Jûbei ninpûchô (1993)

Directors:

Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Kevin Seymour

Writer:

Yoshiaki Kawajiri (writer)

Release Date:

6 December 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Thriller

Plot:

A ninja-for-hire is forced into fighting an old nemesis who is bent on overthrowing the Japanese government. His nemesis is also the leader of a group of demons each with superhuman powers.

Plot Keywords:

Ninja | Demon | Espionage | Surrealism | Decapitation

Cast

Kôichi Yamadera	...	Jubei Kibagami (voice)
Emi Shinohara	...	Kagero (voice)
Takeshi Aono	...	(voice)
Daisuke Gôri	...	(voice)
Toshihiko Seki	...	Yurimaru (voice)
Shûichirô Moriyama	...	(voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Barnes	...	Mushizo Shinkuro (voice)
Sonny Byrkett	...	(voice)
Richard Cansino	...	(voice) (as Richard Hayworth)
Dean Elliott	...	Jubei Kibagami (voice) (as Dean Elliot)
Richard Epcar	...	Lord Himuro Gemma (voice) (as Richard George)
Michael Forest	...	(voice) (as Alfred Thor)
Dougary Grant	...	Tessai (voice)
Bradley Lavelle	...	Jubei Kibagami (voice: English version) (as Brad Lavelle)
Wendee Lee	...	Kagero (as Wendee Day)
Edward Mannix	...	Chamberlain Sakai Hyobo (voice) (as Ed Mannix)
Joan-Carol O'Connell	...	Benisato (voice) (as Jenny Haniver)
Maureen O'Connell	...	Zakuro (voice)
Andrew Philpot	...	Yurimaru (voice: English version)
Anthony Rocissano	...	Utsutsu Mujuro (voice)
Joe Romersa	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Doug Stone	...	Bandit (voice)
Jimmy Theodore	...	Dakuan (voice) (as Rudy Luzion)
Kirk Thornton	...	(voice) (as Spanky Roberts)

Directed by
Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Kevin Seymour		(English version) (as Quint Lancaster)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yoshiaki Kawajiri		writer

Produced by
Masamichi Fujiwara	....	executive producer
Masaka Fukuyo	....	assistant producer
Makoto Hasegawa	....	executive producer
Kazuhiko Ikeguchi	....	assistant producer
Ken Iyadomi	....	executive producer (English version)
Shigeru Kitayama	....	assistant producer
Shigeki Komatsu	....	producer (as Komatsu Shigeaki)
Masao Maruyama	....	line producer
Yutaka Maseba	....	producer (English version)
Haruo Sai	....	producer
Masaki Sawanobori	....	producer
Yutaka Takahashi	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Kaoru Wada

Cinematography by
Hitoshi Yamaguchi		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Yukiko Ito
Harutoshi Ogata

Art Direction by
Hiromasa Ogura

Production Management
Jerry Beck	....	production manager

Sound Department
Yukio Abe	....	sound recordist
Tsutomo Asakura	....	sound mixer
Tsutomo Asakura	....	sound recordist
Yasunori Honda	....	sound director
Kenji Shibazaki	....	sound effects editor (as Shibasaki Kenji)

Animation Department
Shigeo Akahori	....	animator
Koichi Arai	....	animator
Kôichi Chigira	....	animator
Hiroshi Hamazaki	....	animator
Kenji Hayama	....	animator
Hideo Hayashi	....	animator
Hiroyuki Horiuchi	....	animator
Yoshiaki Kawajiri	....	character creation
Hiroshi Kawasaki	....	animator
Ken Koike	....	animator
Takeshi Koike	....	lead animator
Yasuhide Maruyama	....	animator
Michio Mihara	....	animator
Takenori Mihara	....	animator
Yutaka Minowa	....	character design/animation director
Takuo Noda	....	animator
Tensai Okamura	....	animator
Rintaro	....	animator
Yuzo Sato	....	animator
Masahiro Sekino	....	animator
Kumiko Takahashi	....	animator
Kunio Takahide	....	animator
Satoshi Tazaki	....	animator
Hitoshi Ueda	....	animator
Sumio Watanabe	....	animator

Other crew
Raymond Garcia	....	adr script: English dub

Production Companies

• Animaze
• Mad House
• Movic
• Toho Company
• Victor Company of Japan (JVC)

Distributors

• A-Film Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Manga Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Manga Video (Canada)
• Manga Video (USA)
• PolyGram (1997) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Selecta Vision (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Streamline Video (USA) (VHS)
• Teletoon (English dubbed)
• Yoshiaki Kawajiri/Mad House/JVC/Toho Co. Ltd./Movic Inc.

Other Companies

• Doug Stone Enterprises  casting: English version
• Haniver Talent  casting: English version
• Magnitiude & Post  sound recording (English version)
• Toho Company  translation

Also Known As:

Jubei Ninpocho: The Wind Ninja Chronicles (USA)
Ninja Scroll (USA)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (1996) | South Korea:18 | Canada:18+ (TV rating) | Italy:VM14 | Norway:11 | Australia:MA (original rating) | Australia:R (re-rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | France:-16 | New Zealand:R16 | South Africa:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

Animaze

Trivia:

Not as successful or well-received in Japan as it was in the U.S.

Quotes:

Yurimaru: Isn't Tessai back yet, Zakuro?
Zakuro: Benisato went to look for him... We're alone, completely alone Yurimaru. I've fallen madly in love with you, but you know that don't you?
Yurimaru: [Zakuro leans in to kiss but Yurimaru rejects her] I don't need your love, you don't interest me even in the slightest. Now go and stand watch.
Zakuro: So what I've heard is true. Have many pleasant dreams in Gemma's arms, but Gemma makes love to both men and women. Oh by the way, do you know he regurlarly has Benisato? Oh so you didn't?
[laughs hysterically]

Movie Connections:

References Shurayukihime (1973)

One of the best Anime Movies ever

Ninja Scroll is an Anime Classic which is usually mentioned in the same sentence as Vampire Hunter D or Fist of the North Star. However, I believe that as a movie, Ninja Scroll has a wider appeal.

The visuals are top-notch, and the action is fast and clean. The sword fights can be watched frame-by-frame (and may have to be, if you want to really understand what is happening) and your awe at the quality of this movie will just increase. Do I sound like an obsessed fan? Because this movie impresses me so greatly that I cannot over-rate it.

The story and characters, though, are the main focus of this presentation, which each battle, duel, and other confrontation serving to move the story forward, develop, reveal, or eliminate the characters - all of whom are revealed in a way that is engrossing.

Some maybe turned off by the gore, violence, and low value placed on human life; but that is what this time period was about. This is definately for mature audiences.

If you do not yet own a copy of this, watch it as if you had never heard of it and enjoy the story developing. Then be plesantly surprised by the superficial stuff - action, animation, sound, and depth of characters.