{"id":31858,"date":"2025-08-20T12:36:52","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T19:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=31858"},"modified":"2025-08-20T12:36:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T19:36:52","slug":"blasts-from-the-past-blu-ray-review-shinobi-volume-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=31858","title":{"rendered":"Blasts from the Past! Blu-ray Review: SHINOBI VOLUME 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This three film \u201cLimited Edition\u201d set from Radiance Films\nis now available for purchase.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If the name Shinobi sounds familiar to readers, then you likely checked out my review of a Blu-ray set from last year featuring the legendary ninja character. It contained the Japanese films Band of Assassins<\/em> (1962), Revenge<\/em> (1963) and Resurrection<\/em> (1963) \u2013 you can read a full review of it here<\/a>. The trilogy of titles starred Raiz\u00f4 Ichikawa, and all were sizable hits in their homeland. However, the third effort ended on a note that didn\u2019t exactly allow for more follow-ups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems that someone at the production house found a clever\nworkaround to the problem and delivered more features. Star Ichikawa was cast\nas a new ninja character, dealing with the same kind of action, drama and\npolitical intrigue featured in the previous chapters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now Radiance Films has released Shinobi Vol 2<\/em>, a\n\u201cLimited Edition\u201d set containing the next three pictures in the series.\nIncluded in this package is Siege <\/em>(1964), The Return of Mist Saizo<\/em>\n(1964) and The Last Iga Spy<\/em> (1965).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like the previous release, this edition delivers a high-\ndefinition transfer of each film on two Blu-rays. Once again, the 2K transfer\nquality is excellent, certainly better than one would expect for 60-year-old\nplus movies from the other side of the world. The elaborate and detailed\nplotlines do take a bit of catching up for new viewers, but the various\nfactions and stakes soon become clear. Like the previous movies, the\nprotagonist is caught up in a battle that he can\u2019t really win, with warlords,\nshogun and even members of his own group turning on each other and battling to\nsurvive during a tumultuous period in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Siege<\/em> sets things up, introducing a new lead in\n\u2018Mist\u2019 Kirigakure Saizo (Raiz\u00f4 Ichikawa), an Iga ninja known for using the\ncover of mist and smoke during his assignments. The story is inspired by the\nactual Siege of Osaka in 1614, with the talented Saizo devoted to the Toyotomi,\nwho are under attack from shogun military leader Ieyasu Tokugawa (Ganjir\u00f4\nNakamura). Tokugawa\u2019s army is incredibly powerful and it\u2019s clearly only a\nmatter of time before he will rule the entire country, but the protagonist is\ntrue to his people\u2019s cause, saving a princess during the battle and fighting\nhis way out of the brutal raid. He ultimately seeks revenge on Tokugawa, but\nfinds it incredibly difficult, as those around him make deals and maneuver to\nsave their own lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As in the previous chapters, star Ichikawa is a charismatic\nscreen presence who can make an impression on viewers while saying very little.\nThe weight of fighting a seemingly unwinnable war is certainly visible on his\nface. The photography is also impressive, with many dark environments. A chunk\nof the film involves the main character captured and imprisoned by a former\nninja who has changed sides and joined the Tokugawa. These sequences, including\nSaizo\u2019s escape, are exciting to watch. The film is also very impressively shot,\nwith the well appearing deep and inescapable. When the two men from opposite\nsides do speak, the debate about ethics and loyalty is impressively delivered.\nThis is an enjoyable effort that ends with small gains made by the lead character. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The follow-up picks up immediately from the end of Siege<\/em>,\nto the point where one could see the two pictures being fused into one epic\nfilm. The Return of Mist Saizo <\/em>begins with lead character \u2018Mist\u2019 Saizo\n(Raiz\u00f4 Ichikawa) hiding out on an island near the southern coast of Japan. By\nnow, many individuals want him dead. Of course, he feels the same way about his\nenemies (who are now in complete control of Japan), and plots an assassination\nattempt on the first Tokugawa Shogun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think this might actually be my favorite title in the\ncollection, as it does offer a few new and original elements. Once again, the\nbattle scenes are elaborately choreographed and exciting to watch. It is\nvisually interesting to see the story move to a more unique-looking island\nlocation, as Saizo works with the Sanada people to complete his mission. Water\nis featured in some of the action and the lead character also squares off\nagainst a pair of sisters whom he previously befriended after his arrival. The\nmain story also plays out in an interesting manner, as the hero finally\nencounters a now sickly Ieyasu Tokugawa during the finale. While Saizo does\naccomplish a major goal, it\u2019s presented as a bittersweet victory rather than a\ntriumph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that story having reached its conclusion, The Last\nIga Spy<\/em> begins more than a decade later, with the main character from the\nprevious two films perishing quickly during the Battle of Shimabara (a revolt\nagainst the shogunate