Rating: 
Summary: I was wrong
Review: (THIS REVIEW IS FOR ALL 3 VOLUMES OF THIS SERIES) --- Ninja Scroll TV Series was actually pretty good, regardless of some bad initial reviews I've read online. It's still not as good as the OVA, probably the best anime ever for those into violent swordplay dramas, because that was more serious, had better animation and a great overall "style". Granted TV series do not have the same animation budget as the OVAs and movies. I thoroughly liked the subtle humor in this series, it's not overdone or overexaggerated with funny faces, magical teardrops or the running in place B.S., especially the one-liners from Jubei when he laid the smackdown. The other thing I liked was how creative each ninja bad guy was designed. They seemed to have used the Dragonball Z'd template as every episode introduces 1-3 new ninja enemies that each have a certain look and power that talk a lot of garbage and then get their @sses handed to them. The 2nd Volume is kind of lame as they stretch out too little plot (with a couple of stand alone "one off" episodes), it all could have been wrapped up in 2 episodes instead of 4. Plus they changed the world a bit where there's technology present, at least in regards to some of the ninjas and their powers (i.e. guns, tires, electrical currents, butane flame, etc.)
I read somewhere that the creators wanted to distance themselves from the OVA even though they keep the characters of Jubei and the tiny old man with the hat and staff (can't remember his name). Some of the musical score was created by Kitaro, his first for an anime series. They replayed the same 5 themes over and over again, they are all pretty cool except for one of them which is like aggro 80's rock guitar, I don't know if he wrote that piece as it doesn't sound like his usual new age/traditional "Japanese" style work. Overall this series is definitely worth watching at least once, it's different when compared to the OVA, but still good on it's own merits. Maybe rent it first before buying if you are still on the fence. Good stuff !!!
Rating: 
Summary: I want my money back
Review: All right, I loved the original ninja Scroll. Personally, I think it is, aside from the Samurai X Trust & Betrayel set, the best anime of the genre. I bought my copy three years ago and it is still played pretty frequintly. As a fencer, as well as a fantasy buff, I think the fights are excellent and better chereographed than many live action movies, and the story itself is both well written and executed. For years, I have hoped for some kind of sequel or follow up. I wanted the story of Jubei to continue.This was not what I had in mind. Having just bought the DVD of the Ninja Scroll series, I managed to get halfway through the second episode before I turned it off in disgust. This is an abomination, and in fact an insult to a superb piece of anime. Want a comparison? Think Highlander. Then think Highlander 2: The Quickening. Evil, I tell you, evil. Don't buy this. Watch the original movie again, then spend your money on something more worthwhile. Like Pez. Or an extra roll of ducttape. Anything but this DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't know
Review: I can't really say how the series is going to turn out. The whole thing started really good. It was just as gory and twisted as the movie. But, episode 4 was horrible. In the English version, Jubey was saying those corny lines before, during and after the fight and the animation of was horrible...they did these flash or aftereffect zooms that just made the quality of the series drop. I hope it gets better because it would be a waste to see something so good, go bad. Specially the character design of the girl (it's amazing - visually unique compared to a lot of anime characters faces).
Rating:
Summary: A samurai anime with alot of Science Fiction
Review: I have never seen Ninja Scroll the movie but i will eventually buy it. This series is a good samurai show. I thought is was going to be Rurouni Kenshin with more blood and gore. But I was partly right. The fighting scenes are really well done and and character creations are interesting and original. The good thing about this series so far is it get straight to the story with no wasteless episodes. But thats the reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is because the story development is weak, and so far two of the episodes are almost identical because they all end of with a big fight scene at the end and all the bad guys want the same thing. But this series so far is really well crafted and fight scenes are excelent, if you like samuari shows or samurai anime this is a must buy for you.
Rating:
Summary: Decent animation, cool stories & the art matches the movie.
