The Ninja Dragon
Encyclopedia
, better known for its international title as The Ninja Dragon (not to be confused with the 1986 Hong Kong
film Ninja Dragon directed by Godfrey Ho
), is a Japanese
direct-to-video
action film
released in 1990
by the Tohokushinsha Film Corporation.
It was directed by Go Nagai
, his third film as director and his first as a solo director. The film was produced by Dynamic Planning
, Moby Dick and the Tohokushinsha Film Corporation. A Laserdisc
version was also released in Japan.
It was the first film starring Japanese
rock
musician Kenji Otsuki. It also features famous female Japanese wrestlers
Cutie Suzuki and Mayumi Ozaki
, and also Japanese idol
Etsuko Shinkoda. The film has cameos
of Ken Ishikawa
, Chiaki Kawamata
, Shintaro Ko, Yoichi Komatsuzawa, Tokitoshi Shiota, Haruka Takachiho
, Kunio Nagatani, Kaizo Hayashi
, Fujiko F. Fujio, Mari Yagisawa and Tetsu Yano
.
A manga
was also created by Go Nagai and Shinoyama Isami, and released as a single tankōbon
on November 7, 1990 by Kadokawa Shoten
. A 219 pages light novel
was also released in 1990, written by Kazuo Sakurai and published by Enix
, with the ISBN 4900527467 and ISBN 978-4900527461.
and in Canada
:
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
film Ninja Dragon directed by Godfrey Ho
Godfrey Ho
Godfrey Ho is a former Hong Kong-based prolific film director and screenwriter, sometimes considered the Ed Wood of Hong Kong cinema. Ho is believed to having directed more than one hundred films, including over 80 movies from 1980 to 1990, but only one film since 1995, apparently retiring from...
), is a Japanese
Cinema of Japan
The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world – as of 2009 the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. Movies have been produced in Japan since 1897, when the first foreign cameramen arrived...
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
released in 1990
1990 in film
The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
by the Tohokushinsha Film Corporation.
It was directed by Go Nagai
Go Nagai
, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...
, his third film as director and his first as a solo director. The film was produced by Dynamic Planning
Dynamic Planning
is a licensing company owned by manga artist Go Nagai. It was established in 1974 as a sister company of Dynamic Productions.Dynamic Planning is credited in all of Go Nagai's animated works since 1974 as the "planner" and/or "producer"....
, Moby Dick and the Tohokushinsha Film Corporation. A Laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
version was also released in Japan.
It was the first film starring Japanese
Music of Japan
The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is 音楽 , combining the kanji 音 with the kanji 楽...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician Kenji Otsuki. It also features famous female Japanese wrestlers
Professional wrestling in Japan
Puroresu is the popular term for the predominant style or genre of professional wrestling that has developed in Japan. The term comes from the Japanese pronunciation of "professional wrestling" , which is shortened to puroresu . The term became popular among English-speaking fans due to Hisaharu...
Cutie Suzuki and Mayumi Ozaki
Mayumi Ozaki
is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Ozaki debuted in a tag match in August, 1986. In her career, she held the WWWA tag titles with Dynamite Kansai from April 11, 1993 to December 6, 1993 (born October 28, 1968) is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Ozaki debuted in a...
, and also Japanese idol
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
Etsuko Shinkoda. The film has cameos
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
of Ken Ishikawa
Ken Ishikawa
was a Japanese manga artist. He is renowned as the co-creator with Go Nagai, of the Getter Robo anime series, as well as four of their subsequent manga continuations...
, Chiaki Kawamata
Chiaki Kawamata
is a Japanese science fiction writer and critic. Chiaki Kawamata has won both the Seiun Award and the Nihon SF Taisho Award. Chaki Kawamata is also noted for the manga Emblem of Roto.-References:...
, Shintaro Ko, Yoichi Komatsuzawa, Tokitoshi Shiota, Haruka Takachiho
Haruka Takachiho
is a Japanese science fiction author and founder of Studio Nue. Takachiho is best known as the creator of Crusher Joe, Dirty Pair and Dirty Pair Flash....
, Kunio Nagatani, Kaizo Hayashi
Kaizo Hayashi
is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He made his directorial debut with To Sleep so as to Dream . Abroad, he is best known for his neo-noir Maiku Hama trilogy, The Most Terrible Time in My Life , Stairway to the Distant Past and The Trap .-Partial filmography:* To Sleep so as to Dream *...
, Fujiko F. Fujio, Mari Yagisawa and Tetsu Yano
Tetsu Yano
Tetsu Yano was a Japanese science fiction translator and writer. He began to introduce to Japanese readers the works of US science fiction writers in the late 1940s. He was the first Japanese writer of the genre to visit the United States, in 1953...
.
A manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
was also created by Go Nagai and Shinoyama Isami, and released as a single tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
on November 7, 1990 by Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
. A 219 pages light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
was also released in 1990, written by Kazuo Sakurai and published by Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
, with the ISBN 4900527467 and ISBN 978-4900527461.
International releases
The film was released by Asia Pulp Cinema in different formats in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
:
- 2002-07-02 subtitled VHSVHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
version - 2002-08-13 dubbed VHS version
- 2002-08-13 subtitled/dubbed DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
version - 2005-05-24 subtitled/dubbed DVD version (Canada)
External links
- Kuso Kagaku Ninkyoden: Gokudo Ninja Dosuryu at allcinema
- Kuso Kagaku Ninkyoden: Gokudo Ninja Dosuryu at the Japanese Movie DatabaseJapanese Movie DatabaseThe , commonly referred to as JMDB, is an online database of information about Japanese movies, actors, and production crew personnel. It is similar to the Internet Movie Database, but lists only those films originally released in Japan. The site was started in 1997, and contains movies from Meiji...
- Kuso Kagaku Ninkyoden: Gokudo Ninja Dosuryu (manga and light novel) at The World of Go Nagai webpage
- Kuso Kagaku Ninkyoden: Gokudo Ninja Dosuryu profile at Moby Dick website