Ninja Scroll

Directed byYoshiaki KawajiriWritten byYoshiaki KawajiriProduced byStarringCinematographyHitoshi YamaguchiEdited byMusic byKaoru WadaDistributed byTokyo Theatres Company94 minutesCountryJapanLanguageJapanese

Ninja Scroll (Japanese: 獣兵衛忍風帖, Hepburn: Jūbē Ninpūchō; lit.'Jubei's Ninja Chronicles') is a 1993 Japanese animatedjidaigeki-chanbara film written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, starring the voices of Koichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono, Daisuke Gōri, Toshihiko Seki and Shūichirō Moriyama. The film was produced by Animate Film and distributed by Tokyo Theatres Company. Ninja Scroll was theatrically released in Japan on June 5, 1993, and received an English-dubbed release through Manga Entertainment in 1995.

The film takes place in feudal Japan and follows Kibagami Jubei, a mercenary swordsman who battles the Eight Devils of Kimon, a team of ninjas with supernatural powers who are intent on overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate. During his quest, he is aided by Dakuan, an elderly but crafty government spy, and Kagero, a Kōgakunoichi whose body is infused with toxins.

Praised for its animation and action scenes, Ninja Scroll is regarded by many as one of the most influential anime films ever made. Alongside Akira and Ghost in the Shell, it was responsible for increasing the popularity of adult-oriented anime outside of Japan. The film has been cited by The Wachowskis as an influence on the Matrix franchise, and resulted in Kawajiri later contributing to two segments of the anthology film The Animatrix.

A televised sequel, Ninja Scroll: The Series, was aired in Japan in 2003.