Once upon a time, anime was a foreign concept in the Western world. Popular anime films in Japan, such as the popular and often-mentioned Ninja Scroll, were less than ideal for the Western cartoon-watching public.
Ninja Scroll is an anime classic made in 1993. Within a few years, Ninja Scroll became one of the most successful animes outside of Japan.
It became a regular nighttime treat for geeky teens everywhere with its combination of ninja action, monsters, horror, and politics. Up next we’re going to tell you more about the movie that brought anime to the West.
Plot
Jubei, an extremely capable ninja, is tricked into killing his own clan of warriors in this anime film. He becomes a prowling hired assassin after reluctantly murdering his fellow swordsmen.
He must face off against a group of demonic ninjas known as the Devils of Kimon during his journeys. The Devils of Kimon are planning to take over the control of the government of Japan.
The Devils are going to stop at nothing and have the capacity to wipe out entire villages. Now, they can only be halted by Jubei and a shogun spy named Dakuan.
Main Characters
Here are the main characters in the film.
Jubei Kibagami
He is the protagonist of the show. He’s a wandering vagabond ninja who doesn’t want to do anything but rest until one day he finds himself entangled in the Hiruko-Kimon Clan war.
Later, one of the members of the Hiruko Clan gave him a Dragon Stone, and he had to give it to Shigure, the Light Maiden. He’s on an adventure now, giving Shigure the Dragon Stone and protecting her from both the Hiruko and Kimon Clans.
Kagero
Kagero is the official food taster for the Chamberlain of Mochizuki Clan. She is immune to poisons, and because of her ingestion of so many toxins and poisons, her work as a food taster has led to her body becoming poisonous.
Consequently, anyone who sleeps with or even kisses her dies promptly afterward because of the poison in her body. She can also conjure pollen and flower petals that are mixed with a powerful disabling agent.
Dakuan
Dakuan is a Tokugawa Shogunate spy. He’s a short, elderly man with a long beard and a Buddhist priest in disguise.
Dakuan has the ability to simply blend in with his environment, exceptional healing, camouflage himself, and possesses a Shakujō that can stretch itself, letting him use it to catapult to heights.
The Eight Devils of Kimon
Eight demonic ninjas with extraordinary powers are the Eight Devils of Kimon; seven of whom were assembled under the command of Himuro Genma after he resurrected himself from Jubei’s attack and seem to serve under the Dark Shogun.
- Himuro Genma is the leader of the Eight Devils of Kimon and the last demon to be defeated.
- Tessai is the first demon to be defeated; he is an incredibly large man who can turn his skin to stone.
- Benisato is the second demon to be defeated and the female lover of Genma.
- Mushizo is the third demon to be defeated; he is a hunchbacked warrior who holds a hornet’s nest in his back.
- Utsutsu Mujuro is the fourth demon to be defeated; he is a blind swordsman who challenges Jubei to a fight to the death in a bamboo forest.
- Shijima is the fifth demon to be defeated; he has a wide variety of abilities such as merging into the shadows, creating clones of himself and controlling the minds of others.
- Yurimaru is the sixth demon to be defeated; he is the right-hand-man and male lover of Genma.
- Zakuro is the seventh demon to be defeated; she has the ability to manipulate gunpowder and plant it inside living organisms as well as dead bodies, turning them into explosive traps.
Final Words
Ninja Scroll, lauded for its animation and action scenes, is seen by many as one of the most notable anime movies ever made.
It is one of the original series that brought anime into the mainstream around the world. For anime lovers, Ninja Scroll is a classic must-watch.