Madhouse blends this winning combination of stylized, but grotesque, bloody violence with a touch of sexuality, and an unhealthy dose of visual awesomeness to bring Ninja Scroll to life. The story follows a lone wanderer, a ninja swordsman by the name of Juubei. His introduction is by and large unnecessary, because the viewer is generally aware of the wandering swordsman/ronin trope that's not unique to this series, but more of a culturally osmosis'd idea that we're aware of. The man has a dark past, and a lot of dangerous enemies who have nothing but bloodlust and revenge on the mind. After being tricked into accepting a job from the mysterious old man, Dakuon, Juubei is poisoned, and told that if he does not complete the task given to him in 3 days, he will die. This task, naturally, involves foiling a plot by a shadowy ninja clan who plan to take over feudal Japan through a power struggle created by ownership of the currency of the time: gold bullion.
The setup for the movie is quite simple, but the story itself is not where Ninja Scroll shines through its brightest. No, that element would be the presentation of the Ninja, and the great care and detail that Madhouse put into the production of the movie. The aesthetic of the movie reminds me much of a previous Madhouse production; another darkly stylistic and incredibly detailed film: Wicked City. The fluidity is incredible, the character models and scenery gorgeous, and the cinematography and direction are top notch as well. Maybe I'm a sucker for old school animation, but this is incredible work. Its focus on aesthetics and style coupled with brutal action and a number of buckets of blood lend edge to the visual feast- in a way that Mad Max Fury Road was visually striking- Ninja Scroll does a similar thing with the posturing and manner of attack and movement of the characters. There's none of the silly handwaving and yelling out attacks, but ALL of the awesome mystical powers of the fabled ninja: body clones, melding into shadows, invisible wires, poison, incredible speed and strength, proficiency with all manner of melee weapons, and other just cool sh*t. Ninja are cool- and Ninja Scroll shows off the best of the genre, in all honesty. The 8 antagonist characters never progress much beyond being Ninja with XY skills, but the powers they're given keep the action interesting, and it never devolves into a drawn out shonen filler battle that, if it were a TV show, you KNOW would take up at least half a season.
No, Ninja Scroll is practically the antithesis of that, as most of the 8 major battles are over in a matter of minutes. This lends a very quick pace to the movie (which is far better than plodding), which may be offputting to some, but I was glad it was not incredibly drawn out or overblown for each battle. Everything was summed up succinctly, and satisfactorily. Even the romantic and intrigue elements were handled well. The atmosphere is nearly tangible in its dark done, and gritty is the name of the game. We see the plight of the peasants and warring feudal factions that are immediately indicative of Sengoku period Japan (warring states). The movie even mentions the Tokugawa shogunate, and, supernatural elements aside, could have been some form of historical fiction if bent somewhat. All that to say: the presentation is time period appropriate- which lends an air of realism and credibility to it. All told, this is a true anime classic, and one that everyone should see once, especially if you like a good action romp.
