Ninja Scroll
| Ninja Scroll | |
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Japanese theatrical poster of Ninja Scroll
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| Directed by | Yoshiaki Kawajiri |
| Produced by | Kazuhiko Ikeguchi Masako Fukuyo Shigeru Kitayama |
| Written by | Yoshiaki Kawajiri |
| Starring |
Kōichi Yamadera Emi Shinohara Takeshi Aono Daisuke Gōri Toshihiko Seki Shūichirō Moriyama |
| Music by | Kaoru Wada |
| Cinematography | Hitoshi Yamaguchi |
| Edited by | Yukiko Itō Harutoshi Ogata |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Tokyo Theatres |
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Release date
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Running time
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94 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Jubei Ninpucho Ninja Scroll | |
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| Soundtrack album by Kaoru Wada, Ryouhei Yamanashi | |
| Released | 2000 |
| Label | ADV Films (North America) |
Ninja Scroll (獣兵衛忍風帖 Jūbē Ninpūchō?) is a 1993 Japanese animated chanbara film written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri and starring the voices of Kōichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono, Daisuke Gōri, Toshihiko Seki and Shūichirō Moriyama. The film was theatrically released on June 5, 1993, and received a Western release in 1995.
Ninja Scroll is set in feudal Japan. Five years before the start of the film, the Yamashiro clan's chief retainers (vassal lords) dig gold out of a secret mine behind their lord's back. The lord of the Yamashiro clan wants to have the gold for himself, but his forces are not strong enough, so he cannot act alone. He also cannot go to the government first, because they would take the gold if they knew about the mine. He orders his ninja team, led by Genma Himuro, to kill the chief retainers, claiming he would then report the mine to the government. Jubei Kibagami and Shinkuro are members of this ninja team. After the chief retainers are murdered, the Yamashiro lord does not report the mine to the government. Later, Genma orders Shinkuro and the other ninjas to kill each other, thus eliminating everyone who knew about the mine. Reluctantly, Jubei kills Shinkuro his friend in self-defense, while the other team members lie dead. While Genma is riding along a pass, Jubei springs from the snow and cuts off his head to avenge Shinkuro and the others. Jubei then becomes a wandering swordsman-for-hire.
Sometime later, Genma is inexplicably able to reincarnate himself, and over the next five years, becomes leader of a demon ninja group known as the Devils of Kimon, who in turn work for the mysterious Shogun of the Dark (really the lord of the House of Toyotomi), which holds a grudge against the current government, the Tokugawa shogunate, and wants to overthrow it. Genma tells the Shogun of the Dark the location of the secret mine. Meanwhile, Tokugawa government spies are trying to determine where the mine is. The Shogun of the Dark sends the Devils of Kimon to protect the Yamashiro clan from the government spies and government intervention in return for gold from the mine. The Yamashiro clan sends a large shipment of gold to the Shogun of the Dark, but the ship is wrecked in a storm on the coast near the village of Shimoda, in Mochizuki clan territory. Genma and the Devils of Kimon are sent to recover the gold. They wipe out Shimoda village by poisoning the wells to get rid of any witnesses. They make it look as if a plague has killed the villagers. The next night, a team of Mochizuki Koga ninja is sent to investigate the plague in Shimoda village, but on their way they are slaughtered. The only survivor is Kagero, who is captured and is sexually assaulted by a huge stone demon called Tessai. Before Tessai can rape her, however, she is rescued by Jubei, who blinds him in one eye. Kagero continues her mission, while Tessai vengefully pursues Jubei. Tessai ambushes Jubei but Jubei manages to kill him. It is later revealed that this was possible because Tessai had been poisoned earlier when he kissed Kagero during his assault upon her.
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Wikipedia