Anime’s 4K version screens on October 4, 5, 7
Sentai Filmworks announced on Thursday that it will screen the 4K version of Ninja Scroll (Jūbei Ninpūchō) anime film on October 4, 5, and 7 in the U.S. and Canada. The company streamed a trailer:
Image courtesy of Sentai Filmworks
© 1993 Yoshiaki Kawajiri/Mad House/JVC/TOHO Co. LTD/Movic Inc
Sentai screened the world premiere of the 4K film on February 15 at 10:00 p.m. CET at Berlinale, the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. The film then got encore screenings on February 16 and 22. This marked the first anime film to be featured in the event’s Berlinale Classics section.
The company will release the film on a limited edition Blu-ray Disc Steelbook in 4K UHD in early 2027.
Sentai Filmworks spearheaded and produced the 4K restoration and remaster of the film under the supervision of director Yoshiaki Kawajiri. The restoration involved a 4K scan (3840×2160 pixels) of the original 35mm negative, followed by damage repair and color correction.
HIDIVE began streaming the film again in Japanese with English subtitles and with the original English dub in November 2024.
HIDIVE describes the story:
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!
Iconic Events Releasing and Anime Expo screened Ninja Scroll for the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release in the U.S. in September 2024 for AX Cinema Nights.
Kawajiri not only directed the Ninja Scroll film at the Studio Madhouse, but he also wrote the screenplay and designed the characters. The film opened in Japan in 1993 and later became a popular showing on American cable television. Sentai Filmworks licensed the film in in 2012. The film had previously streamed on services such as HIDIVE and Hulu.
The 13-episode Ninja Scroll television anime series by Madhouse aired in 2003. Discotek released the series on Blu-ray Disc in 2020. Urban Vision previously released the anime on VHS and DVD in 2003-2005.
Source: Press release
