those who want to enjoy deep human drama. In particular, the relationship between Jubei and Kagerou, and the human drama depicted in the battle with the Kimon Eight, will leave a strong impression on viewers. In addition, the visual beauty and appeal of the music are also important elements that draw the viewers' hearts.

Furthermore, this work made use of cutting-edge animation technology for the time of its release in 1993, leaving a strong visual impact. In particular, the fluidity of the battle scenes and the realism of the character movements are important elements that draw the viewer in. These elements leave a strong impression on the viewer and enhance the appeal of the work as a whole.

For these reasons, Jubei Ninja Scroll is a work that can be highly recommended not only to those who like period dramas and animation, but also to those who want to enjoy deep human drama. This work has been praised for its visual beauty and deep storytelling, and is loved by many fans, so we hope you will give it a watch.