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Yotoden: Wrath of the Ninja
Anime DVD Review
This is the first time that I've heard of Yotoden: Wrath of the Ninja, until the re-release of the original series in DVD, which surprisingly comes with the movie. Despite many opinions that are floating around regarding Yotoden, I have to say I enjoyed it quite a bit.
It reminded me of the old days when I sat in front of my TV watching the VHS version of Fists of the North Star. They have similar violence levels (at least, as far as my memory serves me these days), gushing fountains of red blood (no, my TV was not black and white) from the smallest paper cuts and all. Even if the thing that died was not human, blood would be replaced in equal quantities of ghostly goo or evil black (or some color other than red) demon plasma. If you have trouble with blood, just remember this is just an anime and as long as you tell your kids that fake blood is ok and real blood (in this quantity outside of the body) is not good, you'll be fine.
 The fighting is also pretty good; there is actually a style to their fighting. I remember laughing at old animes where the only style of fighting consists of which direction the one punch that kills the villain comes from. Each character has their own style of fighting to match the sacred weapons that they possess and, of course, allow them to tap into the powers hidden in them. The dagger is close combat and its power shows itself when Ayame wants to protect her friends. The halberd is pure strength, not that good when it comes to speed, but it's most powerful when Ryoma is fighting for his family. The sword is much cooler stylistically and it shows its power when Sakon finally realizes that his reason to fight was his love for Ayame.
Another reason I liked Yotoden was its historical and cultural notes. No, I'm not a nerd but I really liked the Onimusha games on the PS2 where I have to beat the great big bad guy, Nobunaga. It helps to read into why he's such a popular guy to kill in video games and animes. I mean, the Qing emperor united China and was a bit of a tyrant too but he's not featured in THIS many animes and video games. He was a little nuts, too, but he can't even compared to Nobunaga. Nobunaga isn't even given any props for uniting Japan or being a mastermind of war. He's just portrayed as this crazy guy that sold his soul to the demons, so that he can conquer the world. This anime he's portrayed as a whiner, too. Genghis Khan didn't even get this bad of a reputation. In addition to the notes, I also couldn't resist getting another chance to see Nobunaga getting wiped of the face of planet again.
Since this anime dates back to (*gasp*) 1989, it's practically ancient, so I wouldn't recommend on watching it with the language set on English. Please opt on Japanese with English subtitles; your ears will thank you. Also, since the DVD comes with movie and original series, always go with the original. We all know that remakes can never compare with the original. Yes, the movie technically is a remake of the original less a few parts. The story is relatively intact but, trust me, the original is better. The flow is better and you won't feel like you have to watch the original just to find the few parts that you missed.
Reviewed by Carloyn Whu, February 2007
Wrath of the Ninja:
The Yotoden Movie
Anime DVD Review
(Editors Note: This was our first review for the DVD)
There is actually a great historical storyline interwoven within all its action and suspense. Ayame, holder of the dagger, is joined by Sakon and Ryoma - renegade ninja and the possessors of the sacred sword and spear. Now, these shadow warriors must unite their weapons and skills to fulfill The Prophesy of the Enchanted Swords - or die trying.
A refreshing change is that the heroine does not have the "blond hair, blue eyes" look that is typical of other anime. She and the other female characters actually look like real women and not some artist's fantasy, this makes the movie so much more realistic and easy to watch.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, December 2003
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