Eight Demons: Retro Review of Ninja Scroll & Yôtôden

Two classic anime films - one popular and one obscure - share some common plot threads.

The anime trope of ninjas with magical abilities dates to the early days of the art-form. When one is first exploring what anime has to offer, they usually end up watching Ninja Scroll eventually, a movie with detailed, realistic and fluid animation that represented some of the best the industry had to offer in the early 1990s. It tells the tale of the familiar shinobi protagonists, pitted in this case against the likes of 'eight demons' - essentially, a group of incredibly powerful and evil individuals.

But six years earlier, the producers of Ninja Scroll had released Yôtôden, a movie which has flown under the radar of many casual anime fans. For all intents and purposes, it seems like Ninja Scroll was a retooled version of Yôtôden, and in many ways they are similar: the eight demons show up again, and once again they're led by a powerful shogun, intent on dominating all of Japan. I wondered if eight demons represented anything important in Japanese mythology - the nearest thing I could find was the story of Susano'o, who was to slay an eight-headed demon serpent. Whatever the reasons may be for the similar plot threads - Yôtôden stands as a fascinating precursor to Ninja Scroll, differing in a few important ways, and providing a window into the progress in animation between 1987 and 1993.

1. Ninja Scroll (1993)

Directed by: Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Japanese, Kevin Seymour (English)

Written by: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Starring: Kôichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono (Japanese), Dean Elliot, Wendee Lee, Stephen Apostolina (English)

IMDB Ranking (as of publication): 7.9/10

The first time I saw Ninja Scroll is forever burned into my memory. A remarkable thing about this film is that this sentiment seems to be fairly common among those I know who have seen it. Ninja Scroll simply isn't a movie that you soon forget about, despite its content and style placing it squarely in the pulp category - maybe even exploitation, or 'grindhouse' anime, if such labels should be applied to anime. To be sure, there have been more shocking works of Japanese animation, but Ninja Scroll sets itself apart with an immersive world a story that ropes you in.

A word of warning - if a studio re-shot this frame by frame as a live action movie and submitted it to the MPAA, it'd probably receive an NC-17 and a half. This movie is not for everyone, nor should it be. Gratuitous sex and violence have their place in media, and this is it. Maybe part of this movie's appeal is that it explores a range of attitudes towards its admittedly harsh topics - there are times when violence is lamented, and times when it is celebrated, even wallowed in. Sex is sometimes depicted erotically or casually, but underlying everything is a kind of disgust, a sickening feeling that is clearly intended by the filmmakers, but for which an explanation doesn't materialize until later in the narrative.

Deciphering the details of Ninja Scroll's plot can be difficult on one's first viewing - but the basics are clear. Our protagonist is Jubei Kibagami, a self-described 'vagabond' who hires himself out as a mercenary, but holds to a basic code of ethics - he doesn't overcharge the impoverished villagers, and doesn't hesitate to stop and help strangers. While just passing through, he comes to the aid of Kagero, the sole survivor of a regiment of ninjas that was investigating strange activity in the area. Having been captured by the brutal monster Tessai, who intends to rape her, Kagero escapes with Jubei's help, but the two quickly part ways.

Tessai quickly catches up to Jubei, thirsting for revenge for the slight against him. Jubei manages to kill him, though he isn't initially sure how he was able to penetrate the monster's stone skin. Since Tessai was one of "Eight Demons of Kimon" - eight elite shinobi with terrible powers - his death is sure to be avenged by them, and Jubei is drawn into a confrontation with this organization, no matter how he tries to avoid it. Because they're now dealing with the same deadly enemies, Jubei and Kagero end up running into one another again. Together with a government spy named Dakuan, the three join their resources for a better chance of survival.

The scenes of sexual violence will turn many people away from this film, but its important to remember that this behavior is never endorsed - the characters who engage in this type of thing in the context of Ninja Scroll are not exactly 'model citizens'.

Yeah...

That being said, this film does not shy away from sexualizing its characters and eroticizing certain situations which are borderline uncomfortable. I can't help but think that one is actually supposed to be somewhat uncomfortable throughout this movie; that, and on your first viewing, you're on the edge of your seat the whole time, wondering what the filmmakers are going to do next. Ninja Scroll's hand-drawn animation is something that you don't see anymore, and as far as hand-drawn animation goes, this is one of my favorites. That technique is harnessed to its maximum potential in order to craft a visual style that is consistency striking, with memorable images - some of which have become iconic. And not all of it is memorable because it is pleasant.

The real trick that the movie pulls over on you is that, by the final confrontation, you're attached to the characters. You don't really notice exactly when it happens, but you become invested in them at some point. It's fitting that Ninja Scroll is a Romeo & Juliet-esque tale in that the two protagonists meet and fall for one another within the span of a few short days. It all happens so fast, and the plot feels dense even though the movie's running time is only around an hour and fifteen minutes. Only two days have passed, but it feels like an eternity - to us and the characters. And when one of them is suddenly killed, with little to no warning, it's a genuine shock.

When you really do get into the plot, it's essentially a complex political thriller, with the agents of various rival feudal lords vying for power over Japan. A shadowy figure known as the 'Shogun of the Dark', who is said to control the Eight Demons has secured funding to purchase the most advanced weapons to bring down the reigning government - he's literally discovered gold mine. To keep the opposition away before he and his minions can remove the gold, the 'demons' have no problem poisoning whole villages to death, spreading the rumor of a plague.

