Out Like a Ninja Part 4: Wrath of the Ninja - The Yotoden Movie

Couldn't decide on the final ninja anime for the month.  I narrowed it down to two that I could not remember well.  After watching the first few minutes of each, I chose the one that made me feel less like turning off the DVD player.  That is how we wound up with:

 Background:
Released By: U.S. Manga Corps
Length: 86 minutes
Year of Production: 1996
Language: Sub and Dub both included, Dub reviewed
Available on Netflix: Yes

Wrath of the Ninja is a compilation of the Yotoden OVA series that cuts about 40 minutes from the total running length of the original.  So you'll be reading my summary of a compilation of a 3 part OVA.  Originally only the movie was released in America but 3 years later U.S. Manga Corps released a Collector's Edition that contained the  OVA as well.  The new material had no dub. 

The Ninja
There are three primary ninja in Yotoden, one each from the three major ninja villages.  Our leading lady is Ayanosuke, also known as Ayame when she is feeling less ninja-y.  A member of the Kasumi clan,  she wields a mystical short sword and carries major survivors guilt about being the only surviving warrior from her clan. 

Ayame and her mystical stabbing implement

Sakon the Whirlwind also had his village destroyed.  He doesn't whine about it like Ayame though, instead he collects a team of bandits and robs travelers.  Sakon develops a major crush on Ayame during the course of the movie.  He wields the mystical long sword.

Ninja first dates are a bit unconventional

Ryoma is the final member of our trio.  He wields the mystic halberd and appears to be the oldest and most level headed of the protagonists.  His village is also the only one still intact.

Never understood why Japanese warriors refuse to use their sleeves.

Story:
Our story opens on Ayame traversing a mountain.   She is confronted by bandits who demand money or sexual favors for her safe passage.  She opts to slice them up instead.  Sakon appears to avenge his men and the two fight to a draw.  They put their battle on hold when Ginnai, a member of the 7 Evil Oboro ninja, and his hoard of crow-monkey assassin things attack.

Deadly creatures of some sort

The two ninja fight the Oboro and are close to defeat when a mysterious monk appears and banishes the demons, forcing Ginnai to flee.  The monk suggests they travel to the last remaining Shadow Warrior village.

Wouldn't trust my children with this guy

Ayame has a quick flashback showing the destruction of her village, the death of her brother, and her acquisition of the sacred short sword.  Back in the present day, Sakon and Ayame travel the dangerous path to the last remaining shadow village, Hagakure.  They are ambushed by the locals and after a quick fight their leader Ryoma agrees to escort them to his village.

The old "log wearing ninja clothes" trick

Sakon and Ayame meet with the chief of Ryoma's village to discuss the threat of the Oboro ninja.  The Oboro are the personal army of Lord Nobunaga.  Apparently he is the go-to villain for any period ninja flick.  All 3 of the ninja reveal they have holy weapons meant to eliminate evil and bring peace to the world.  They agree to join their forces in order to defeat Nobunaga, who they believe may be half demon.  As if on cue, the village comes under attack by horrible demon monsters and Ginnai, out to redeem himself.

It looks like the demon is defiling that woman's corpse

Ryoma and Sakon split up to exterminate the invaders while Ayame goes after Ginnai.  The leader of Hagakure gets absorbed by a Jello-like monster and then explodes.  Ayame defeats Ginnai by piledriving him off of a tall building.  Before he dies, Ginnai launches finger bullets into the back of Kikyo, killing her before taking a final dagger to the face.  Who is Kikyo you ask?  She is a throwaway female ninja used to try and solicit an emotional response from the viewer.  It doesn't really work.  Ayame ends the war by shooting energy beams from her sacred blade to kill the final, giant, rampaging monster, thus avenging her village.

Say it ain't so semi-generic, disposable, female character!

A year passes and we begin part 2 of our story.  The war against Nobunaga is in full swing, and the Iga ninja are aggressively recruiting smaller ninja clans to join the war.  The only problem with their effort is that the Oboro wipe out any clan even considering joining the Iga.  On the plus side, they do it using a limited color palette that really heightens the mood.  I mention this because the previous sentence makes me sound intellectual.

That's gonna stain......

The war is in full force at this point, with talk of strategies, supply line controls and espionage.  Our three warriors dispatch yet another Oboro ninja who fights with illusions which they are able to dispel with pain.  At the end of the fight they meet up with an old friend of Ryoma's, Kayo of the Kouga.

