Makai Tenshou

Get ready for a nightmarish journey through faith and betrayal as the infamous Jubei Yagyu wields his deadly blades against the forces of good and evil alike. In an orgy of unbelievable savagery, the armies of the Shogun give no quarter as they ruthlessly slaughter their enemies. Trapped on the rocky isthmus of Amakusa, the faithful await divine aid as the demon stirs in their midst. Desperate for vengeance, a Child of Heaven becomes the emissary of Hell.

Tortured by visions of Amakusa's final hour, legendary swordsman Jubei Yagyu returns to his ancestral home seeking respite from the bloody duties of a feudal retainer. Life in the village of Yagyu possesses a serenity ill-befitting days of armed rebellion and unholy alliance. For Jubei the tranquility is far too transparent, and soon, chilling rumors reach him. Four dead heroes renew their claim to life, feeding on the fear and violence of the age. Forced to take up the sword once more, Jubei returns to the path of vengeance and damnation in Ninja Resurrection!

(Source: DVD cover)

Yagyuu, Juubei Main

Genda, Tesshou Japanese

Amakusa Tokisada, Shirou Main

Okiayu, Ryoutarou Japanese

Yataro Supporting

Mashiba, Mari Japanese

Okyo Supporting

Okamoto, Maya Japanese

Mataemon, Araki Supporting

Wakamoto, Norio Japanese

Greenfield, Matt Producer

Urata, Yasunori Director, 2nd Key Animation

Date, Kensei Sound Director, Script

Ishikawa, Ken Original Creator

Reviews

Nov 30, 2008

Tremor

Recommended

This is an excellent ova, its bad they didn't continue doing it, i heard a lot of people saying i thought it has something related to ninja scroll, please don't think just because the font is like each other its gonna be related, first you have to investigate a little about what you are going to watch.

I like very much this ovas, because in the bottom this is a real story they just took it and add some gore and mystical ninjas, this is one of japan real stories of feudalism, so i insist first investigate instead of saying its bad, cause its very good ... animation.

If want to know more from this just search for the movies, Ninja Resurrection there are a lot of them with people, actually there is one with sonny chiba as yagyu jubei. So just watch all of the history behind anime and you'll understand the thing better

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Jan 18, 2018

Denizu

Mixed Feelings

I knew nothing about Makai Tenshou except that a lot of people who had seen it were either disappointed because they thought it was a sequel to Ninja Scroll, or disturbed by the amount of violence and gore they had to endure in just two 35 minute episodes. Given that it only comprises of two episodes, I was expecting a short, straightforward and rushed story, like Curse of the Yoma or something, and that would have been perfect if that had been the case. Seems to me like they had more episodes planned but the reception was just so bad that they didn't ... even bother to keep going.

Now, that doesn't mean Makai Tenshou, or Ninja Resurrection, is not....enjoyable. I enjoyed myself, although I admit I could have chosen something better to waste my limited free time. The story is decent, not great, but not bad, but I like cultural-religious period pieces so the base of the story revolved around the Tokugawa and the rise in Christianity appealed to me. Add some ninjas and supernatural forces and you've got a promising plot, right? Well, maybe you could have had the series not ended right when ish was about the hit the fan. I was actually interested in what might had happened between Jubei and Shiro, and wondered how other introduced problems and suspicions related the the whole.

The art was okay. If you're not accustomed to earlier anime from the mid/late 90s then the art may not appeal to you, but I grew up with 90s anime so it was all very natsukashii. The animation was smooth and the fight scenes didn't look choppy or awkward.

If you like gore and dismemberment, you'll get more than enough. I've definitely seen worse in other anime, like Genocyber and Corpse Party, but I can see why some viewers found it disturbing or uncomfortable. There are a few scenes that made me say "What the....did it have to be done that way???". If you watch it, you'll see for yourself, I don't want to ruin the surprise.....but there is rape, as a forewarning.

The music is whatever, I don't pay much attention to background music, but it was typical for a Feudal Era anime with all the brass instruments and short but quick notes. Don't expect any traditional inspired intro or outro.

I can't say much for characterization because you don't get to know anyone. You learn about Jubei a bit, you get an idea of whats going on with Shiro and his followers, and you are suddenly introduced to some new characters who seem interesting but cliche. Like I said...had there been more episodes, who knows....

Overall, I gave Makai Tenshou a 5. I expected something REALLY bad and awful, but after watching it, knowing that it is NOT related to Ninja Scroll, I was surprised that I was able to stomach it and actually wonder. It's not great, but it's not so horrible either. I suspect so many bad reviews came from high expections, and maybe because mine were so low that I found it mildly enjoyable.

So, if you like ninjas, blood, intestines, and have problems with commitment, have a good, or bad, time with this one.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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May 10, 2008

L-sama

Not Recommended

There comes a time in every anime watcher’s life that he or she must stare pure horror in the face and, as much as one may not want to, watch an anime that makes their skin crawl. My friends, this was my time.

I can honestly say that this anime did have a decent introduction. The narration, read over stills of maps and old pictures, paints a picture of a potentially decent story. The instant the real animation starts, however, all of the hype is lost in a sea of dismembered corpses. When I say sea, I mean it. The amount of blood and gore in ... these 2 OVA alone is more than enough to almost give Berserk and Elfen Lied a run for their money; even two children are slaughtered and their decapitated heads are shown to the viewer. If you think that these action scenes are well animated, think again. For a 1998 OVA, the animation is horrific, using stills to simulate the ninja “dashing” by and killing guards along the way. Let’s also not forget the gratuitous sex scenes that do absolutely nothing for the main story line and are equally difficult, if not more so, to stomach. Though the gloomy style of art fits well enough, it is no where near enough to bring this title out of mediocrity.

To make matters worse, Ninja Resurrection is historically based. If the producers would have stuck to the time period in question, this series may have gone down a bit easier. Instead, they decide that Jubei’s crew should have a little help in their battles. The ninjas somehow come across the wonders of 20th century technology in their fight against Shiro and his followers; one ninja even sports a rocket launcher (Yes, you read correctly) and another flies overhead with the aid of a jet pack. Keep in mind, folks, that this anime is taking place in the Japan of the 1600’s.

I really can’t say anything more without repeating myself. If you want a good series based off of real Japanese history, pick up something like Rurouni Kenshin instead. However, if you’re a masochist, then by all mean, pick up Ninja Resurrection at your own risk. Fair warning though, this might even be too painful for a masochist to watch.

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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