Shinobi no Mono 3-Film Collection (1962-1963) (Radiance Films)

[MifuneFan]

Radiance Films will be releasing the first three films from the popular and influential Shinobi no Mono series in May! The films include, Ninja: A Band of Assassins (1962), Revenge (1963), and Resurrection (1963). Update: Radiance has now announced a 2nd volume with films 4-6 for August 2025! Full details below.

Shinobi Volume 1 (1962-1963)

https://diabolikdvd.com/product/shin...gion-preorder/

LIMITED EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES:

• High-Definition digital transfer of each film presented on two discs, made available on Blu-ray (1080p) for the first time outside of Japan
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio
• Interview with Shozo Ichiyama, artistic director of the Tokyo International Film Festival, about director Satsuo Yamamoto
• Visual essay on the ninja in Japanese cinema by film scholar Mance Thompson
• Interview with film critic Toshiaki Sato on star Raizo Ichikawa
• Trailers
• New and improved optional English subtitles
• Six postcards of promotional material from the films
• Reversible sleeves featuring artwork based on original promotional materials
• Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Jonathan Clements on the Shinobi no mono series and Diane Wei Lewis on writer Tomoyoshi Murayama
• 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

It’s the 16th century and Japan is in chaos. Samurai clans engage each other in battle over who gets to rule the nation, while warlords call upon the ninja to spy on and assassinate their rivals. Goemon, an ambitious young member of a ninja family, is thrown into the turmoil of Japanese history when his village is wiped out by the forces of leading warlord Oda Nobunaga, who has sworn to eradicate the ninja in his quest for absolute power. Fueled by vengeance, Goemon uses every weapon in his arsenal to bring down Oda and to prove that a ninja is an army of one. Starring “the Japanese James Dean” Raizo Ichikawa (Sleepy Eyes of Death, Conflagration) alongside Tomisaburo Wakayama (Lone Wolf and Cub, the Bounty Hunter trilogy) and Ayako Wakao (Elegant Beast, Red Angel), the Shinobi series was an epoch-making success and became a social phenomenon that left deep marks on Japan of the 1960s, from children’s playgrounds to the leftist counter-culture. Packed with spectacular and oft-copied action scenes, it also established the ground rules for all ninja movies that followed, introducing such classic tropes as the shuriken throwing star and the iconic black mask and suit.

Radiance Films trailer for Band of Assassins

Radiance #54 Shinobi: Band of Assassins (Satsuo Yamamoto) New Trailer - YouTube

Shinobi Volume 2 (1964-1965)

Release Date: August 19, 2025

https://diabolikdvd.com/product/shin...gion-preorder/

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES

• High-Definition digital transfers of each film, made available on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Japan
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio
• New Interview with Japanese period film historian Taichi Kasuga (2025)
• New Interview with ninja film scholar Mance Thompson (2025)
• Select-scene audio commentary on Siege by Tom Mes (2025)
• 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
• Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Shinobi Vol 2

Three more spectacular tales of ninja action in this continuation of the hugely influential series. This time, Raizo Ichikawa (Shinobi 1-3) stars as Mist Saizo, a ninja with a grudge who won’t rest until he has assassinated the supreme leader, the Tokugawa shogun. directed by three of the Daiei Studio’s top period action specialists, these films feature epic battles, ingenious spycraft and thrilling ninja fights.

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. Directed by Kazuo Mori (Shinobi 3: Resurrection, Zatoichi at Large), this film pits ninja against ninja, including a breathtaking rooftop battle scene that is one of the highlights of the entire Shinobi series

Shinobi Vol 2 (1964 - 1965) - New Trailer [Radiance #127] - YouTube