Apr 17, 2009
In 1614 Japan, there is a dispute poisoning the tokugawa shogunate, over which grandson of Leyasu, the retired shogun, will assume power when Hidetada, Leyasu's son, decides to step down from his current position as shogun. This conflict threatens to tear the whole of Japan apart if not settled soon. In order to settle this growning conflict it has been decided that the the peace agreement between the Iga and Kouga ninja clans be abolished in order to renew their ancient feud. Instead of this governmental dispute becoming a problem for the whole of Japan, a small scale war has been arranged. The ten top
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ninja of each clan is to take part in this affair, and the clan to have the last shinobi breathing is the victor.
The storyline plays out in this way. To begin the bloodshed, the heads of the clan (past lovers separated by trajedy and hatred) kill one another and the scene is set for the decimation of both clans. The Iga are able to intercept the news first, and kill the messenger of the Kouga clan. They take an early lead in the bloodshed, killing a number of Kouga members before Gennosuke and Oboro (the new clan heads and betrothed couple) are even informed. But when Gennosuke gets word not only is the union of the clans in shambles but the terrible power of his eyes is also revealed. Despite all this, he is a level headed man, yearning for peace. So he and the remanents of his people head out to confront Hittori Hanzo about the purpose of this conflict. The Iga (after Oboro binds her eyes which possess their own power) is led by the powerful and seemingly immortal Tenzen, whose goal is to stop them on their path. by the time both clans reach their destination there are only two members of each left fighting. And even in the last two episodes watchers are still left wondering not only which clan will be the victor, but even whether or not love has the power to blind the eyes of this ancient predjudice.
I both loved and hated this anime. It was a simplistic story but brilliantly handled. Although the powers of the characters was a little far-fetched at times their development in the story was heart wrenching. This was one of those rare animes that get the watcher attached to every character, by inserting well-placed bits of character history and personality quirks; but at the same time does not lead to an anemic plot or boring fillers. I have to admit that i Cried over every death from Hotarubi until Gennosuke. I do not cry often but it was the product of brilliant story weaving, I am a sucker for good character development. The music of this anime was very good but it was missing a little bit of something, at one or two places the theme music for the characters and things did not fit as well as I would have liked. But, overall it was very appropriate for the time period and mood. This is a 10/10 for me. This is THE BEST ninja anime in a very long time; the pinnacle of this genre! The percentage of character development and fluff to fighting was perfectly balanced just enough to keep watchers on the edge of their seats at all times wanting more. Everyone who is a fan of good, quality storylines need to see this anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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