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In the sea of "Generic" that is the anime industry, every once in a while it's nice to come across something that is, forget good or bad, at least different. And this show is that, in fact, it's one of the most unique and undiscribable pieces of art I've ever come across.

This is a show about mental health, something that our society should pay as much attention to as physical health, but it doesn't. With visuals straight out of an acid trip, blending traditional animation, 3d and live action, effortlessly and brilliantly (think "Mind Game", if you've seen it,If not, go see it). Throw in ... a blend of wacky, adult humor and some extremely deep, dramatic moments and you got kuuchuu buranko.

This balance of comedy/tragedy, real/imaginary is the main force behind the show. The characters are wacky and over the top but their issues feel real and tragic. Dr. Irabu is unconventional and downright negligent at times, but every once in a while, a real psychologist pops up to give us the proper procedures and terminologies, as well as some trivia (don't worry, he's not heavy on the medical terms and he's pretty funny himself).

It's a feast for the eyes and for the mind also. If you're into psychology and philosophy, you'll definately enjoy this show. Even if you're not, There's still something to be taken away. We all have our moments of anxieties and depression; we all have traumas that we unconsciously carry around; we all have issues, so we can all learn a thing or two from this crazy doctor and his damaged patients. I know I did.

It's very tricky to review movies such as this.
They're all so very abstract and open to interpretation... oh, and short.

For what it is, I find it brilliant. The story is meh, but who needs a story when you have such an ernest setting; the characters are meh, but you learn everything you need to know about them.

The art is brilliant and the score isn't far behind. The story, if you can call it that, is lovely.

It's a movie meant to transmite a feeling and I have an idea what that feeling is and you, after watching it, will probably arrive at a different conclusion, ... but that's exactly what this types of movies are all about.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you feel something and I did.

Feel. Philip?

It has a really nice atmosphere that reels you in from the very first second.
The dialogue is very clean and natural and that, along with the sound effects are the strongest assets of the movie.

The combination of 2d and 3d work beautifully. It feels like a 2d anime and even if things do move a little sluggish sometimes (in typical 3d fashion), it goes well with the flow and rythim of the movie.

The fact that I didn't quite get what it's about was what kept me from giving it a higher score. The whole movie feels like it's leading somewhere and unfortunately I didn't understand ... where. Noneless, that didn't stop me from enjoying it very much. Like an experimental film, this movie in my opinion is meant to be felt more than understood.

I don't feel like writing a big review but after watching this movie I felt like I needed to say something. This is one of the most beautiful and well made movies I ever seen. Due to their high teen suicide rate, I think watching this movie should be mandatory in every school in Japan. That is all.

Ninja Scroll is awesome! There! that's the review.
The story is not great, it's actually pretty basic: An evil group, working for an evil shogun, trying to take over Japan. Our poor hero Jubei unfortunately gets stuck in the middle, when he decided to help some ninja girl that was being raped by a giant muscle-head freak who tells her to behave, because: it would not make a difference to him wether she's dead or alive while he's doing his thing. Yeah.. it's not classy. Jubei and the ninja girl, let's call her Kagero, end up joining forces to take on the evil group, yada yada ... yada, we've seen it many times before. It's pretty straigh-forward.

But it isn't the story that makes this movie a "MUST WATCH" classic, it's the action packed, bloody, raw and uncut fighting scenes! If there's one thing that Ninja Scroll delivers, is action. The fights are awesome, so awesome that it'll make you drool like a fat kid looking at cake.

The variety of opponents Jubei faces is very distinct, they all have different and unique abilities. The only downside is that some of the fights, though still cool, are incredibly short and it'll leave you with a craving for more (cake).
The characters are also barely explored, appart from Jubei and Kagero, most of the characters barely even show emotion or motives, or personalities really... nothing. They are flat, extremely undeveloped. Some, like the blind samurai, only appear for like 8 minutes overall. Poor guy, just because he's blind doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings. And one of the biggest promises, the sub-boss, who all through the movie appears to be a complete badass, shows up, only to die miserably like 1.5 minutes later. Which was very disapointing.

As the story moves along, Jubei's relationship with the girl deepens and we start to see more humanity from him, not that much, but its something. He's still a badass don't worry. His past is reavealed to be linked with the leader of the evil group and they face off once more in an epic battle, which ends beautifuly in my opinion.

Overall this movie is really awesome, that's just it. There isn't much more embezzlement to be made. It's a classic of japanese animation, it's simple but it excels in its simplicity, what it promises it delivers: An action packed adventure, full of ninjas battles, nudity and blood. What else could we wish for?

Wether you're looking for a great anime to improve your repertoire or just to have a good time, Ninja Scroll will fit your needs.

The story is set in Edo period Japan, where a highly skilled but highly gullible and unreliable samurai is finding trouble securing a job as a bodyguard. The starving "ronin" soon catches the attention of the misterious and charismatic leader of a local criminal gang known as the "Five Leaves Gang" who hires him to serve as his bodyguard and soon, starts persuading him into officialy joining the gang. Though reluctant at first, the samurai ends up joining the gang, partly due to his critical financial situation but also due to his growing interest in the gang and its members; as time goes by ... and their relationship deepens he discovers that there's more to each member than meets the eye, especialy the always elusive and misterious leader.
The beauty of this anime isn't in its art style which accurately depicts the landscapes of feudal japan to the tiniest detail; or in the beautiful music which is a perfect mixture of contemporary and classical japonese; its in the characters and their development. That is the keyword in this anime, development. The pace in which this anime progresses is absolutely perfect, the pieces start falling into place at the perfect timing, resulting in a smooth and crescent experience that, just like a roller coaster, will carry you softly to the top only to send you crashing down to the floor.
Those are the strongest points of animes such as House of Five Leaves, and don't misjudge, I'm not saying that crazy fantasy, battle, oriented, superpower, samurai stories aren't good; most of my favorite animes fall into those categories. What I'm saying is that there are such a vast collection of these types of manga already, and that is precisely what makes more obscure, down to earth animes like House of Five Leaves such a special and unique genre. So give it a chance, you won't fall in love with it at the first sight, but talk to me once the ride is over.