Sengoku Kitan Youtouden Movie

I can honestly say, with great confidence, that Wrath of the Ninja was one of the most terrible animated films I have ever had the displeasure of watching. If you are looking for quality action and superb direction, you are in the wrong place. Although it was made over two decades ago, the quality of the animation and art style feels so dated it might as well have made it's debut in 1889. To say in the least, there is so much wrong with this film that there is so very little to say about it. The premise is so bleak and shoved under the rug,it's not even worth thinking about it. All you need to know is that Oda Nobunaga needs to die, as that is the main motivation for every character in the movie. There is nothing creative or new about Wrath of the Ninja - you could have more fun painting a house or folding laundry. All in all, Wrath of the Ninja fails in so many aspects the only worth it retains is as a cheap source of laughs at a Saturday night drunken party with high school freshman.

I feel compelled to write this review because of the previous dislike review. --Personal Back story-- As a young girl I grew up watching all the shows my eldest brothers enjoyed and brought home. One day my eldest brother Ira brought this movie home. Ira's favorite movies at that time included Ninja Scroll and many more action packed films. As a female finding a movie that is compelled to have a womanlike lead with sentiments and has influence you could only guess this movie appeal to me most. --Personal Back story over-- Review: First, the soundtrack to this film is phenomenon! Moving past thatyou get a standard film in regards to a female lead with two male acquaintances. Each character shows signs of unpleasant back-story that manifest in various means. Regardless of what the others have stated previously, this film is a classic in its own rights and should be held to delicate regards. All characters appear to come from strong family tides, which is to be expected in such genre. With all their villages destroyed the three main characters must work together to destroy their enemy. With the falsehood that occurs throughout this film one could only ask, “What will happen next?” Many will be lead astray and some where just plain outright selfish! Of course with all this tension, one could only guess that sexual tension would transpire too. All three main characters must follow a similar fate, but in the end this movie shows friendship and compassion. I watched this this film when I was ten to eleven years old and I still love it today. I learned the Japanese song, "Not Up To/Red Nails" and used to sing it on my walk to school as a child. In closing, this is one of those older anime movies you enjoy for the story, action and music. Favorite Character: Ranmaru, Mori Favorite Track from 1st OST: Track 12: Stirrings of Legend Favorite Track from 2nd OST- Track 4: Bloody Fight Staying Behind

Wrath of the Ninja is the 87 minute condensed version of the original three episode OVA Wrath of the Ninja: The Yotoden Saga, which ran for 138 minutes. Unlike other anime films that have been sliced and diced from series into movie format; Wrath of the Ninja is pretty coherent and really doesn't feel as rushed as some claim it to be. The anime does manage to tie up its major plot elements leaving nothing left open. In all honesty though, someone whom has never seen the original OVA probably won't even notice much of a difference. Wrath of the Ninja is an action packed fantasywith horror elements that not only features battles between man, but also against grotesque demons that will be seen feasting on human corpses. To include, one character raises the dead which is made up of headless and torn up bodies to do battle. The anime pulls very little punches with its violence and dark tone. I enjoyed the dark atmosphere in several segments. It's also a plus that the anime does not at all contain comedic moments to lighten up the mood. This one element actually harms many titles, and sometimes can make it difficult for me to take serious what I'm watching. Wrath of the Ninja has a pretty straight forward story and plot utilizing the good vs. evil theme, along with old legends bringing together a small group fighting for peace or revenge. The anime does kind of lack in character development though. The three main characters Ayanosuke, Sakon, and Ryoma are well developed for the most part, and I also enjoy how some of the character development isn't completely spoon-fed. I don't prefer my stories or characters motives to be spelled out for me at every turn. However, the villains seem to suffer from the same issues the villains in Ninja Scroll suffer from, which is the complete lack of diversity. They're all completely one dimensional stock bad guys. The secondary cast are very poorly done, and several of them die dramatic deaths. I can't imagine any viewer truly growing a liking to any of them, much less caring about their fates. Believe it or not despite the longer length, the OVA makes this exact same mistake. The animation is pretty good and doesn't have much of a dated feel. The backgrounds are well lit when called for, such as during the burning of towns and villages, and the darkness seemed to fit comfortably when necessary. The action scenes can also be pretty good with a few hand to hand and sword exchanges. There's a real good amount of gore and graphic deaths, such as characters being shot to death with muskets, and heads exploding in very graphic detail. However, there were numerous shortcuts taken with reused cels and stills on static backgrounds. I thought the artwork was well done with nice traditional character designs, along with the freakish designs for some of the monsters. There's also a small bit of nudity that is actually within reason. Although I can't say it was great or memorable, the soundtrack did its job by enhancing the viewing experience for me. The voice acting is a mixed bag here. Normally, I prefer to watch dubs but the English version has several annoying voice actors, and this goes for the villains as well. Although the voices did fit well with the characters overall appearance. I felt some of them went a little over board trying to be evil and the performances felt too forced, but the main character was notably awful. The sub doesn't make this mistake though, and the Japanese seiyuu felt a lot more natural with some of the villains having a menacing feel to them. When compared to the three episode OVA, the story really isn't as engrossing because it feels too by the numbers. The OVA takes a lot more time actually telling a story, and it utilizes a narration covering moments of the war, and the viewer can have a better understanding of at least one of the ninja clans dire situation. Overall, Wrath of the Ninja is a decent movie but I only recommend picking up the two disk version. The movie on its own is not something I would consider to be a must see, in fact I don't consider the OVA to be a must see either, especially for the casual anime fan. I would only recommend this to the most serious otakus. Highs: Action, good Japanese cast Lows: Secondary characters, movie is weaker than OVA

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