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ANIME REVIEWS

Copyright © Yamada Futaroh / Amuse · Phoenix



—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 twists—including 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
Where to buy


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