After endless years of civil war, feudal Japan trembles in the face of a terrible threat: the emergence of the ‘Shogun of Darkness’, who, with his army of demonic creatures and bloodthirsty warriors, intends to plunge the entire country into blood and fire. A powerful wandering warrior named Jubei is determined to stand up to him and defeat him, whatever the cost. During a fight, he saves the life of the young ninja Kagero, who will prove decisive in the final battle: the clash against the eight demons of Kimon.
Yoshiaki Kawajiri
A Japanese filmmaker born in 1950 in Yokohama. He worked at the Mushi and Madhouse animation studios, and in 1984 made his directorial debut with ‘Lensman: Secret of the Lens’ (co-directed with Shūichi Hirokawa), before going on to direct ‘Wicked City’ (1987) on his own. That same year, he directed one of the segments of the anthology film ‘Neo Tokyo (Labyrinth Tales)’, which also featured Katsuhiro Ōtomo and Rintarō, and his filmography includes iconic films such as ‘Ninja Scroll’ (1993) and ‘Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust’ (2000), as well as segments of ‘The Animatrix’ (2003) and ‘Highlander: The Search for Vengeance’ (2007). Earlier this year, the Berlinale screened a restored version of ‘Ninja Scroll’ as part of its Classics section, marking a milestone as one of the first anime works to be selected for this archival category of the festival.