Review: I have seen 5 Ninja Scroll episodes (#1-5) and for those of you that want to know how it stacks up against the movie, overall it is pretty close. The art style is identical to the movie. There is a little less detail in the characters and not as much movement, but this is expected in a series (less of a budget). There are 13 episodes total. This series is missing the over-the-top sexuality and gore from the movie, but does contain a few scenes of extreme violence. Every episode I have seen features several villians with all kinds of crazy powers, who are quickly dispatched by Jubei and his throwing sword. Features a traditional Japanese opening theme (no singing!) and the character of Jubei is every bit as cool as he was in the Ninja Scroll film. I would rate the overall animation quality as just below Cowboy Bebop, but above Hellsing & Berserk. Bottom line, if you like Ninja Scroll, like anime and enjoy watching swordplay, this series can't be beat! PS: The anime DVD Ninja Resurrection has NOTHING to do with Ninja Scroll. Be warned! It is a cheap attempt to cash in on the popularity of Ninja Scroll. THIS series is the only TRUE Ninja Scroll sequel. Same creators, same animation studio (Madhouse)!
Rating:
Summary: the worst anime i own
Review: i read many reviews for this anime from critics and fans alike.
about 80% were bad.
but, being a fan of the movie i decided to ignore the warnings and check it out. now, i realize how great a movie ninja scroll was so my expectations were pretty low for this series. all of you who are thinking of buying this please, please, PLEASE save your money. this is the absolute worst anime i own. remember how the movie at least had a story where you cared what was gonna happen next. here you could care less.
jubei kills a demon, walks down the street kills another one, walks in the forest kills another one, swims in a pond kills another one, over and over and over. its a bunch of tired fight scenes mashed together to make a show. now for some people this anime may be for them. take it from someone who is a fan of these types of animes to please at least watch a few episodes before you buy. on a side note: TWELVE KINGDOMS is an absolute must buy. the animation is beautiful, the story is compelling and you cant wait to find out what happens next. people i know who are devout anime haters even love this series. check it out. bye bye
Rating:
Summary: not amazing, but good, not the movie, but thats a plus!
Review: I remember seeing the Ninja Scroll movie back in 1999 when i was just getting into anime. i thought it was bending backwards to accomodate testosterone-addled teen boys. i still do, but i've learned to appreciate the style and tone of the film.
the series takes a couple of the characters, and the general idea of the movie and completely changes the animation style and tone. its definitely less mindlessly violent, though still violent. i like the fact that its sort of liesurely paced, mainly because Jubei never loses his cool.
its not the greatest series i've ever seen, but its well produced, the music is actually pretty good, and its just fun and playful enough to almost act as a foil to the original film.
i recommend it, but know what you're getting. dont expect just more of what was served up with the original film and you'll enjoy it just fine.
Rating:
Summary: its ok
Review: i would say four is a little generous its more like a 3 1/2 but i cant do anything about that. I (like everyone eles) have some issues with this: first the sword thing; whats the point of watching if he kills everyone with that sonic sword thing.In the movie ( i counted) he does it 3 times but in the series its all he does. Then theres the new characters every episode; this is annoying because you really cant get into thier personality. There were things i did like however; Jubei is still a badass, there seems to be a plot(which beats to plot), and they kept the old guy who always had some funny trick. overview:
~too many characters and they die too quickly
~uses sword thing way to much
~the characters that are used are just rip offs from the movie: the glass guy with the moths is almost exactly like the wasp guy, then theres the lady who can spawn the creatures from her skin is a rip off of that snake lady( i could go on with more rip offs) goods:
~jubei is still the same old character ~ a plot is begining to unwind
~ old guy still kicks ass overall id say its ok, not the best. But its worth renting (not nessecaily buying worthy), id give it another shot...
