|
Review:
Let’s have a quick anime history lesson. Ninja Scroll was one of the original big four anime that were at the vanguard that stormed Australian beaches at the end of the eighties. Ninja Scroll, along with Akira , Wicked City and Legend of the Overfiend, pretty much trailblazed the path for the entry of contemporary anime into the Western mainstream. Unlike its forebears, Astro Boy, Kimba, G-Force or Robotech, this gang of four was a highly organised strikeforce containing broadly unified themes for maximum impact. Unfortunately, their confronting images created an impression that that Japanese anime was obsessed with not only sex and violence but also tentacles and misogyny, an impression that took a good while to undo.
Ninja Scroll was certainly no slouch in the sex and violence departments but its 10th anniversary edition attests to its enduring popularity and its certification as a classic. The Series certainly has a lot to live up to. So what do the pair have in common? The Series comes from Madhouse, the studio that produced the movie. When the first episode of The Series begins on an inky black night with a fight featuring a unicycling, umbrella-wielding midget you know they’re on the right track. Our nonchalant hero, Jubei maintains his cool ambivalence and the straightforward plot is the perfect set-up for maximum carnage.
The first four episodes of The Series are jam-packed with frenetic, beautifully choreographed showdowns. Delayed hairline katana cuts burst into gouting, broken water mains of blood. The two clans provide a menagerie of villains: a Buddha-type powered by electricity, a scantily clad woman with prehensile hair, a cyclops who appears to be armed with a set of mag wheels, and a nubile woman with claws. By the end of episode four, the rafters are stacked with freaks and semi-naked women.
The animation is less detailed than the movie but it is certainly of a high quality with some excellent cinematography. Less successful is the character design. Takahiro Yoshimatsu (Trigun) has softened and rounded the sharp features of the Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s originals. Their more appealing look robs them of their dark and perverse edginess. While one can accept that the series would always have lower production values than the movie, it is the softer character design that comes as The Series’ biggest let down.
So how does The Series stack up against the original? The answer is, pretty well. If you want your blade to cut a little deeper then load Samurai X. Ninja Scrolls: The Series offers another fix of a fantastic feudal Japan populated with bizarre villains and showers of crimson arterial spray. Set your expectations to stun and prepare to be pleasantly surprised. 7 mini-skirted peasants out of 10 by Andrew Symons back to the top
|
