"To understand people's minds and control them is the secret of the ninja strategy. But only true sympathy can move the human heart."
Yoshiaki Kawajiri's Ninja Scroll (1993) was a bonified hit in the West at a time when anime was starting to find its footing in American culture. It's not hard to see why; the stylish animation from Madhouse and the copious sex and violence were an explosive cocktail, igniting many otaku of a certain age's obsession with anime. Along with Wicked City (1987) and Demon City Shinjuku (1988), it formed a trifecta that was in nearly every anime fan's collection. All three of these films have prominent female characters and share themes about loss of innocence and how even powerful women can be undermined through the status quo.
Ninja Scroll is a jidaigeki chanbara work, which loosely translates to a period piece featuring samurai (and ninjas) with swordplay and heightened action. It takes place in feudal-era Japan and captures a turbulent time when the Tokugawa shogunate was battling an upstart group of superpowered villains known as the Eight Devils of Kimon. The Devils grab the attention of Jubei Kibagami, a ronin who might have ties to the leader, and Kagero, a Kōga kunoichi who was the sole survivor of a ninja team massacre by the Devils. Like most samurai media, there is much double-crossing among the various factions and a heavy emphasis on political intrigue. The latter might have been a turnoff for Western audiences, but the exposition is often interrupted by flashy fight scenes and sexual titillation. As was common during this era of anime, rape is unfortunately used as a plot device, and it's pretty prevalent.
While the story's primary focus is on Jubei, Kagero has an intriguing character arc that encapsulates the traits that Kawajiri tends to put in his female characters. Her primary duty for her clan is food taster, as she has a natural immunity to poisons of all kinds. Unfortunately, after many years of tasting, her body has become infused with toxins, and even just the touch of her lips will kill someone. This affliction has caused her to forgo any intimacy with others due to a fear of accidentally killing them. Ironically, it also protects her from the constant sexual abuse that women had to endure during these times, as they were seen as property instead of actual people. Kagero is a skilled fighter, but repeatedly during the film, she is captured and sexually assaulted, a trope that comes up often in Kawajiri's work. For what it's worth, this film does show and acknowledge the PTSD that comes from being raped, showing Kagero emotionally grappling with it instead of having her press on like nothing happened.
Benisato, one of the Devils of Kimon, is a mirror archetype for Kagero. She, too, deals in poison through the ability to conjure poisonous snakes, and she uses her sexuality to seduce her victims and throw them off. Kawajiri uses the Madonna-whore complex subtly when depicting these two characters; if a female character is overtly sexual, she is usually represented as a villain, trying to hurt the male protagonist, and his love interest must be demure and chaste. If the chaste character dares to show any sexual wants, she is "punished" by being abused in the story, usually as a way to motivate the male protagonist. This is somewhat subverted in Ninja Scroll; Jubei is poisoned and can only be cured by sleeping with Kagero, who apparently would neutralize his poison with her own. When she offers him her body, he refuses because he doesn't want to take advantage of her. It does feel ironic that the one time she actually gives consent for sex, it doesn't pan out.
Although Ninja Scroll leans into unsavory tropes on the surface (perhaps for marketability), on a deeper level, it feels like a critique of the way women have traditionally been treated in Japan. Kagero's arc is written in a way where she is fighting to free herself from the shackles that have been put on her by society. Her journey begins with cutting off her hair, severing her past as a part of the shogunate, and cementing her new role as a ninja. Even as she is hurt and abused, she keeps going, not letting her clan's disrespect phase her. Her relationship with Jubei ends on a bittersweet note, but she can experience compassion, even if just for a moment. She whispers to him while cradled in his arms, "It was the first time... anyone ever treated me as a woman, not as a ninja warrior who was completely expendable."
--Michelle Kisner