Ninja Scroll

Ninja Scroll (Japanese: 獣兵衛忍風帖, Jūbē Ninpūchō) is a 1993 Japanese animated action thriller film written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Set in feudal Japan, it follows the mercenary swordsman Kibagami Jubei as he battles the Eight Devils of Kimon, a group of ninjas with supernatural powers. Along his journey, Jubei is aided by Dakuan, a crafty government spy, and Kagero, a Kōga kunoichi whose body is infused with deadly toxins. Renowned for its animation and intense action sequences, Ninja Scroll is considered one of the most influential anime films ever made, alongside Akira and Ghost in the Shell, and was responsible for increasing the popularity of adult-oriented anime outside Japan. Ninja Scroll also served as an inspiration for the later Matrix film series. In addition to the movie, a television series named Ninja Scroll: The Series aired in 2003, and a sequel project, Ninja Scroll Burst, remains in development. The film is set in the Edo period and depicts themes of ninjas, conspiracy, betrayal and revenge, focusing on the Yamashiro clan's secret gold mining and shipment to the Shogun of the Dark, and how Jubei gets caught in the middle of the conflict.