Director: Kōsei Saitō
Screenplay: Ei Ogawa
Based on the novel: Iga Ninpocho by Futaro Yamada
Starring: Hiroyuki Sanada, Noriko Watanabe, Mikio Narita, Akira Nakao, Jun Miho, Seizo Fukumoto, Sonny Chiba, Strong Kobayashi
Country: Japan
Running Time: 100 min
Year: 1982
BBFC Certificate: 18
Toy Robot Video are one of the new labels in town – well, actually a sub-label of Arrow Video – but they’re already making a huge splash with an eclectic and interesting array of titles announced for their first few months.
September 2026 included Marshmallow which I reviewed for this very website, and my second Toy Robot Video review is of an absolutely cracking ninja fantasy film, Ninja Wars.
The 1982 movie, directed by Kōsei Saitō from a screenplay by Ei Ogawa, is based on the novel Iga Ninpocho by Futaro Yamada and is set during the Sengoku era in Japan, which occurred between the 15th-to-17th-century and was known as a fractious period of civil war.
The plot follows a power hungry lord, Matsunaga Danjo (Akira Nakao) who forms a pact with evil wizard Kashin Koji (Mikio Narita) and supernatural Dark Monks, who are sent to attack Kagaribi (Noriko Watanabe), the lover of ninja Fuefuki Jotaro (Hiroyuki Sanada).
Unbeknownst to anyone Kagaribi is the sister of Lady Ukyo (Noriko Watanabe), whom the evil Danjo is scheming to win the hand of to gain power. After being kidnapped, Kagaribi chooses to kill herself with a magical scythe like attack she enacts with her hand, rather than face the shame of being a prisoner.
Her lover Jotaro vows revenge, and challenges the villain, ultimately the dark wizard Koji, to an epic battle. So, essentially we have a tale of an evil power hungry lord, forming an alliance with an evil wizard and supernatural henchmen, and the good ninja who will attempt to take them down in an act of revenge for the death of his lover.
I had a great time with the film from the get-go. We’re immediately thrown into a bloody samurai battle that ends badly for most, and then the plot is swiftly set into motion with the evil alliance formed between Danjo and Koji, and the introduction of Kagaribi and Jotaro.
From these opening moments, there’s barely a moment to pause for breath as the plot cracks on at a blistering pace. Now, if you were paying attention to the actors in listed in the plot outline, you’ll have seen Noriko Watanabe appearing twice. Well, she also plays a third role, the monstrous Lady Hellfire. She’s outstanding and I was surprised to discover that the trio of roles came in her feature film debut. She holds the screen whenever she appears.
Fans of the recent TV version of Shōgun will also recognise Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays Jotaro. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Lord Yoshii Toranaga in the critically acclaimed TV series, and gives a good performance in Ninja Wars, particularly the moments following the death of his lover and in the finale.
The pair lead a strong cast – including a brief role for action star Sonny Chiba – who each portray their parts well and range from the good to the magical to the deranged in a memorable cast of characters.
There is some truly breathtaking imagery throughout Ninja Wars, which looks astonishingly good throughout. Visuals range from abstract backdrops for some of the more outlandish moments to beautiful countryside vistas. It’s a frequently gorgeous film and a real feast for the eyes.
It’s also a violent and graphic affair with plenty of blood shed and some very uneasy moments, not least sexual violence in the early parts of the film, so please go in forewarned, it is rated 18 for a reason.
The action sequences are inspired and involve wire work, traditional martial arts and special effects. They are a highlight of the film, as are the dark monks, who are a really interesting and creepy bunch with special powers. One vomits yellow acid which hardens on impact, while the monks can also teleport and switch bodies around; decapitating two women in one sequence and swapping their heads.
Toshiaki Yokota’s score is rousing and another of the highlights of a film that is full of brilliant parts.
In closing, I had a blast with Ninja Wars. It’s a very entertaining slice of 1980s Japanese cinema, with some wonderful performances, brilliant action sequences and over the top moments. It has a great score and is visually breathtaking at times. Highly recommended for fans of Japanese cinema, particularly over the top, fantastical martial arts pieces
Film: 
Ninja Wars is released on Blu-ray by Toy Robot Video on 28th September 2026. The 2022 4K digital restoration is very good, with the film looking strong throughout. Detail is fine, the colour schemes are natural and it’s a pleasing transfer all round. The audio is also great.
Special features:
Audio Commentary by Jonathan Clements
A Japanese Ninja, author Matt Alt on Ninja Wars
The Way of the Ninja, author and academic Daisuke Miyao on the ninja in Japanese Cinema
Theatrical Trailers
VHS version (in standard definition)
The audio commentary by Jonathan Clements is located in the audio menu, rather than special features. Clements is a Japanese cinema expert who provides a wealth of background about the film, its source material and author, plenty of those in front of and behind the camera and plenty more. It’s a fantastic commentary.
Author Matt Alt provides a strong 22-minute piece about the film. He talks about the importance of ninja films on the James Bond films (a neat element), the popularity of ninjas in American pop culture in the 80s and his first experience of the film in question. Alt then provides some great background to the film and ninjas in general. I really enjoyed this piece.
Author and academic Daisuke Miyao provides a brilliant 24-minute run through ninja cinema by way of the film. There’s so much to glean from this one, from the films that were coming out in Japan in the 80s to how Miyao first came across Ninja Wars and why he was impressed with it. He also considers the film in the context of the source novel. It’s a fascinating piece which has a very personal feel thanks to Miyao’s love of the genre and of the film.
The trailers section runs for six minutes and includes three cool promos, including two containing the English language dub, contained in the VHS version.
That VHS version is included in standard definition with the English dub and in 4:3 pan and scan. It is in far from perfect shape but is a welcome inclusion as a curio.
Zack Davidson provides a written essay on the disc which gives a good rundown of the film and its players.
So, it is another strong early release for Toy Robot Video. They are releasing some really interesting films with great audio-visual presentations and worthwhile extras.
Disc/Package: