Shogun’s Ninja (Limited Edition Blu-ray Review)
Released in 1980, Shogun’s Ninja stars legendary Japanese actor Sonny Chiba as the villainous titular Shogun (Shiranui), battling the then-little-known Hiroyuki Sanada (who’s currently experiencing a career resurgence, particularly in the US) as Momochi Takamaru, in a loose historical fiction action revenge blockbuster meant to be a breakout vehicle for Sanada; including having him sing the title song (and which generally works). While the film didn’t debut as a hit, partly due to poor executive release planning, it went on to gain a notable cult status not too long after release.
Film ★★★☆☆
As revealed by the modest 2 extras on the disc, which go into insightful detail on the background and making of the movie, the film had a somewhat challenging production – at least from an executive perspective, as perspective clashes on the films tone and release, let alone budget slashing, make it easy to see why the film is somewhat scattered and not as cohesive as it can be.
When viewed as a straight revenge movie, Shogun’s Ninja is very basic and straightforward, as a child Takamaru witnesses his parents killed by Shiranui, who then returns after a 10-year escape to China later to go on a revenge quest, reconnecting with childhood friends, family, his mentors, and his love interest. There’s a healthy amount of action throughout the film, provided by Chiba’s Japan Action Club, which isn’t the most exciting by 2026 standards, but is fairly impressive for 1980; a handful of dark sequences, along with the overall blood and gore, were pleasantly surprising – even with editing tricks to make things “safer.”
Unfortunately, very few, if any, of the characters are interesting.
However, what does make the movie more intriguing and fascinating is highlighted by the disc’s two extras, in that the film was originally written as a comedy with over-the-top action sequences. Watching the movie as almost a gonzo parody of Japanese action movies makes it significantly more interesting – especially with the anachronistic disco jazz funk soundtrack (which, on its own, is pretty great). Notice the various scenes that are simply showcasing Sanada being fit and basically posing (training).
Tôru Nakajima’s cinematography is also an easy highlight of the movie. Were there an isolated soundtrack feature on the disc, it would be perfect as the background for a party or at a bar (although likely without the music).
At nearly 2 hours, the film feels long, and it makes sense why this was supposedly the first of a trilogy. Conversely, there’s enough story here that a TV show or mini-series likely would’ve served the story better.
Video ★★★★☆
Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC
Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Clarity/Detail: While the restoration isn’t the strongest, considering this is a cult Japanese movie from 1980, the transfer is very good, if not borderline great. Yes, there are some scenes and shots that are underwhelming, with softness around various parts of the frame and occasional grain, but that may be due to source issues.
Nakajima’s cinematography is on full display, and this may be the best the movie might ever look on home video. Edges are distinct, helping distinguish characters, costumes and environments; again, even if some shots are softer than others.
Heck, look no further than how noticeable the wigs are as a reflection of the video’s nice quality (whereas the makeup to blend the wigs could be better).
Depth: Forest panoramas may be the easiest showcase for the solid depth presented by the disc. Nakajima has numerous shots separating foreground and background elements to help make the world feel bigger, and Arrow’s transfer nicely showcases the different focal points.
Black Levels: Blacks certainly aren’t as deep or rich as a 4K disc, but are nice and rich for bluray. Night shots have a particular pop, as well as shadows and blacks in lighter sequences. Good contrast helps the colors pop more.
Color Reproduction: Colors look fairly gorgeous and vibrant on bluray. They’re easily a highlight of the disc, with reds looking particularly great whether on clothes or from blood. Other colors also stand out, particularly various shades of green during forest sequences, as well as blues and greys (even in day-for-night shots).
Flesh Tones: Flesh tones look very clear and natural, when factoring in the lighting and makeup. The movie and transfer nicely showcases different skin hues.
Noise/Artifacts: Noise is unfortunately the “biggest” negative of the disc, as there’s a near-omnipresent amount of light noise throughout the entire duration.
Audio ★★★☆☆
Audio Format(s): Japanese LPCM 2.0 Mono; English LPCM 2.0 Mono
Subtitles: English
Dynamics: It’s a mono track, whether in Japanese or English, so by nature it’s not the most dynamic, but at least the music and sound effects sound good.
Height: N/A
Low Frequency Extension: N/A
Surround Sound Presentation: N/A
Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue is largely pretty clear, if a bit of a mixed bag in clarity and distortion (more though the disc is more of the former than the latter). The Japanese track fares much better than the English track, which has more noticeable compression.
Extras ★★★★☆
- Brand new audio commentary by Asian cinema expert Chris Poggiali
- The Rebirth of Japanese Action Cinema, a brand new interview with Japanese cinema expert Clément Rauger
- Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Earl Jackson
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Skinner
Both provide in-depth details on the film’s background by folks not involved in the production, and are quite meaty, even if just an appetizer.
Summary ★★★☆☆
Shogun’s Ninja was a challenge for me to connect with, but once the film got going (after 20-30 minutes) it’s easy to understand the charm. The second, more action-packed half, is also more engaging than the first. There are better Chiba-Hanada films, but Shogun’s Ninja offers an intriguing kitsch factor – plus that soundtrack! Arrow’s disc may have serviceable audio, but the video is a treat, offering a rich color palette.
