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AN EPIC NOVEL THAT TAKES YOU DEEPER INTO THE WORLD AND HISTORY OF BASILISK!To resolve a clash over succession, the shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa has devised the ultimate contest. Two rival ninja clans, the Kouga and the Iga, will meet in a battle to the death. The victor will rule Japan for the next thousand years. But in the midst of this bloody war, an unlikely romance blooms between Gennosuke of the Kouga clan and Oboro of the Iga clan. Gennosuke and Oboro are the next leaders of their clans and their fates are inextricably bound with that of their families. In the colossal fight, the star-crossed lovers are faced with a fatal choice between true love and destiny. Can romance conquer a four-hundred-year-old rivalry? Or is their love fated to end in death?
Paperback Shinsho
First published January 1, 1959
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About the author
Fūtarō Yamada
155 books30 followersFutaro Yamada (山田 風太郎 Yamada Fūtarō?, January 4, 1922 – July 28, 2001) was the pen name of Seiya Yamada (山田 誠也 Yamada Seiya?), a Japanese novel writer, famous for his ninja stories and mystery fiction based on japanese legends. He worked in genre of historical fiction, popularizing legendary characters, ninjas and supernatural abilities in his works. Thanks to him many historical characters weren't forgotten in our days.
In 1947, he wrote a mystery novel Daruma-tōge no Jiken (達磨峠の事件?, lit. "The Incident on Dharma Pass") and was awarded a prize by a novel magazine Houseki (宝石?). He was discovered by Edogawa Rampo and became a novelist. He wrote many ninja (忍法帖 Ninpōchō series) and mystery stories. Many of his works have been adapted for film, TV, manga, and anime.
In 1947, he wrote a mystery novel Daruma-tōge no Jiken (達磨峠の事件?, lit. "The Incident on Dharma Pass") and was awarded a prize by a novel magazine Houseki (宝石?). He was discovered by Edogawa Rampo and became a novelist. He wrote many ninja (忍法帖 Ninpōchō series) and mystery stories. Many of his works have been adapted for film, TV, manga, and anime.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 2, 2020
A mi el anime que esta basado en esta novela me gusto mucho, así que llevaba mucho tiempo tratando de buscar este libro en ingles, por lo menos, hasta que descubrí que existía en en español y fui feliz.
A ver, si no has visto el anime, los personajes de este novela te resultan bizarros no, lo que sigue. Con todo eso de los superhéroes, puedes no sentirte identificado con ellos y verles como seres muy irreales y poco creíbles. El autor supera esto con un estudio bastante interesante de sus personalidades, dándoles a todos su momento de gloria. Muchos de ellos llegan a caer fatal al lector, pero con otros, claro, pasa lo contrario.
Lo único, que a mi me cortaba un poco el ritmo narrativo eran las explicaciones medicas sobre las técnicas de estos personajes, aunque reconozco que eran interesantes de leer.
Esta es una buena historia de aventuras, amor, odio y luchas. La prosa es muy simple y el autor sabe entretener y captar, totalmente, la atención del lector. El autor capta bien lo que debió de ser el mundo ninja y compone una obra tan fácil de leer como intensa.
Resulta muy interesante e instructivo el prologo que hay antes del inicio de la novela, con una buena explicación de la historia de los ninjas y su importancia en el Japón feudal , que ayuda mucho a la hora de entender el contexto en el que sucede esta historia.
A ver, si no has visto el anime, los personajes de este novela te resultan bizarros no, lo que sigue. Con todo eso de los superhéroes, puedes no sentirte identificado con ellos y verles como seres muy irreales y poco creíbles. El autor supera esto con un estudio bastante interesante de sus personalidades, dándoles a todos su momento de gloria. Muchos de ellos llegan a caer fatal al lector, pero con otros, claro, pasa lo contrario.
Lo único, que a mi me cortaba un poco el ritmo narrativo eran las explicaciones medicas sobre las técnicas de estos personajes, aunque reconozco que eran interesantes de leer.
Esta es una buena historia de aventuras, amor, odio y luchas. La prosa es muy simple y el autor sabe entretener y captar, totalmente, la atención del lector. El autor capta bien lo que debió de ser el mundo ninja y compone una obra tan fácil de leer como intensa.
