While the ninja craze didn’t hit America until the ’80s with the massive miniseries Shogun, the Japanese had been enjoying ninja movies for decades. The most famous were of these entries were based on Shinobi no Mono novels written by Tomoyoshi Murayama in the early ’60s. Shinobi Volume 1 contained the first three films in the series that featured Raizo Ichikawa as the noble ninja Ishikawa Goemon. For this second volume containing the next three films, Raizo Ichikawa returns as a ninja although he’s now the legendary Mist Saizo. Shinobi: Volume 2 is as thrilling as the first ninja adventures with its mix of action and history.
Shinobi 4: Siege (1964 – 88 minutes) opens with the Toyotomi clan inside their massive castle in Osaka and being surrounded by Shogun Ieyasu (Ganjiro Nakamura). He wants to conquer Japan, but the legendary ninja Mist Saizo can’t have this happen. A peaceful and unified Japan means there’s no role for the ninja clan to operate. They are a tool of warlords to get the upper hand in intelligence and attacks. A ninja’s loyalty is normally controlled by which side pays them most. As the siege builds, Mist finds himself picking a side as he falls in love with someone inside the castle. Can he keep Ieyasu from smashing the Toyotomi? If he doesn’t, he will lose his legacy and heart.
Shinobi 5: Return of Mist Saizo (1964 – 92 minutes) begins with the collapse of the castle in Osaka. Mist helps the survivors of the bombardment escape into the wilds of Japan. Although this flight is tricky including a scene where he must sword fight underwater. While many people still fight with swords, warfare technology is making a leap in the early 1600s. One side receives a shipment of rifles that can fire three times before reloading thanks to a rotating barrel system. But this high tech doesn’t dissuade Mist from seeking revenge against a certain Shogun. Mist shows how much destruction a single ninja with amazing skills can do against a large force.
Shinobi 6: The Last Iga Spy (1965 – 89 minutes) lets us know what happened to the remaining members Toyotomi clan. The only opposition to the ruling warlord is Mist Saizo. He’s ready to attack. Can one ninja bring down an empire. Turns out he’s not alone as his own son Saisuke (played by Raizo Ichikawa) learns the way of the ninja and becomes part of the rebellion force. They receive detailed plans to the Edo castle. Can Saisuke get revenge for Mist and carry on his ninja legacy? This is pretty remarkable that the same actor plays three ninja characters in the series (so far) and you feel like they’re different people.
Shinobi – Volume 2 really does keep the historical action flowing across the screen. A lot of that has to do with Raizo Ichikawa being a compelling figure whether he’s wearing his black ninja mask or dressed in regular robe. There’s a great nuance as he switches characters in the middle of this trilogy. It is great that the work of Ichikawa is finally getting noticed in North America.
Shinobi: Volume Two is the first time these three films have legally been available on home video outside of Japan. As a person who loved ninjas and even created Stick Ninja back in the ’80s (see my cartoon at the bottom of this review), it’s extremely cool to finally see the Shinobi films after all these decades. The movies are large scale. The battles at the castle are huge with soldiers blasting away with cannons and eventual early rifles along with chaotic swordfights. The black and white cinematography ads to the shadows for the ninjas to hide inside during their missions. As epic as the films seem in description, each runs around 90 minutes. You can easily marathon the story of Mist on a weekend afternoon. This second boxset is as entertaining as the first boxset. For those pondering, the studio made 8 movies starring Ichikawa. The actor passed away from cancer in 1969 at the young age of 37. Hiroki Matsukata replaced him in the 9th film that came out in 1970. There are three more films in the Shinobi series awaiting arrival in America.
The Video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The 1080p black and white transfer look fantastic especially during the action scenes. This is the world premiere of the films being released on Blu-ray. They’ve done a great job giving us the maximum visual impact. The Audio is LPCM 2.0 Mono in Japanese. The sound is as clean enough to hear a ninja’s footsteps. All three movies are subtitled.
Interview with Japanese period film historian Taichi Kasuga (24:10) has him talk about how Daiei had two studios in Tokyo and Kyoto. The craftsman in Kyoto were know for their ability to bring out the beauty in period pieces. He gets into how they lit scenes differently than other studios.
The Faces of Raizo (4:21) is a visual essay by Tom Mes about star Raizo Ichikawa and the films he made for Daiei during the 50s and 60s before his death. The actor didn’t mind looking different in his films. This feature makes me eager for more of his films to finally arrive in America.
Interview with ninja film scholar Mance Thompson (18:12) has him delve into the role of the ninja in Japanese cinema. During the pre-World War II era, the ninja were more heroic. Afterwards, they became as darker on the screen. He gets into the history of the characters.
The Tragedy of Mist Saizo (11:34) is a video essay from Hayley Scanlon. She gives an overview of the action in these films. Don’t watch until after you’ve finished the films.
Select-scene audio commentary on Siege by Tom Mes (48:57) allows him to talk about the highlights in the film.
Illustrated Booklet with essays by Jonathan Clements on the Shinobi no mono series. Stephen Turnball investigates the reality of the ninja.
Six Postcards suitable for framing.
Radiance Films present Shinobi Volume 2: Limited Edition. Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka, Kazuo Ikehiro & Kazuo Mori. Screenplays by Hajime Takaiwa, Kinya Naoi & Kei Hattori. Starring Raizo Ichikawa, Tomisaburo Wakayama, and Midori Isomura. Boxset Contents: 3 movies on 2 Blu-ray discs. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: August 19, 2025.
Here’s one of my Stick Ninja cartoons for NC State’s Technician from 1986. It’s ‘groundbreaking” since I used the Mac to create the imagery instead of a pen.
