Review of Ninja Scroll: Vol. 3

Introduction

1995 saw the anime phenomenon Ninja Scroll burst into video stores. The movie gave us plenty of Ninja fighting action, blood and guts wrapped up in a convoluted story set in Japan`s Tokugawa Shogunate period. With stunning character design and a truly dark humour, it rapidly became a favourite among anime fans. Eight years later, and the Ninja Scroll television series airs, and consequently comes to DVD.

The demons of Kimon are once again causing trouble in their quest for power. They are pursuing the Sacred Dragon Stone that has been entrusted to Jubei`s care until he can deliver it to the Light Maiden. Accompanying him on his quest are Shigure, who may be the Light Maiden, an urchin Tsubute and the old spymaster Dakuan. Disc 3 concludes the story with 5 episodes, as matters come to a head and Shigure faces up to her destiny.

A Dragon Within
Shigure is set upon by the Yagya clan, but a mysterious swordsman, who turns out to be a Hiruko ninja, rescues her. He has his own agenda however, which doesn`t necessarily depend upon Shigure`s survival.

The Heart Of The Hiruko
Rokai escapes from the Hiruko village to protect the Light Maiden, only Shigure doesn`t appreciate Rokai`s brand of protection.

Yagya Renya
The Kimon has captured Shigure, and as Jubei and the others pursue the Kimon to Kyushu, they take passage on a ship with a mysterious one-eyed warrior, and a playful little girl.

Dynasty Restoration
With the aid of the Hiruko, Jubei manages to rescue Shigure from the Kimon, and the journey to find the treasure is almost over. However things aren`t exactly as they appear.

Farewell Jubei
Shigure`s destiny as Light Maiden is at hand, but not without a lot of swordplay, bloodshed, and a final reckoning between ancient enemies.

Video

The picture is the usual 4:3 television ratio and the transfer is perfectly adequate. However the animation is less, well animated for want of a better word. It`s simplistic and borders on the static at times. The action is certainly well accomplished but the character designs are uninspired and often expressionless. I must note that the images are certainly atmospheric, with nice use of light and shade to establish mood, and the final episodes do go all out with some great designs, but I`m still not a fan of the animation.

Audio

You get a choice between a DD 2.0 Japanese track and a DD 5.1 English dub. The dialogue is clear enough, and as per usual I chose the Japanese track. The English dub sounds awkward in comparison, but given the nature of Ninja Scroll the television series, it isn`t exactly a detriment. The music isn`t too special either, with the theme tunes sounding faux orchestral, as if they want to be grand, but just can`t afford the extra instruments. The incidental music is rather out of place too, with the emphasis on Techno music, making the show look like one of those Manga Entertainment trailers that you used to get, all that`s missing is some thrash metal. The 5.1 track certainly impresses in terms of immersing the viewer in the action, unfortunately the language isn`t the original Japanese. The subtitles are translated rather than reflecting the dubbed dialogue.

Features

Like the previous disc, there is a nice selection of extras on the disc, beginning with a set of five `Storyboard to Feature Comparisons` (8½ minutes in total). There is a 20-minute featurette looking at the English voice cast as they are interviewed about how the perceive the characters and the story, as well as the process of dubbing. There is an art gallery with 15 images, trailers for Armitage III, Twilight of the Dark Master and Tenchi Muyo OVA, and 2½ minutes of accelerated footage showing the creation of the cover art. Finally there is a jacket picture that is displayed when the disc isn`t spinning.

Conclusion

The original Ninja Scroll never really inspired me, but I was impressed by its complex story, rounded characters and very dark humour. The story also had its tragic elements that gave the film an emotional centre that many other similar films lack. It`s a shame then that Ninja Scroll the television series fails in almost every respect to live up to its namesake. Tsubute is the smart mouthed street urchin always getting into trouble, Shigure looks pretty, Dakuan varies between wisecracks and being mysterious, and Jubei saves the day every time he draws his sword. Dakuan and Jubei are pale imitations of the characters from the film, and the rest add little to the mix.

The stories are still lightweight material, relying heavily on the monster of the week scenario. Much is made of the demon character designs, but the narrative is ephemeral and seems stretched, even in a 23 minute running time. Despite having watched the majority of the episodes of Ninja Scroll, I really didn`t notice any character development. Episodes 9-11 played like the 2nd disc, with an introduction of an oddball character, and one of the main characters having to accomplish something to move the quest on just a tad. However the final two episodes are certainly more enjoyable, as the story is resolved and given a suitably spectacular climax. The oddball character quotient is increased, though the presence of roller skating cyborgs in medieval Japan gave me pause for thought. The setting of the finale is a nicely executed piece of design. If you have been following the series from the beginning, then this final disc will be satisfactory. It`s just that there is so much anime made nowadays that is thought provoking and possessing depth, that Ninja Scroll just seems feeble in comparison

This Ninja Scroll plays like a Saturday morning toon but with more blood and guts, and eschewing the tragic sensibilities of the film, is more often than not played straight for laughs. It`s all far too generic to stand out in a sea of similar animation, and the only thing that made me sit up and notice was the voice of Howling Mad Murdock himself, Dwight Schulz as Dakuan in the English dub. The five episodes on disc three are of greater interest as the occasional loose end in the story is tied up, but I still find it an exercise in tedium.