Overview
A lone ninja battles dark forces to save a beautiful ally and his country from evil.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- visceral
- foreboding
- baroque
- late night anime marathon
- action movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Ninja Scroll as a kinetic and influential anime classic whose energized action and colorful ninja techniques outweigh its thin story, while its sadism and sexism have aged poorly.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The ninja battles emphasize elaborate techniques, violent physicality, and fantastical bodily spectacle.
Jubei is a journeyman ninja whose encounter with a plague and demon clan pulls him into a national crisis.
The film places ninja and samurai imagery alongside an evil demon clan and plague-driven catastrophe.
Its explicit violence, sexual abuse, nudity, and grim supernatural conflicts distinguish it from family animation.
Films like Ninja Scroll, and why
Akira
stylized adult anime, cyberpunk fantasy, intense action, and dystopian violence
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
adult anime, supernatural threats, kinetic combat, and dark urban fantasy
The Sword of Doom
samurai cinema, revenge-driven action, graphic violence, and historical fantasy atmosphere
Ninja Resurrection
ninja mythology, supernatural combat, grim tone, and highly choreographed animation
Movie Details
- Director
- Yoshiaki Kawajiri
- Release Date
- 1993-06-05
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (784)
Cast
- Koichi Yamadera
- Emi Shinohara
- Takeshi Aono
- Daisuke Gori
- Ryuuzaburou Ootomo
- Akimasa Omori
- Gara Takashima
- Norio Wakamoto
- Toshihiko Seki
- Masako Katsuki
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HiDive, Hidive Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ninja Scroll about?
- A wandering ninja is swept into a plague-stricken conspiracy where lethal demon warriors and a mysterious female fighter turn survival into a brutal supernatural odyssey.
- What is Ninja Scroll like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ninja Scroll as breakneck, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Ninja Scroll violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Ninja Scroll as graphic.
- What did critics think of Ninja Scroll?
- Critics broadly regard Ninja Scroll as a kinetic and influential anime classic whose energized action and colorful ninja techniques outweigh its thin story, while its sadism and sexism have aged poorly.
- Which films are like Ninja Scroll?
- Films with a similar feel include Akira, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, The Sword of Doom, and Ninja Resurrection.
- How long is Ninja Scroll?
- Ninja Scroll runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ninja Scroll?
- In United States, Ninja Scroll streams on HiDive, Hidive Amazon Channel.
