Directors: Tokuzô Tanaka (Siege), Kazuo Ikehiro (Return of Mist Saizo, Kazuo Mori (The Last Iga Spy)
Screenplay: Hajime Takaiwa, Kei Hattori, Kin’ya Naoi
Based on Novels by: Tomoyoshi Murayama
Starring: Raizō Ichikawa, Midori Isomura, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Ganjirô Nakamura, Yukiko Fuji, Shiho Fujimura, Eitarô Ozawa, Kaoru Yachigusa, Isao Yamagata
Country: Japan
Running Time: 87 min, 91 min, 89 min
Year: 1964-5
BBFC Certificate: 15
Back in May 2024, Radiance Films released a Blu-ray box set containing the first three films in the Shinobi (a.k.a. Shinobi No Mono) series. I enjoyed working through that a great deal, so I was thrilled to hear they are now releasing the next three titles in the nine-film series. Simply named Shinobi Vol. 2, the latest set contains Siege (a.k.a. Kirigakure Saizo), Return of Mist Saizo (a.k.a. Zoku Kirigakure Saizô) and The Last Iga Spy (a.k.a. Iga-yashiki).
Though still starring Raizō Ichikawa, the three films presented here see the actor playing a different ninja, Kirigakure or ‘Mist’ Saizo, and later his son, Kumogakure Saizo, in the sixth film.
Due to the consistent lead and overall story, I’m going to review the films as one.
Like in the previous films, this latter trilogy of sorts mixes historically accurate stories with some more exciting new aspects. The ninja elements, in particular, have been added. It’s debatable whether or not the ninja actually existed then, at least in the form we know them.
Over the three films in the set, Saizo is hellbent on assassinating the Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa, assisting leaders who oppose the dictator’s rule, whilst awaiting his chance. To go into a little more detail as to the plots of each individual film, I’ll refer to the blurbs supplied by Radiance:
In Siege, Raizo Ichikawa is Mist Saizo, the legendary folk hero and Iga ninja. Working in the service of warlord Yukimura Sanada (Tomisaburo Wakayama), he plots to assassinate Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, but finds himself facing the might of the nation’s supreme ruler.
In Return of Mist Saizo, our black-clad hero continues his mission to avenge his master, even after Ieyasu has abdicated from the throne. Told as one continuous story, these two films weave their ninja action in and out of Japanese martial history, featuring epic battles, ingenious spycraft and thrilling fight scenes.
In The Last Iga Spy, Mist Saizo’s son Saisuke takes over his father’s name and mission. He is recruited by a rebellious warlord to assist a plot to overthrow the government, but the Shogun hires a rival ninja clan to thwart the uprising. Meanwhile, other forces are also at play.
Radiance’s second collection of Shinobi films shares many of the same qualities with the first. The stories are quite complex, revelling in political intrigue and devious plots with plenty of spying, subterfuge and assassinations. It took me a little while to get my head around what was going on in the first film, as it throws a lot of exposition at you to begin with. I could always tell who to root for though, and having the plot lead directly on into the second film set me on good stead for the story as it continued.
There’s plenty of action again. I’m not sure these later films are as bloody as some of the earlier ones, but we still get plenty of fun ninja sequences, where Saizo and also some evil ninjas get to show off their skills and gadgets. There’s also a fantastic rain-soaked rooftop fight between ninja and ninja in the sixth film.
I found Return of Mist Saizo to be the strongest of the three here. I found the plot less confusing than the first film, and it had a good overall balance of action, rousing drama and moral complexity. The addition of the female ninja, bound to kill Saizo for revenge over the death of their father, was a nice touch here too.
The other two entries are still highly entertaining though. I may have found them slightly less engaging because I was tired and watched them over just a few days, leading to a bit of Shinobi burnout.
They’re all nicely shot, as is to be expected from Daiei’s period films of the era. Their crews knew how to craft these to the highest standard. Great use is made of light and shadow, in particular.
Overall, fans of the previous set should pick this one up, without question. Anyone with an interest in Japanese period action movies should give it a shot too. You don’t necessarily need to have watched the first three films, though you should anyway, because they’re a lot of fun. Just like the titles here.
Siege: 
Return of Mist Saizo:
The Last Iga Spy:
Radiance Films’ Shinobi Vol. 2 set is out on 18th August on region A&B Blu-Ray. The transfers are strong, with a sharp image and minimal damage throughout the series. Whites can be slightly burnt out in places, leading to a lack of detail in brighter spots, but this isn’t too distracting and it’s much less frequent in The Last Iga Spy. I’ve used screengrabs throughout to give you an idea of how the films look, though these have been compressed. The audio is solid too.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES
– High-Definition digital transfers of each film, made available on Blu-ray for the first time in the world.
– Uncompressed mono PCM audio
– New Interview with Japanese period film historian Taichi Kasuga (2025, 24 mins)
– New Interview with ninja film scholar Mance Thompson (2025, 18 mins)
– Select-scene audio commentary on Siege by Tom Mes (2025)
– The Tragedy of Mist Saizo – a visual essay by film critic Hayley Scanlon (2025, 12 mins)
– The Faces of Raizo – a visual essay by Tom Mes (2025, 4 mins)
– Trailer
– Newly improved English subtitle translation
– Six postcards featuring promotional images from the films
– Reversible sleeve featuring artwork based on original promotional materials
– Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Jonathan Clements, and an archival essay by historian Stephen Turnbull
– Limited Edition of 3000 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Tom Mes provides a selected scene commentary over Siege. He talks about the whole series, giving plenty of contextual analysis. It’s an excellent track, despite not running the full length of the film (it covers roughly half of it).
Mes also provides a short visual essay, looking at lead actor Raizō Ichikawa, exploring some of the comments made by Taichi Kasuga in his piece.
In Kasuga’s interview, the Japanese period film historian talks about the series as a whole. He describes the skill of Daiei’s Kyoto crew, which specialised in making period films. He also talks about how the politics of the time influenced the films.
Mance Thompson begins by talking about ninja movies in general, describing their history and evolution. Then he looks at the Shinobi series and how that fits within the genre, as well as how it works historical elements into its stories.
Hayley Scanlon analyses the films in an essay. She offers some interesting approaches, looking at the stories and historical figures depicted.
I haven’t been sent the booklet to comment on that.
Overall, it’s a strong selection of extras, supplementing another enjoyable collection of classic ninja movies. Here’s hoping for another set containing episodes 7-9.
Disc/package:
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