Ultimately, the overly-complicated plot is just a driving force to pit these essentially noble characters against nihilistic, powerful enemies in a hellish, 'depraved' world. Both Jubei and Kagero have scars - from events taking place before the movie and during - and it is on this basis that they bond. But it is also because of this that they are impeded - becoming distracted by the lust for revenge, or by fears of their own shortcomings. Both our protagonists come to seem more fragile than they appeared at the outset - the only purely rational, motivated character on their side is Dakuan. Unsurprisingly, he is just as unscrupulous as anyone else when all is said and done, willing to kill, steal and deceive for his government.

Anime films are often successful at placing us in a world that seems much bigger than what we  immediately see in the frame. You feel like this film is part of a larger mythos. Essentially, I think this is one of the indications that an author knows how to show, or maybe even imply a lot while saying only a little. In the same way, the ending is solemn and understated, and the emotional impact sneaks up on you.

When it comes to fight scenes, weird monsters, shall we say 'creative' supernatural powers, and well-animated action, Ninja Scroll delivers on every count. The film doesn't fail to disappoint on the core premise, either - eight demons are spoken of in hushed whisper, and eventually a confrontation with all eight occurs, and the battles are simple, effective and gripping. Even though this film is a little short for my liking, it stands up upon re-watchings, even multiple times. You notice things on subsequent viewings that happen too quickly or go right over your head the first time around. I was still noticing details I hadn't caught even on my fourth or fifth viewing.

Recommended?

Yes. If you're a fan of exploitation cinema or anime and you haven't seen it, watch it now. That is, if you don't have a problem with graphic violence or sexuality.

Japanese or English?

Honestly, Ninja Scroll is one of the few anime films I'm seen with an excellent dub in either language. The Japanese subtitles elaborate on more plot details and are generally clearer than the English dub; on the other hand, the English dub is more cryptic, and a little more poetic as a result. Example: the line: "Gemma, burn in your golden hell!" was an interpolation included in the dub that was much sharper than the line as it was written in Japanese.

2. Yôtôden, aka Wrath of Ninja (1987)

Directed by: Toshiyuki Sakurai, Osamu Yamasaki

Written by: Shô Aikawa, Takeshi Narumi

Starring: Keiko Toda, Kazuhiko Inoue, Takeshi Watabe (Japanese), Rose Markisello, Hideo Seaver, Peter Patrikios (English)

IMDB Ranking (as of publication): 5.6/10

Yôtôden is not as highly regarded as Ninja Scroll, and its easy to see why. The animation looks and feels its age, when compared to the anime of today, or when comapred with Ninja Scroll. Still, it's hand-drawn and even though it seems like they were stretching their budget a little at certain points, the end result is a noble effort that hinted as the potential for animation that was to come.

Many of the elements of Yôtôden are familiar - the protagonist is a traveling swordsman, Hayate - who somewhat resembles Jubei. He encounters another ninja in the woods - who somewhat resembles Kagero. I'm not sure how much overlap there actually was between the people behind Ninja Scroll and Yôtôden, but if there were some of the same creative minds behind the two movies, perhaps this article elucidates how much pessimism someone can accrue in six years. Yôtôden is a much more hopeful movie - the third companion, Ryoma - is, in this case, the 'brawn', a stubborn, but likable warrior with no duplicitous designs in the vein of Dakuan. There is some sex appeal and there's definitely violence - but none of it could be called gratuitous. There are no 'doomed lovers', and the story is not as tragic.

That being said, the antagonists in Yôtôden are a bit more visually disturbing. In terms of dialogue and character, they're all basically flat, just demons to slay. But the 'demons' of Yôtôden are less like nihilistic, ambitious men and more like actual monsters. There's a bit of the grotesque here, and its often sudden and revolting. The 'body horror' that pervades much of Japan's take on the horror genre is present here.

Also in contrast to Ninja Scroll, the plot goes on for months of story time. At one point, Hayate leaves and goes into reclusion for a while, having given up the fight. Ninja Scroll whisks you away into a complicated, dangerous political struggle - one in which a lot can change in a day, and if you don't pay attention, you won't be able to navigate what's happening. It's the story of an insurgency, and thus an exploration of passion. Yôtôden, while it is the earlier story, and a bit more 'raw', is the tale of a long, drawn-out conflict. It wears on the characters. Yôtôden is about a war of attrition, and while the demons are themselves less complex, they're more grotesque psychologically.

The villain, Nobunaga Oda, is based on a real historical figure of that name. The back of the DVD box helpfully explains that Nobunaga was said to be uncommonly vicious because he didn't believe in the afterlife, and therefore didn't think that he would suffer for his depravity. But in the context of the movie, even Nobunaga eventually is rent asunder by the pure, horrific reality of evil surging into the world. The character Ranmaru, who was before only a servant to Nobunaga, presides over a sort of black magic sacrifice of his own master, to bring forth a demonic apocalypse. Nobunaga seems to have wanted to gain dominion over the world, not destroy it. In the end, the evil he partnered with was a more dangerous and volatile force than he could control. It's a fitting fictional end for a character who acted like a monster because he didn't fear supernatural reprisal.

All this adds up to a story that is also thematically tied to Ninja Scroll. Three characters bond over their alliance, in order to band together in trying times. Decent men and women stand up to literal armies of demons and bizarre creatures, and are torn apart like mannequins. It is still a story of heroism in an unimaginable world. But the three virtuous warriors at the end of this tale actually stand a fighting chance against the possibility of the world becoming truly hellish. It's a nice fantasy tale, with serviceable characters.

Recommended?

If you liked Ninja Scroll, I'd recommend giving this a chance. The plot does not flow quite as smoothly, the characters aren't quite as well-written, and the animation isn't quite as good. But if you like vintage, hand-drawn anime, you'll find this film highly enjoyable.

Japanese or English?

Japanese with English subtitles. The dub is... meh.

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