One of the best anime films I have seen yet. Manga does a fantastic job of bringing this film to the DVD format. A recommended buy for anime fans!
--George
Ninja Scroll: 10th Anniversary Special Edition
Directors: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Producers: Makoto Hasegawa, Masamichi Fujiwara, Yutaka Takahashi
Writers: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Features: CUSTOM MOTION / INTERACTIVE MENUS, ENGLISH AND JAPANESE LANGUAGE 6.1 DTS & DOLBY DIGITAL EX SURROUND SOUND, ADDITIONAL FRENCH & SPANISH LANGUAGE, DOLBY DIGITAL 2.0 STEREO, DIRECTOR INTERVIEW, CHARACTER SYNOPSIS, PHOTO GALLERY, HISTORY OF JUBEI, ENGLISH CAST KEY CHARACTER INTERVIEW, ENGLISH SUBTITLES AND MANGA EXTRAS, DIGITALLY REMASTERED ENHANCED 16X9 WIDESCREEN, DIGITALLY REMASTERED ORIGINAL 4X3 FULL SCREEN, CUSTOM THREE-FOLD DIGI-PACK WITH FREE NINJA SCROLL 10TH ANNIVERSARY POSTER INCLUDED!
Characters:
Jubei - Brad Lavelle
Kagero - Wendee Lee
Genre: Anime
Review:
"Ninja Scroll" is what anime is all about! I was extremely impressed with the 10th Anniversary Edition that was put out by Manga, as it got all the requisite courtesies, including great sound, nice picture, and lots of good features. I might even use the little postcard they included in the package to thank them for doing such a great job on this DVD. I enjoyed the cool menu and slip cover case.
Speaking of great sound, Pioneer better watch out, as Manga is using DTS in more and more of its features. You just can't beat DTS in quality of sound and movie watching experience. While this was not the best DTS film I have watched, it probably is the best anime DTS film I have watched. That's not saying much, since not too many anime films are in DTS, but that just makes me give more kudos to Manga. Also spectacular was the picture. While the beginning and end of the film was a little grainy, the rest of the movie was very sharp. I watched the anamorphic widescreen version, and it was a pleasure. This film was almost on par with "AKIRA," which still holds the title in my opinion for best anime DVD release.
But the features included were worth watching as well. There is an interview with the director and the main actors of the film. The video quality and sound quality for those was poor, but they were home video shots so that is to be expected. But I did learn a lot from the interviews, and got to see Wendee Lee, who has been the voice for a lot of anime characters. The character synopses and photo galleries were worth looking at, and give some good background as well as the History of Jubei feature. If you get the 10th anniversary edition, you get a poster, booklet, and postcard as well. The sound and picture are the real reasons for getting this edition.
"Ninja Scroll" is set in feudal Japan. The Shogun of the Dark is wanting to seize power in Tokyo and he is using a powerful group of demons called The 8 Devils of Kimon. Anyone that has come against these demons has been slaughtered. Enter Jubei, a ninja-for-hire, who teams up with female ninja Kagero to defeat the demons, but each for their own reasons. Aided by an old government spy, Jubei and Kagero soon learn the intent of the Shogun, and Jubei is faced with an old enemy, one who seems to be able to reincarnate!
I don't want to spoil too much of this film. It really does need to be watched. While I am often confused when watching anime, especially when characters aren't developed to my satisfaction, I was able to follow this movie from beginning to end. Lots of blood, some nudity and sex, and some language may make parents have caution, but for those who are anime fans, you know this is pure anime. Great animation, nice picture, fantastic sound, a kick ass story, and some good features make this DVD edition a must for anyone's collection. Whether you are an anime fan or not, "Ninja Scroll" is a recommended buy.
---George Castillo