History YMMV / NinjaScroll

* AluminiumChristmasTrees: Kagero's poisonous abilities have some basis in reality; there were apparently Hindu female assassins called [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visha_Kanya vishakanya]] that were specialized at it.

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: The relationship between Jubei and Kagerō can ultimately be described as one based on mutual compassion, rather than romantic love or sexual desire. [[spoiler:Kagerō ultimately [[IntimateHealing offers her body to Jubei to cure him of the poison Dakuan gave him]], in spite of her insecurities about never being able to form intimate connections and living as a LustObject at best. [[AboveTheInfluence Jubei instead refuses]], knowing that Kagerō wants a meaningful relationship and not SexForSolace. When she is later mortally wounded by Genma, [[LastKiss Jubei kisses Kagerō as she dies]], which turns out to be enough to cure him. He then claims [[TragicKeepsake her headband]] and wears it into his final battle with Genma]].

* NeverLiveItDown: The movie is often criticized by its supposedly gratuitous portrayal of female characters as either [[TheVamp evil temptresses]] or [[DamselInDistress defenseless victims.]] While both are kind of true in the story, ''Ninja Scroll'' plays with these tropes more than it is credited, and most of the time it gives a good contextual justification for each. Kagero, the movie's usual whipping girl, is explicitly stated to be a food taster without any field experience, which naturally gives her a hard time against the setting's veteran ninja assassins; yet even so, she kicks as much ass as the male protagonist thanks to her own abilities, and actually saves his life more times than vice versa, almost to the point of InexplicablyAwesome given her background. As for seductresses like Benisato or Zakuro, it is well known and historically documented that sexual seduction and deception were a vital part of a kunoichi's job, and not including them in a period film about ninjas would have been a hard case of PoliticallyCorrectHistory.

* SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing: Quite well done for an anime film released in 1995 in North America, and seems to rival most of Creator/{{Funimation}}'s dubs. It trades in some typical stock anime phrases with some typical action movie stock phrases, and considering the subject matter, it just works so well. For example, the "Burn in your golden hell!" line is dub-only; in the Japanese track, it's a general "die!" quote.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: No, this is not like ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', despite being {{Anime}} with ninjas (though it and its source material arguably inspired part of ''Naruto''). Tessai's gory slaughter of the Koga ninja and attempted rape of Kagerō should be your first clues.

* {{Squick}}: Again, far too many moments to list.

* SugarWiki/Heartwarming Moments: The relationship between Jubei and Kagerō can ultimately be described as one based on mutual compassion, rather than romantic love or sexual desire. [[spoiler:Kagerō ultimately [[IntimateHealing offers her body to Jubei to cure him of the poison Dakuan gave him]], in spite of her insecurities about never being able to form intimate connections and living as a LustObject at best. [[AboveTheInfluence Jubei instead refuses]], knowing that Kagerō wants a meaningful relationship and not SexForSolace. When she is later mortally wounded by Genma, [[LastKiss Jubei kisses Kagerō as she dies]], which turns out to be enough to cure him. He then claims [[TragicKeepsake her headband]] and wears it into his final battle with Genma]].

* SugarWiki/Heartwarming Moments: The relationship between Jubei and Kagerō can ultimately be described as one based on mutual compassion, rather than romantic love or sexual desire. [[spoiler:Kagerō ultimately [[IntimateHealing offers her body to Jubei to cure him of the poison Dakuan gave him]], in spite of her insecurities about never being able to form intimate connections and living as a LustObject at best. [[AboveTheInfluence Jubei instead refuses]], knowing that Kagerō wants a meaningful relationship and not SexForSolace. When she is later mortally wounded by Genma, [[LastKiss Jubei kisses Kagerō as she dies]], which turns out to be enough to cure him. He then claims [[TragicKeepsake her headband]] and wears it into his final battle with Genma]].

* HeartwarmingMoment: The relationship between Jubei and Kagerō can ultimately be described as one based on mutual compassion, rather than romantic love or sexual desire. [[spoiler:Kagerō ultimately [[IntimateHealing offers her body to Jubei to cure him of the poison Dakuan gave him]], in spite of her insecurities about never being able to form intimate connections and living as a LustObject at best. [[AboveTheInfluence Jubei instead refuses]], knowing that Kagerō wants a meaningful relationship and not SexForSolace. When she is later mortally wounded by Genma, [[LastKiss Jubei kisses Kagerō as she dies]], which turns out to be enough to cure him. He then claims [[TragicKeepsake her headband]] and wears it into his final battle with Genma]].

* HeartwarmingMoments: The relationship between Jubei and Kagerō can ultimately be described as one based on mutual compassion, rather than romantic love or sexual desire. [[spoiler:Kagerō ultimately [[IntimateHealing offers her body to Jubei to cure him of the poison Dakuan gave him]], in spite of her insecurities about never being able to form intimate connections and living as a LustObject at best. [[AboveTheInfluence Jubei instead refuses]], knowing that Kagerō wants a meaningful relationship and not SexForSolace. When she is later mortally wounded by Genma, [[LastKiss Jubei kisses Kagerō as she dies]], which turns out to be enough to cure him. He then claims [[TragicKeepsake her headband]] and wears it into his final battle with Genma]].

* SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome: [[Awesome/NinjaScroll Has it's own page.]]

** The technique Genma uses to break Jubei's arm is an obscure disarming move from ancient jujutsu that is only kept in some styles of UsefulNotes/{{Aikido}}, where it is called ''kannuki hiki tate''. True Edo stuff, in other words.

* GeniusBonus: Genma's employers boasts they will use the gold to buy "the most advanced weapons from Spain" and use them against the Tokugawa Shogunate. Historically, western weaponry was introduced in Japan by the Portuguese, not by the Spaniards, who had much less contact with Japan, but Spanish weapons were reputed to be superior in quality.

* SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing: Quite well done for an anime film released in 1995 in North America, and seems to rival most of Creator/{{Funimation}}’s dubs. It trades in some typical stock anime phrases with some typical action movie stock phrases, and considering the subject matter, it just works so well. For example, the "Burn in your golden hell!" line is dub-only; in the Japanese track, it’s a general "die!" quote.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: No, this is not like ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', despite being {{Anime}} with ninjas (though it and its source material arguably inspired part of ''Naruto''). Tessai’s gory slaughter of the Koga ninja and attempted rape of Kagerō should be your first clues.

* NightmareFuel:
** Highlights include: Tessai’s sickening massacre of the Koga ninja; Benisato using the skin of an old woman filled with serpents so she could lure Jūbei where she wanted to trap him; the death of [[spoiler:Mushizo when he falls underwater and is torn apart from the inside out by the hornets trying to escape his body]]; and of course, [[spoiler:Genma’s death scene]].
** If you suffer from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trypophobia trypophobia]], try to watch any scene with Mushizo without scratching. You will fail.

* SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome:
** "Ruin your plans?" "Not at all." [[StuffBlowingUp BOOM!]]
** All of the duels between Jūbei and the QuirkyMinibossSquad count, but the fight with [[BlindWeaponmaster Utsutsu]] really stands out.
** '''[[LargeHam "Genma! BURN IN YOUR GOLDEN HELL!"]]'''