In 2002, Studio Fantasia released Ninja Scroll: The OVA, a six-episode original video animation (OVA) series that serves as a prequel to the original film. The OVA explores the backstory of Kibutsuji, the protagonist of the first film, and provides insight into the world of ninjas and their struggles.
Broadcast standards for television required a reduction in explicit content. While still bloody and action-packed, the series focused more on fantasy adventure and monster-of-the-week battles than the psychological and physical brutality of the film. NINJA SCROLL -1993-2003- - Complete Movie and A...
Set sometime after the events of the movie, the series plunges Jubei into a brutal war between two powerful, warring factions: the Kimon Clan (rebuilt after Genma's demise) and the Hiruko Clan. Both factions are hunting for the , a mystical artifact capable of unlocking unimaginable power, and the Light Maiden , Shigure, a young village girl destined to wield it. In 2002, Studio Fantasia released Ninja Scroll: The
The series was designed to expand the lore of Jubei's world, trading the tight, claustrophobic narrative of the movie for a broader, episodic road-trip adventure across an alternative, demon-infested Tokugawa Japan. The Plot: The Dragon Stone and the Light Maiden While still bloody and action-packed, the series focused
Have you seen the 2003 Ninja Scroll: The Series ? Do you consider it canon? Let us know in the comments below. For more deep dives into 90s and 2000s anime completism, subscribe to our newsletter.
Ninja Scroll — The Series (2003)