Ninja Scroll Blu-ray SteelBook Review

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

This is the classic Ninja Scroll (獣兵衛忍風帖) 1993 anime feature film that kicked off the anime series. It was written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri with character designs by Yutaka Minowa. Dripping in blood, glorious battles and epic violence, the fast-paced action film, set in Japan’s feudal era, follows ronin Kibagami Jubei as he is forced into battling against a foe he once thought dead and his hordes of demon-like ninja assassins to stop the overthrow of the current shogunate. In order to save his own life, Jubei must stop the so-called Shogun of the Dark from succeeding, in order to find a counteragent for a poison he was infected with. His traveling companion and partner in battle, the beautiful and powerful ninja Kagema, just may hold the key to his survival, both in her skill, and in her own poisonous body.

The pacing in Ninja Scroll never lets up, and while the story, like many anime productions can become just a little confused at times, the thrilling animation from great anime studio Madhouse is truly a spectacle to behold. This is a seminar in anime work, every bit as entertaining and groundbreaking as Ghost in the Shell.

Purchase Ninja Scroll – Limited Edition Steelbook on Amazon.com

The Video

Unlike much of the anime that is released today, Ninja Scroll was done on 35mm. It has thankfully been restored from its original source at its originally intended aspect ratio of 1.33:1 in a spectacular transfer that is clean, crisp, and still film-like. It does not appear to be overly DNR’d, and a layer of grain can still be spotted. This does not appear to be a new restoration over the original 2012 Blu-ray release from Sentai, just a repackaging and reissue of that already excellent restoration and transfer.

The Audio

The original Japanese audio is provided in a spruced up lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (48kHz/24-bit) mix that is clean and dynamic with good stereo panning. The English dub has an expansive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) mix provided that has much wider dynamic range, thumping low frequencies, and lush atmospherics. If it were not for the English dub being so far removed from the literal Japanese translation of the English subtitles, I would stick with the 5.1.

The Supplements

While there is nothing new added to the disc, it does come newly housed in the SteelBook packaging with beautiful new artwork.

• Japanese Audio Commentary
• English Disc Credits
• Additional Sentai Filmworks Trailers

The Final Assessment

Take a leap back in time a couple of decades to when this Western favorite was released and try to imagine how invigorating it must have been – the action, the swordplay, the sexual frankness, the grit, the blood and gore, the detailed character design. Ninja Scroll has never been matched since. This must have anime film for anime fans and otaku may not be a necessary purchase for anyone who owns the earlier Blu-ray release, but the most ardent collectors will definitely want this gorgeous SteelBook edition.

Ninja Scroll Limited SteelBook is out October 22, 2024 from Sentai Filmworks

Purchase Ninja Scroll – Limited Edition Steelbook on Amazon.com

• Rating Certificate: TV-MA (VSL)
• Animation Studio: Madhouse
• Distributors: Sentai Filmworks
• Director: Kawajiri Yoshiaki
• Written By: Kawajiri Yoshiaki
• Run Time: 94 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Video Format: AVC 1080p
• Primary Audio: Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo
• Secondary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English
• Street Date: 22 October 2024