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Ninja Scrolls

Don’t worry sports fans, in the days of lies and spin the one thing you can always trust has returned, My Anime A Week series. So after the Disturbing Fantasy of Overfiend, The Majestic Sci-Fi Noir of Akira we go back into feudal Japan for this weeks offering Ninja Scrolls. Now a glance at the picture above tells you what to expect as this to me is the stereotypical anime stylish, ultra-violent with that good old Japanese madness thrown into the mix.

The Plot is straightforward enough a lone ninja Jubei, gets involved in a web of events surrounding a nemesis from his past. He must do battle with the Eight Devils of Kimon, uncover the secret behind the mysterious Lord Gemma, and try to stay alive in the process. Also throw into this a beautiful female ninja that he cannot have for a very interesting reason , an eccentric old man that hires him and some incredible bad guys. The plot from that seems simple enough but the crazy Japanese throw in enough twists that keep you interested and can sometimes confuse.

But hey lets not get bogged down by simple things such as plot. For this is an Anime all about good old action and there is action here by the bucket load. If you are easily pleased by shameless over the top violence and fountains of blood on your screen (And if you don’t your on the wrong fucking review site!) as I am then you are in for a treat. The action hardly stops as our hero takes on an incredible array of baddies one of the most memorable being at the start where that dude you see in the picture meets his end at the hands of our hero. The animation here is as slick as you would expect from our friends in the orient with the blurry background that we love so much from this genre …. SHIT! apologies McFlee I mean method. But the character design on the respective baddies our heroes face is amazing each having their own strange quirks and abilities (The wasps are very memorable)

This is another Anime that suffers from a an atrocious dub with same daft American dudes doing the cheesiest of Japanese impersonations. Like most the movies I have reviewed so far it is best watched in the original Jap language with subs. The only place this movie may loose points is for its musical score which after the ethereal  synth/tribal rhythms pounding away in the background of Akira is on the whole very dull and uninspired but then maybe because this is a pure action the score isn’t that important anyway.

Overall I would rate this as a good solid piece of action movie making which is well worth checking out as it packs a visual punch that will get the old adrenalin pumping. This is one to sit down to on a Saturday night with a six pack of icy colds , crank the Dolby up and engage in good old fashioned blood lust.

Rating – 8/10

Strictly a Man’s man action adventure best mixed with you fave cold beers.

Akira

Before i watched this i was warned by Mcflee to have plenty of beer standing by as he said its ‘Very Japanese’ I did have the beers with me but ended up hardly drinking a drop as I was so astounded by what I saw on the screen. Put simply this is a feast for the eyes and mind like no other and i still have trouble accepting that Akira was made back in 1988 and hand drawn. The animation on display here blows recent stuff like Clone Wars (not difficult) and even Wall-E out of the water. Another thing that mcflee told me when I embarked on my anime a week journey was ‘In Japan animation is a method not a genre’. Akira displays masterfully how that is true.

In 1988 Tokyo is destroyed in WWIII and we then flash forward some 30 years into the future to Neo-Tokyo, a giant metrolpolis sprouting great towers into the sky. All is not well in Neo-Tokyo as crime is rife and dissent against a corrupt government grows and biker gangs wage war with each other on the highways. One gang member, Tetsuo gets involved in a crash after swerving to avoid a strange looking chld on the road and is then kidnapped by the army for some strange experiment. Tetsuo’s life time friend Kaneda is then recruited into a resistance against these experiemnts in the hope of rescuing Tetsuo. In the army/goverment labs Tetsuo develops incredible mental powers but is unable to control them and escapes trying to find the mythical ‘AKIRA’ said to be the source of an extreme energy and also the cause of the WWIII as shown at the beginning of the movie.

I have probably skipped a few details here and there as the plot is so intricate and involving i could type the script word for word here and still miss major details . But this is a movie that combines eye and mind candy into a cocktail of epic intoxicating proportions. The cityscapes are are jaw droopingly beautiful in a Blade Runner noirish style. From the decaying suburbs of the biker gangs to the ethereal golden glow of the government test labs every single frame here is a work of art.

The sound score as well is a marvel especially the authentic oriental drum and synth mix that pounds away during the chase scenes. I am really struggling to find any faults with this movie (And this from a guy who is fresh to the anime genre method).

And then there is the ending. The ending is what will set those who will appreciate Anime and those who still think that animation is a just kids thing. For the ending is stunning and incomprehensible all at the same time. If you go back to our Mark Striton interview on the podcast mcflee, (where’s my money for these references!) said that Japanese audiences aren’t fussed about having everything explained to  them and the conclusion here epitomises that ethos. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but somehow it satisfies on each and every level and will leave you thinking for weeks afterwards.

I think i can now safely say i have fallen in love with Anime. If you are an Anime virgin then Overfiend is like losing your virginity to that not bad looking but very slutty girl, leaving you happy to have done it but unfulfilled. Then this will feel like scoring with that hot East European chick that makes you feel so good on every level.

Verdict : 10/10

Best Animation Ever.