Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005)

If someone told Japanese author Futaro Yamada that his book The Kouga Ninja Scrolls, written in 1959, would become a multimedia explosion some 45 years later, I’m sure he wouldn’t have believed it. But that’s exactly what happened to the material, which is certainly ripe for the picking. A Romeo and Juliet style story set in the midst of rival ninja clans with magical powers is beyond awesome in my world. Obviously others agreed, and in 2003 it was turned into a 5 volume manga series entitled Basilisk, followed by a 24-episode anime series of the same name in 2005. That wasn’t all however, as at the end of the anime’s run, a theatrical live-action film was released, under the name Shinobi: Heart Under Blade. Apparently the subject matter can do no wrong, as the film is pretty much on par with everything that came before it.

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Two ancient ninja clans, the Iga of Tsubagakure and the Kouga of Manjidani, have been at odds with one another for hundreds of years. Currently, there is no violence between the factions due to a pact that prohibits them to strike out at each other. During this time, Gannosuke of the Kouga and Oboro of the Iga have begun a relationship in secret. Even with the pact, they know that this relationship would not be approved by their clans; the opposing sides still harbor much hatred for one another. At the same time, Japan is enjoying a time of peace, and the Shogun sees two potentially hostile ninja clans as something that could disturb that peace.

In an attempt to have the clans wipe one another out, the Shogun lifts the pact between the clans. The pretense given is that the Shogun, who is aging, needs to decide on an heir to his throne, and each clan would represent a potential heir, with the winning clans representative ascending to said throne. The leaders are to each make a list of their top 5 ninja and at dawn the next day, the battle is to begin. As fate would have it, Oboro is chosen to lead the Iga into battle, and Gannosuke is chosen to lead the Kouga. Can their love for one another transcend the bloodshed of the battlefield?

For anyone that’s seen the anime or read the manga (or read the source novel), you’ll notice that the film cuts down the opposing factions rosters by a few members each, but with a film that runs 102 minutes, it’s definitely a smart thing to do. While fans of the versions that came first will likely feel a sting of loss if their favorite character wasn’t included, everyone else will be fine. Had this film included every last character, it would have had to have been a 3-hour epic if it wanted to avoid being a complete mess. Even with the cut-down number of participants, a few of the included characters still only have a couple of minutes worth of screen time, so you can see it was certainly a wise decision to slim down the proceedings.

Left-out characters aside, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade manages to completely nail the feeling of the manga and anime before it. I’ve heard the statement “live-action anime” many times before, but it can be applied nowhere better than here. Wonder what a live-action adaptation of Ninja Scroll might look like in the right hands? Look no further. Sure, many of the cooler effects are achieved through wire-work and CGI, but how else could you translate the over-the-top nature of most action anime to live-action? Thankfully for the most part, the stuff looks damn good. There’s the occasional shot where the CGI is painfully obvious, and a couple shots here and there that look quite unnatural, but they’re few and far between, and the incredible action and moving story more than make up for any of the films technical shortcomings.

Speaking of the action, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade is an action junkies dream. Whether you like your action by way of martial arts, weapons, supernatural abilities, or fueled by the melodramatic, the film has you covered. All of the characters are well versed in the ways of the ninja, and all wield unique weapons, as well as a specific “ninpo” (magic) technique. Among my favorites is Yashamaru, who fights with thin razor-sharp strings that he uses to lash his enemies with, as well as tie them up; once confined, if he pulls just a little harder on those strings, you can imagine that only bad things would come of it. You’ll also be treated to a shape-shifter, a literal “Poisonous Seductress”, an immortal, and more. All of these different aspects add up to some epic battles between the two factions. What lends even more weight is neither side is exactly good or bad. Through generations of bad blood, they feel almost obligated to hate one another, and have been manipulated by the Shogun to wipe each other out based on their long-standing hostilities. You’re likely to find yourself rooting for them to stop fighting altogether more-so than choosing a specific side.

While I found myself enjoying the hell out of this film, I can definitely see that viewers that have no knowledge of any of the previous works this story is based on not being as thrilled with the film as others that are familiar with the material. The story feels a bit rushed, some of the characters are woefully under utilized, and overall it does come off as fan-service for the already established fanbase. Regardless though, this is some of the best fan-service money can buy. Those that can put aside a somewhat shaky story foundation and enjoy the film for its excellent visual flare and amazing action sequences are sure to find much to love here. If you’re in the market for a cinematic thrill-ride, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade is sure to deliver the goods.

Video
Shinobi: Heart Under Blade is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, and is encoded in 1080p/AVC. It looks much better than the DVD, which was somewhat soft and not very sharp. The outside scenes are extremely sharp, with some nice depth and amazing landscape shots. The darker scenes lack the depth of the outside scenes, but it’s a small complaint. Also, the clarity of the picture sometimes pulls back the veil on some of the lesser CGI shots, exposing some technical shortcomings. Everything looks amazingly vibrant however, and the film for the most part is certainly enhanced by the HD treatment.

Sound
The Blu-Ray features a Japanese Dolby TrueHD 6.1 surround track as well as an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track. Some may think I’m a snobbish purist because of this, but I hate dubs, so I’m only going to comment on the Japanese track, as I didn’t even give the English track a second thought. The Japanese track has some wonderful directionality, with shurikens whooshing by in the background and leaves rustling in the forest. Everything is balanced nicely, with no dialogue lost in the midst of all of the action.

Extras
No Blu-Ray exclusives here, as the disc basically features all of the extras from the DVD release, in standard definition. We get some storyboards, which to be honest I’m never much interested in. What I was interested in was a 40 minute featurette on the visual effects of the film, which took a different approach by focusing more on the VFX team and how they achieved their goals rather than languishing in lots of tech-speak. There’s also an interesting little piece on the history and legacy of many of the weapons used throughout the film. We also get a short peek at set-design, a short behind-the-scenes look at choreographing one of the fight scenes, and your standard trailers and TV spots.

If Shinobi: Heart Under Blade sounds appealing to you, and you have a Blu-Ray player, there’s no reason not to grab it. While it doesn’t have any exclusive content over the standard DVD, the upgrade in the picture quality is worth the price of admission alone, and when that price is only a couple dollars more than the DVD, you can’t go wrong. And as any other Japanese film fan can attest, a Japanese film on Blu-Ray is definitely a cause for celebration!

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