If that wasn't an illusion it would probably hurt like hell

The Iga ninja debate whether or not the Kouga can be trusted, with Sakon being vehemently anti-Kouga.  Kayo explains that there are over 20 families in the Kouga clan, and some have indeed defected to Nobunaga's side.  The senior ninja management  decides to trust Kayo, which infuriates Sakon.  He decides to leave the ninja alliance, flirting with Ayame briefly on his way out the door.  The alliance comes under attack, and as it turns out Kayo was a traitor.  Not really her fault though, as an Oboro ninja was inside her body controlling her every move.

Never let an Oboro inside you

This ninja has a few fun abilities.  Not only can he control a person from the inside, but he can also make an enemy's head explode and turn himself into a giant bug.  He quickly wipes out most of the Iga and takes Ryoma hostage.  After a bit of hemming and hawing Ayame finds a way to destroy the ninja without killing Ryoma.  Oh, and another throwaway ninja, Sakon's apprentice this time, is killed.

Say it ain't so semi-generic, disposable, male character!

Another year passes by, and the Iga alliance has managed to infiltrate Nobunaga's castle.  They quickly dispatch him and his right hand man, Ranmaru.  Of course all of this is too easy and it turns out the men they killed are body doubles.  In order to better prepare for the next assault, Ayame goes off in search of Sakon.  He has spent the past year sitting in a cave and whining about how much he hates fate and growing a beard.

That beard was worth the year of isolation

Sakon explains that if fate has decreed he must defeat Nobunaga, then fate also destroyed his village and is preventing him from making sweet love to Ayame.  So he hates fate, and is acting like a petulant child rebelling against a well-meaning parent.  Ayame leaves him to stew in his own facial hair and heads off to kill Nobunaga.  She gets ambushed by yet another Oboro ninja at the castle but is rescued by a mysterious masked man.

This obviously can't be Sakon, who could shave such a sweet beard?

While this battle goes on at the front gate, Ryoma sneaks in through the back by scaling a sheer cliff.  A pile of corpses and a creepy little child is awaiting him at the top.  The little girl is chanting a little rhyme about death and brings the corpses back to life.

She just wants to play, WITH YOUR LIFE!

While Nobunaga is reveling in his great victories, Ranmaru reveals to him that it is the time for the prophecy to be fulfilled.  Apparently this means Nobunaga gains the ability to transform into Godzilla, a power he isn't all that pleased with.  Our two male protagonists shoot sacred, evil-purifying beams at Nobunaga.  Ayame finishes him off with a stab to the face.

Ancient Japan needed more monstro-orthodontists

Ranmaru takes this opportunity to reveal that the ninjas fell into his dastardly plot to open the gates of hell.  He was the one who created the sacred blades, and when they are used in combination with extreme hatred, they open a portal to the underworld.  Ranmaru then attacks them with roofing tiles, while screaming that his plan can not be reversed. 

He missed his true calling as a general contractor

Sakon gets mortally wounded while protecting Ayame from the deadly building materials.  Ryoma takes a wild guess that a second, hate-filled energy blast focused on Ranmaru might close the gate of hell.  As we all know, nothing ends the cycle of hatred quite like even more hatred.  Ryoma stabs Ranamaru in the back, Ayame shoots her trademark energy beam and Sakon fire off one more shot with his dying breath.  All too easily, the demon blob from the underworld is forced to retreat.

The great Satan is not as impressive as I'd expect

 With the world safe from evil ninja and Sakon's dead body unable to grow more facial hair our story draws to a close.  Ayame gives a speech about how precious life is and decides to live as a woman again.

The End

 Why watch?
1. Monsters - There are some fairly cool monster designs in this show.

Death Hug

The blob returns

Some serious pest control problems

2. Exploding Brains - There is some decent violence in this movie overall, but the ninja that can make his enemies' heads explode really takes the cake.

Look at the eyes, such attention to detail

Why not to watch?
1. The plot - A fairly standard story about a team of warriors defeating a mad tyrant.  There isn't anything inherently wrong with that, but you've seen this type of thing many times before.

2. Guns - I severely disapprove of ninjas using guns as a general rule.  The gun use in this isn't prevalent, but seems completely unnecessary.

Ready, aim, drop your guns and pick up a sword!

Should you be watching?
You can skip this one.  "Wrath of the Ninja" is competently done, but not unique enough to warrant a lot of attention.   Check this one out if you really need some additional Nobunaga references, but otherwise you can pass on this movie.