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Copyright © Yamada Futaroh / Amuse · Phoenix |
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by Charles McCarter
Let me set the record straight on one thing before we begin: despite the
title of this OVA, it is not a sequel to JUBEI NINPOCHO (NINJA SCROLL),
which was released by Manga Entertainment. Even though there are ninjas in
it, and one of them is named Jubei, it's not the same deal. At least, not as
far as I can tell. The entire production company and all its staff are
entirely different. What it is, however, is an OVA series originally titled
MAKAI TENSHO. The misunderstanding undoubtedly arises from the fact that
this show, like NINJA SCROLL, uses Yagyu Jubei, a legendary historical
figure, as one of the characters.
Anyway, the Christians are being persecuted in Japan. Historically, after
Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan in 1600, the new Japanese government started
expelling foreigners on the belief that they would be a threat to their
rule. As time went on, this ousting began to include foreign beliefs, chief
among them Christianity. Many Japanese Christians were tortured until they
either recanted or died. As a result, those who still chose to practice
began to do it in secret.
There is a prophecy that the Son of God will be born and deliver them from
their enemies. They believe that Amakusa Shiro, a young man with seemingly
divine powers, is the child of the prophecy. But there is also a dark verse
to this prophecy as well: If the child is blocked from becoming the Son of
God, then he will be reborn again as Satan. This dark prophecy pervades the
entire video, and the viewer can only sit and wait to see how (for it is
certain that it will happen) the evil prophecy will be fulfilled.
Set in the Shibahara Rebellion, this first episode deals with the siege of
the castle where the Christians are hiding. At first, all seems to be going
well, but the Tokugawa officials have employed some special operatives to
break down the castle's defenses. And just when things don't look like they
can get any worse, they really do.
There is a lot of action in this episode, with ninjas, armies, and magic all
playing roles in the battle. There are also some rather futuristic
twistsincluding an armored ninja whose armor turns into a jet plane.
Seriously.
Overall, this is an interesting, although unquestionably violent, video.
Perhaps it is a cultural perspective, but it is strange to think of
Christians having "magical powers" since those abilities are usually
reserved for demons, ninjas and other bad guys in samurai films.
The box says that this is "for viewers 18 and over only." I wasn't quite
sure why, until I watched it. There is a lot of blood when people are
violently killed (which happens fairly often). But it's not just that.
There is one scene in here that is very bizarre and in questionable taste.
In Japan, approximately 1/2 of one percent of the population is Christian, but
the United States is very much a Christian country. So some people could
be offended by this scene, in which some rather lewd goings-on happen inside
the church. I don't want to give too much away, but seriously, those who are
easily offended should really pass this title by.
This title may be more interesting for the controversy it may cause then for
the actual show itself. I know that I am interested to see how this dark
curse runs its course, but I'm not sure that the general population is ready
for this
title. 
Released in N. America by A.D.V. Films
VHS, 50 minutes
English Subtitles VHSNR/001S $29.95
English Dubbed VHSNR/001D $24.95
Available now in the USA
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