Ninja Scroll Will Arrive on New Streaming Service (And How The Anime Film Changed The Game)

There have been quite a few major anime films that have changed the anime medium over the years. Movies like Akira, Ghost In The Shell, Paprika, Your Name, and more have taken the world by storm. In the 1990s, one of the biggest films to arrive was Ninja Scroll, a brutal and bloody affair that was recently brought back to theaters to thunderous applause from anime fans worldwide. If you missed the brief theatrical run that Jubei’s adventure received, you’ll have the chance to stream it any time you want if you have a subscription to one of the biggest anime streaming services.

For those who might not be familiar with the 1993 movie, Ninja Scroll was produced in conjunction with Toho and Studio Madhouse. Following a wandering ronan named Jubei, the film has its fair share of deadly battles and even bloodier affairs as the protagonist attempts to save Japan from a nefarious plot concocted by the film’s villain, Gemma. The movie itself is a “one-and-done affair” for its initial story, though the franchise would continue in 2003 with a Ninja Scroll television series. Recently, to celebrate the movie’s thirtieth anniversary, the anime movie returned to theaters for a brief run in North America this past September, proving that Ninja Scroll still has serious legs decades later.

Ninja Scroll Dives Onto HIDIVE

Beginning on November 12th, HIDIVE subscribers will have the chance to watch Ninja Scroll whenever they want. Touting the anime movie’s arrival, the streaming service dropped the following release for anime fans, “Ninja Scroll (Juubee Ninnpuuchou) had a limited theatrical release earlier this year and if you missed your chance to see it, you’re in luck. Sign up for your free trial and get ready for your second chance to watch the classic movie mid-November right here on HIDIVE.”

HIDIVE also released a special synopsis to give fans an idea of what they’re in for when it comes to the bloody ninja affair, “When Jubei saves a young ninja woman from the unthinkable, he assumes that’s the end of it. To his surprise, it’s only just the beginning. Together, the two investigate the mysterious deaths of an entire village which uncovers a conspiracy of demonic proportions! Getting closer to the truth, the demonic forces will stop at nothing to silence Jubei and his companion for good!”

Will Ninja Scroll Return?

Despite the love that anime fans have for the original film, you might find it surprising that Ninja Scroll never returned past the 2003 television series. Unfortunately, you might be sad to hear that there were plans for a sequel from Studio Madhouse (One-Punch Man, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End) to bring Jubei back into the spotlight. Ninja Scroll Burst was set to arrive as a three-episode short animation. A script for the sequel had even been completed for this Ninja Scroll sequel but Madhouse confirmed that they had trouble finding investors to back the project. Unfortunately, the project remains in limbo as we speak.

Shockingly, like One Piece, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and other anime franchises, a live-action Ninja Scroll project was in development with Warner Bros. Announced in 2008, the movie even has Leonardo DiCaprio of all people set to produce. Unfortunately, much like Madhouse’s sequel plan, the movie never came to fruition and remains in a state of limbo. Perhaps, with live-action anime adaptations continuing to be big money-makers in the entertainment industry, we might see a live-action Jubei in our lifetimes.

Want to stay up to date on the world of Ninja Scroll? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com on all the latest Jubei updates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.