'90s Fun?: Ninja Scroll (1993)

 A Film that I remember being crazy and bloody when I was younger.
As an older man, am I a fan of this still?

This is Ninja Scroll, the 1993 Anime Film that inspired many, many people.

The Plot involves a crazy conspiracy involving multiple ninjas and some gold.  Meanwhile, a stoic jerk named Jubei is dragged into things.

As luck would have it, the whole thing ties into a person from his past and he's a badass Samurai.

Can he work with a lady Ninja and a creepy Master to save the day?
Does this one hold up?

To find out, read on...

A mysterious man- Jubei- is attacked by two strangers on a bridge.

He takes them both out, but the 2nd man was apparently in a wooden body suit.

The tiny man's attempt to shoot Jubei fails and we never see the tiny man again.

A bunch of ninjas are sent into the Woods to look for bad guys, only to be killed by two powerful Ninja.

The main one is a giant, rock man with Thanos' double blade from Endgame and chops up so many people that it rains blood.

He kills the lead guy and captures the lead lady.

He does bad stuff to her (which is plot relevant TBF) before Jubei shows up to help her escape.

I don't think that I need to blur this, right?

Jubei doesn't agree to help her and they go their separate ways.

The stone guy attacks Jubei this time and Jubei kills him as he's affected by a strange malady.

He chops off the guy's fingers and his own blade hoists him Friday the 13th: Part IV style.

She poisoned him earlier when he, well, you know.

Jubei is greeted by Cliche Creepy Old Master Guy, but still refuses the Call to Action.

He's attacked at an Onsen by a lady who can animate her tattoos.
This (and the stone guy) clearly inspired Elektra.

The key thing is that he's poisoned by the lady and must work with the Master.

He joins forces with the Ninja who knows that something big is going to happen.

Jubei hears the name 'Gemma' and flashes back to when he killed the guy for being a corrupt a-hole.

On the way to where a bunch of gold is coming in, they keep getting attacked by different Ninjas with different powers.

That's Act 2 for you, complete with a blind swordsman (not Zatoichi), a shadow guy and this guy who is apparently a Human Wasp's Nest!

Please don't think about this too hard.

The trio prepare a plan to stop the theft of the gold, but it falls apart when the bad guy appears in disguise.

It's Gemma!
He's...just the guy from Fist of the North Star then?

The Ninja lady dies- ending her Arc of nearly dying to save Jubei multiple times- and the Master takes out the last remaining henchman.

Jubei fights Gemma and learns that he has the power of immortality!
He'll just keep coming back.

So, Jubei just cuts him and lets the melting gold on the ship coat him until he sinks to the bottom.
Off to the Sequel (which is incomplete).

The End.

It's a bloody good love letter to the best (and worst) of 1990s Anime and Animation in general.

This Movie still looks pretty amazing, even on a DVD from 1998.  Every frame was made specially (or so they say) so there is no repeat animation or filler.

The Film is very dynamic and it is easy to see why the Action inspired people like The Wachowskis (to the point where this Director worked on The Animatrix).

Plot is somewhat of a different Story as it is a pretty loose collection of melodrama, action and convenience.  It's not terrible, but most Reviews talk/talked about the Action and Style.

It is absolutely not for everyone with all of the blood, severed limbs and all of what happens to the lead Ninja lady.

Ultimately, older me can appreciate all of the work and style put into the insanity.  That said, the main Villain is kind of...odd.

Next time, I jump to my Digital Library to talk about an OOP TV Movie.  It has everyone's favorite Monsters, but also nobody ever seems to remember it except for me.  Stay tuned...