A Seamless Continuation of the Ninja Saga

Read Time:6 Minute, 7 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Shinobi Vol 2 [Limited Edition]
Siege (Shinobi no Mono 4) –
Return of Mist Saizo (Shinobi no Mono 5) –
The Last Iga Spy (Shinobi no Mono 6) –

Genre: Action, Drama
Year Released: 1964–1965, Radiance Films Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 4h 27m
Director(s): Tokuzō Tanaka, Kazuo Ikehiro, Kazuo Mori
Writer(s): Based on stories by Tomoyoshi Murayama
Cast: Raizō Ichikawa, Tomisaburō Wakayama, Midori Isomura, Ganjirō Nakamura, Saburō Date, Yutaka Nakamura, Otome Tsukimiya, Ryūzō Shimada, Shiho Fujimura, Jōtarō Senba
Where to Watch: available August 19, 2025. Pre-order your copy here: www.radiancefilms.co.uk, www.mvdshop.com, or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: Radiance Films continues its deep dive into the world of Iga ninja with SHINOBI VOL. 2, a meticulously presented box set that picks up right where the first volume left off. This three-film collection—SIEGE, RETURN OF MIST SAIZO, and THE LAST IGA SPY—retains the series’ mix of historical drama, espionage, and martial arts, while subtly shifting its focus toward political maneuvering and personal vendettas.

The connective thread remains Raizō Ichikawa’s Mist Saizo, a calculating yet human figure whose skill with a blade is matched by his ability to navigate dangerous feudal politics. In SIEGE (4 out of 5), directed by Tokuzō Tanaka, Saizo serves warlord Yukimura Sanada (Tomisaburō Wakayama) in a bold plot to assassinate Tokugawa Ieyasu. The scale here is bigger than earlier entries, with siege warfare sequences that expand the action beyond one-on-one skirmishes. Tanaka uses these set pieces not just for spectacle, but to frame Saizo’s mission within the broader political instability of the era. While it doesn’t radically reinvent the formula, SIEGE’s execution and visual scope make it a satisfying continuation.

RETURN OF MIST SAIZO (4.5 out of 5), directed by Kazuo Ikehiro, may be the high point of the second volume. Picking up almost immediately after SIEGE, it tightens the narrative focus while raising the emotional stakes. With Ieyasu now abdicated, Saizo’s mission shifts into murkier territory, involving hidden agendas, shifting alliances, and an unexpectedly poignant thread of loyalty and loss. Ikehiro’s pacing allows for moments of quiet character work between bursts of choreographed ninja action, and the inclusion of a skilled female ninja adds fresh dynamics to the otherwise male-dominated landscape. It’s the kind of middle entry that both deepens the characters and sharpens the stakes, delivering the most balanced and immersive storytelling of the set.

THE LAST IGA SPY (3.5 out of 5), directed by Kazuo Mori, marks a generational handover as Saizo’s son, Saisuke, inherits both his father’s name and his dangerous mission. This passing of the torch is thematically rich but narratively less focused, with the plot branching into multiple layers of political intrigue and competing ninja factions. While the story sometimes stumbles under its complexity, Mori stages some of the most visually arresting action in the entire Shinobi series, including a rooftop duel that stands among its most iconic sequences. It may not reach the same emotional or structural highs as the previous two films, but it closes the series with enough energy to maintain its momentum.

As a collection, SHINOBI VOL. 2 succeeds because it preserves the tonal consistency and historical grounding established in the first volume while allowing each director to bring subtle variations in pacing and style. Where the original trilogy leaned heavily on personal vendetta and the immediate brutality of ninja warfare, this set is more invested in the interplay between personal motives and national power struggles. The action is still there—precise, deliberate, and steeped in ninjutsu authenticity—but it’s the shifting political chessboard that ultimately drives the trilogy’s tension.

Radiance’s presentation once again elevates the material. The Blu-ray transfers bring out the rich black-and-white cinematography, preserving detail in both shadowy interiors and sunlit exteriors. The mono audio tracks are clean and well-balanced, retaining the period authenticity without sacrificing clarity. As with the first volume, the supplemental features add substantial value. Interviews with historian Taichi Kasuga and ninja film scholar Mance Thompson provide valuable context for the series, situating it within both Japanese cinema and historical accounts of ninja activity. Tom Mes’s select-scene commentary on SIEGE offers keen insight into the staging and thematic framing, while visual essays like “The Tragedy of Mist Saizo” and “The Faces of Raizō” explore the character’s evolution and the actor’s enduring legacy. The packaging—complete with reversible sleeves, postcards, and a well-researched booklet—matches the quality of the films themselves.

In the larger scope of the SHINOBI NO MONO series, this second volume underscores the franchise’s ability to adapt its central premise without losing its identity. The shift from Goemon in Volume 1 to the Mist Saizo saga here broadens the thematic palette, exploring how loyalty, revenge, and legacy play out across different historical moments. While not every entry is equally strong, the set as a whole maintains the high standard set by its predecessor, making it an essential acquisition for fans of Japanese period cinema and martial arts history.

Much like the ninja it portrays, SHINOBI VOL. 2 moves with purpose and precision—its impact felt long after the final duel fades into shadow.

Bonus Materials:
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
Reversible sleeves featuring artwork based on original promotional materials
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Jonathan Clements
Six postcards of promotional material from the films
Trailers
New and improved optional English subtitles
Interview with Japanese period film historian Taichi Kasuga (2025)
Uncompressed mono PCM audio
Interview with ninja film scholar Mance Thompson (2025)
High-Definition digital transfer of each film presented on two discs, made available on Blu-ray (1080p) for the first time outside of Japan
Select-scene audio commentary on Siege by Tom Mes (2025)

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[photo courtesy of RADIANCE FILMS, MVD ENTERTAINMENT]

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