30 years later Ninja Scroll redefined how far anime could reach for audiences around the world, CBR had the chance to get in touch with the legendary Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Writer and director of Ninja ScrollYoshiaki Kawajiri reflects on a career that turned into storyboards, what's new Ninja Scroll would be, and the “#1” film he made.

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CBR: It’s been over 30 years since Ninja Scroll came out and made its mark on the industry. How do you see the film three decades later?
Yoshiaki Kawajiri: The impact of a really good movie doesn't fade with time, even if it was made 50 years ago. I'm a fan of Westerns and have been watching them since I was little. I've watched a lot of TV series and George Stevens' “Shane” is my favorite movie. I rewatch it once a year and I'm happy that “Ninja Scroll” still has such an effect on viewers after 30 years.
What lessons did you learn from working on Ninja Scroll?
There were no real lessons during the production process. I poured everything I had at that moment into the film. I imagine viewers saying, “I bet the director was smiling the whole time he was drawing this anime.”
I learned the importance of seizing the opportunity when it comes. The timing, the zeitgeist… there were a lot of things that were in my favor at the time. I'm proud to have put everything I love into this film.
If you could go back and remake Ninja Scroll, is there anything you would change today?
The story is so perfect that I don't need to change anything. But some delicate scenes would be difficult to keep as they are today. Otherwise, the story, twists and characters are the best I could get. If there was a remake of “Ninja Scroll”, it would be more about using new expressions like 3D animation.

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What were your main inspirations for Ninja Scroll?
I read a lot of manga like Mitsuteru Yokoyama's “Iga no Kagemaru”, “The Legend of Kamui”, and Sanpei Shirato's “Watari” when I was in elementary school. These works inspired me to draw a lot of manga myself. I came across Futaro Yamada's “Ninpocho” novels when I was in high school. I had a burning desire to make an animation based on Futaro Yamada's books even when I was directing “Wicked City”. But Futaro Yamada's novels play a lot on historical facts, which wouldn't make sense to someone who doesn't know the context. Also, I wanted to create a story that would resonate with young anime fans and global audiences. I created a protagonist that audiences could sympathize with more, which developed in “Ninja Scroll”.
10 years ago you created “Ninja Scroll BURST”. Are you interested in revisiting Jubei's chronicles for a modern audience and where would you take the story in the future?
The basic line of ninja entertainment will remain the same. I would like to use 3D animation and other new methods. I have already written some scenarios, so if someone has the budget for a 30th anniversary project, they can make new episodes based on them.
Ninja Scroll was a key influence on the original The Matrix, and you later worked on The Animatrix yourself. What was your experience working with the Wachowskis and contributing to The Matrix franchise?
At the time, I was the director of the “X” series, and it was difficult to work on other projects. That's when the Wachowskis sent me the scripts. I read them and didn't think they were really for me. I was ready to turn them down when they said, “Please write the scripts if you want.” I wrote two scripts and sent them, and they liked both “Program” and “World Record.” They said they wanted me to do both. I probably couldn't direct two short films on top of an anime series, so I asked Ken Koike to direct one.
I once went to the United States to meet the Wachowskis. They asked me during a meeting to change the ending of “World Record”. They didn't want the main character to die at the end, so we ended the story at the hospital scene. After that meeting, the visit was all fun. I visited the set of “Matrix Reloaded” just before production started. I saw the set of the highway scene. It was amazing to know that they built an entire highway just for that scene.
The production of “Animatrix” was also very interesting. Unlike Japanese animation, there is a process of creating a previsualization, I checked the previsualization and gave the green light. The process of creating music and sound effects was also good. There was a lot of time to work on the dubbing and M&E. The production scale in the United States was much larger than that of Japan and I was very impressed.

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Most of your recent career has been as a storyboarder. How does storyboarding an anime differ from directing and writing a work? Do you have any plans to return to directing?
Storyboarding and script writing can be done almost alone. You have a few meetings with the director and producer, and that’s pretty much all you see from the project team. If you’re the director, you have to meet with team members from each stage of production to discuss and share the concept and image of the title. It’s a bit lonely when you’re just working on storyboards, since you don’t see people, for example, in the artistic backgrounds. But when you’re the director, you need more stamina to keep going. Storyboarding isn’t as demanding as being a director. Considering my age and physical energy, directing might be difficult now.
Where does Ninja Scroll fit in among the many anime series and films you’ve worked on?
It may not be my best title, but I am very attached to “Ninja Scroll” because it is my original film. I would put “Ninja Scroll” at the top of my personal list.
“Ninja Scroll” hits theaters in the U.S. and Canada on September 11, 12, and 15, and will include an exclusive pre-show interview with director Yoshiaki Kawajiri, filmed in Tokyo especially for the 30th anniversary release. Pre-sale tickets and a full list of theater locations are available at AX Cinema Nights here.