Animonday: Ninja Scroll
I’m sure had I seen Ninja Scroll for the first time fifteen years ago when it was made that I’d have thought it incredibly cool, just as I did with Akira when that was released. The film’s blend of sex, violence and gore is aimed at a young male audience and back then I’d have just about qualified (I was 28). But sadly I didn’t see it then and watching it for the first time as a 42 year old it doesn’t really impress.
The sex is lurid and a little juvenile, the violence incredibly stylised but excessively graphic. Only the plot’s machinations hold up for this somewhat jaded viewer, with characters displaying hidden depths and motivations and even the love story angle works.
The animation wasn’t state of the art when it was made and now looks incredibly dated. While I can see why some would rate this as one of the best anime films ever made it wouldn’t make my top ten but then, as the director says in an interview on the DVD, “teenagers are my target audience” and I haven’t been one of them for quite awhile.