rulers). Saizo\u2019s son Kirigakure Saisuke (also played by\nRaiz\u00f4 Ichikawa) takes up the ninja mantle left behind by his father. He is\nhired by a warlord to help take down the government rulers, but they have their\nown ninjas that they set against Saisuke. This leads to plenty of\nninja-vs-ninja battles. The protagonist also sets out to protect his sister\nYuri (Kaoru Yachigusa) from harm, who turns out to be a princess that was\nraised as his sibling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once again, the central ninja finds himself in\nover-his-head. There is almost no one for the lead to count on or trust\n(besides Yuri). Still, he plods on, while those within the government do their\nown plotting to earn power and influence in the new world. Action-wise, there\nis an incredible rooftop battle in the rain late between Saisuke and the main\nninja foe that is spectacular to behold. It\u2019s gorgeously shot, with the two\nslashing, sliding and using other maneuvers to try and defeat one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The plot is exposition-heavy, but this is still a very\nentertaining entry that ends on a similar and appropriate note. The series of\ntwists and confrontations leave Saisuke disillusioned, and the solitary figure\ntrudges off into the wild knowing that his existence from this point forward\nwill surely be a lonely one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering these titles are chapters four through six in a\nfilm franchise, they are extremely well-made and sure to entertain any fan of\nninjas or Japanese cinema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discs also include some great bonus material to help\nNorth American viewers understand them with a bit more clarity. There is an\ninformative select scene commentary on Siege<\/em> with film expert Tom Mas\nwho gives historical background on the movie and the real story it was inspired\nby. Of course, you\u2019ll also get an analysis of the use of shadow and info about\nstar Ichikawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Japanese period film historian also presents fascinating\ndetails about the three titles included in the set. Most notably, each of these\nthree movies had a different director who came from a different generation of\nmoviemakers. The speaker points out some of the unique elements in each\nindividual feature. It seems that the first title was made by a very young\nfilmmaker, the second by a noted middle-aged director, and the third by a\nseasoned senior. I\u2019m not sure that their ages at the time of production make a\nbig difference on the final products, but it is interesting to hear and all\ncertainly have their specific stylistic flourishes. It\u2019s an entertaining\nconversation that is informative.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also on the first disc is a visual essay that is really a\nmontage. It features the many facial expressions used in the titles by lead\nactor Raiz\u00f4 Ichikawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On disc two, ninja film scholar Mance Thompson gives a\nwelcome talk about the history of ninja films, as well as the various\nreferences to historical events in this series. The speaker certainly knows a\nlot about the customs of the ninja and shares how influential these pictures\nwere in making these types of films popular. He also notes that a scene\ndepicting silk sashes being created to hold swords is remarkably accurate.\nWhile the films are taking some liberties, Thompson points out specific details\nin them that are surprisingly authentic. It\u2019s an enlightening feature that\nflies by quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Additionally, there is a visual essay on the lead character\nand tragic elements present in the final film. It is a tad dry, but does\nprovide a clear thesis and plenty of background detail about the characters and\nwhat occurs over the course of the tale.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A trailer is also included, as well as six postcards\nfeaturing promotional images, a reversible sleeve with artwork based on\noriginal promotional materials, and a booklet with an essay on the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, the titles in this set are quite strong and\nthe collection will entertain all fans of this period in Japanese cinema. Three\nmore Shinobi titles would follow in this franchise (two of which still starred\nRaiz\u00f4 Ichikawa), and most who pick up this collection will be excited to, with\na little luck, see more titles in the coming years. The \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Shinobi\nVolume 2<\/em> Blu-ray set is well-worth picking up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This three film \u201cLimited Edition\u201d set from Radiance Films is now available for purchase. If the name Shinobi sounds familiar to readers, then you likely checked out my review of a Blu-ray set from last year featuring the legendary ninja character. It contained the Japanese films Band of Assassins (1962), Revenge (1963) and Resurrection (1963) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":31871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[93,94,697,3067,6251,9639,10385,14092,14919,15922,16584,16615,18273,18274,18378,21261,22051],"class_list":["post-31858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvdblu-ray-reviews","tag-93","tag-94","tag-action","tag-blu-ray","tag-drama","tag-ichikawa","tag-japan","tag-mist-saizo","tag-ninja","tag-period","tag-radiance-films","tag-raizo-ichikawa","tag-shinobi-vol-2","tag-shinobi-volume-2","tag-siege","tag-the-last-iga-spy","tag-the-return-of-mist-saizo"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31858\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}