Rating:
Summary: Sometimes You Feel Like a Ninja, Sometimes You Don't
Review: I'm not quite sure what I expected when I picked this up. It's been long enough since I saw the original film that inspired by this series that all my mushy brain cells can really remember is that I enjoyed it a great deal. Given the success of the release of 'X' as a series developed from a film, I decided to dive in. What I found was both more... and less. The series, like the film documents the adventures of Jubei Kibagami, a legendary Japanese samurai. In the film he is a sleepy character who keeps getting dragged into a conflict between two ninja clans - the Hiruko and the Kimon. Not ordinary ninja either, but half-human creatures with gruesome habits. They are fighting over a dragon stone and the light maiden, whose fate is somehow tangled up with the stone. When the village that guarded Shigure (the light maiden) is attacked by the Kimon clan she barely escapes with her life, and the dragon stone falls into Jubei's hands. He sets out to return it to her and the adventure begins. Eventually the travelers will include Dakuan, a wizened old 'monk,' and Tsubute, a thief, as they try to stay alive and solve the mysteries of the stone. Expect a good deal of wild ninja style goings on and the requisite amount of gore and you won't be disappointed. Dialog is adequate, but only Jubei has the spark of wit and charm. I found the art a bit weak as well, colorful, but lacking in the detail that we have come to expect in modern anime. Consider this Ninja Scroll lite. In addition, the series is only slated for thirteen episodes. On the other hand the music features primary themes by Kitaro, with Peter McEvilley doing the shorter work. An exceptional team for any anime project, and they do a wonderful job on the DVD. On the whole I think this will be a good series to watch, but so far it lacks the intensity of the original. If that is what you were expecting, this will be a disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: A Modest Review
Review: If I could give this series a rating in the negative, I would. To begin with, the series is entirely different than the original movie, which was a huge disappointment. And I'm not talking a lower budget for animation, the whole feel has changed: they warp the characters of Jubei and Dakuan, they disregard plots and relationships from the original movie, and there is NOTHING original or even creative (original or not) to distinguish the story from any other anime. Probably one of my largest gripes about Jubei's character in the series is his 'sonic' sword technique. Basically, instead of having to animate a fight scene, he just uses the same 'sonic' slicing technique to instantly kill every villain he encounters. In the movie, he used the technique maybe once or twice (against Tessai and Mushizo), and it was hardly a technique that defined his character. In the movie, he was just an exceedingly talented ninja. In the series, he's just like any other bum, only he's got a sword that can kill at long distance with only one blow. There's nothing to distinguish the villains in the series because they all die in about two seconds. Which leads me to my next point: The series is redundant. In each episode Jubei encounters at least two totally uninspired villains (one guy made of glass summons moths... which, I don't know about you, but every time I'm asked what super-power I'd choose, I always pick this one) who die EVERY time. So if they're all dying... what do you do? Create more uninspired villains to kill off... because that's what makes a series great: non-repeating characters you don't care about. In the movie there were only 8 devils, which made them unique and interesting (and dare I say, believable?). There's nothing unique about the villains in the series, there's hundreds of them. By the end of the first DVD I'm under the impression that 85% of feudal Japan consists of super human freaks. And besides the unique nature that's missing from the movie, the characters in the series are totally outlandish. Example: a giant robotic Cyclops with a mechanical transmitting doll and mechanical bird that issues from his mouth... on top of that, the lead boss of the Kimones is a Buddha man whose torso rotates while bolts bob up and down from his head... UMMM... if that's the point where the viewer is supposed to say, "WOW! Check out how cool the end boss is!" Then this series should have hit the trashcan awhile ago. Besides being purely idiotic in design, this is supposed to be feudal Japan... And second, the most advanced thing in the movie was a primitive handgun... For me, total let down. Even series with poor budgets can be very good with creative writing, developed characters, and involving plots (example: Berserk). With series like Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis, Giant Robo etc... Why even consider this series? Recap: Poor Aspects -
Jubei can kill anything with one thrust at any range
Jubei and Dakuan have no previous history together
Jubei gets a quirky sense of humor
Villains come and go in about five seconds
Unoriginal multitude of villains don't hold a candle to the original 8 of the movie
Technology in feudal Japan?
And another Light Maiden along with a stone to protect from evil? OH PLEASE... Good Aspects -
Only four episodes to labor through.
A lot of previews to good anime (Macross Plus, Perfect Blue, Twilight of the Dark Master) My advice? Next time you're going to create a totally unoriginal Ninja Scroll series, just bring back Tessai so you'll at least have one cool character. And, since your not a two hour movie, you can keep the characters alive for more than 5 seconds, or better yet, one whole episode.
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