Resulta muy interesante e instructivo el prologo que hay antes del inicio de la novela, con una buena explicación de la historia de los ninjas y su importancia en el Japón feudal , que ayuda mucho a la hora de entender el contexto en el que sucede esta historia.
July 1, 2018
I came to read this book knowing nothing of Yamada’s work, and never having seen the movie Shinobi: Heart Under Blade or read the manga Basilisk, which are both apparently based on The Kouga Ninja Scrolls. In fact, I was interested in this novel simply because the title reminded me of a fantastic animé called Ninja Scroll that I saw back in the ‘90s, and which recently popped back into my head for some reason, prompting an Amazon search for something similar to read.
This novel predates that animé by nearly forty years and, beyond the title, it appears to be completely unrelated storywise.
The Kouga Ninja Scrolls recounts the story of two mutually hostile clans of ninja who have been freed from an edict forbidding warfare in order to settle a succession crisis in the Tokugawa shogunate. Ten ninja from each clan must battle to the death to determine which of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s grandsons will become the next shogun. There is just one complication: the heirs to the leadership, Gennosuke of the Kouga and Oboro of the Iga, are in love and are intending to marry.
I’m not sure if this is a feature of the original Japanese work by Yamada, or an artefact of Geoff Sant’s translation, but this novel reads absolutely like a manga rendered into prose, with each panel described to the reader. This is not stylistically great, but it works pretty well for the subject matter of supernatural assassins battling each other in Edo-period Japan.
If I were to describe it in familiar western terms, it is rather like a group of X-men fighting another group of X-men - it really has that comic book style. In place of characterisation, the participants in the conflict are differentiated from one another by their ninja powers, so no reader will ever mistake it for profound literature.
Still, it does its job - there is plenty of entertaining combat and gruesome imagery, and plotwise, once you accept the daft premise of a succession being determined by a team deathmatch between magical assassins, it all makes enough sense to hang together.
I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone wishing to while away a few hours on a long flight in a flurry of brainless-but-fun ninja action. And, if we are honest with ourselves, that means all of us.
This novel predates that animé by nearly forty years and, beyond the title, it appears to be completely unrelated storywise.
The Kouga Ninja Scrolls recounts the story of two mutually hostile clans of ninja who have been freed from an edict forbidding warfare in order to settle a succession crisis in the Tokugawa shogunate. Ten ninja from each clan must battle to the death to determine which of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s grandsons will become the next shogun. There is just one complication: the heirs to the leadership, Gennosuke of the Kouga and Oboro of the Iga, are in love and are intending to marry.
I’m not sure if this is a feature of the original Japanese work by Yamada, or an artefact of Geoff Sant’s translation, but this novel reads absolutely like a manga rendered into prose, with each panel described to the reader. This is not stylistically great, but it works pretty well for the subject matter of supernatural assassins battling each other in Edo-period Japan.
If I were to describe it in familiar western terms, it is rather like a group of X-men fighting another group of X-men - it really has that comic book style. In place of characterisation, the participants in the conflict are differentiated from one another by their ninja powers, so no reader will ever mistake it for profound literature.
Still, it does its job - there is plenty of entertaining combat and gruesome imagery, and plotwise, once you accept the daft premise of a succession being determined by a team deathmatch between magical assassins, it all makes enough sense to hang together.
I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone wishing to while away a few hours on a long flight in a flurry of brainless-but-fun ninja action. And, if we are honest with ourselves, that means all of us.
May 9, 2012
When I first picked up The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (and read the blurb), I was like "Romeo & Juliet written in ninja style?" Oh...
My reaction Dis Bettahz be Badazz :
But then in the blink of an eye, I checked it out from the library.
Expectation level: Quite High.
You can't blame me; after all, the cover claims:
"For the first time in English, the classic
bestselling novel that inspired the manga Basilisk
and the film Shinobi: Heart Under Blad "
First off, the translation is not bad. Readable.
@ -Beginning- In my opinion, the plot is quite idiotic... You have two ninja clans bearing a four-hundred-year-old rivalry... I couldn't help but laughed. I know about the pride that ninja clans held, especially during Feudal Japan...still, I find it laughable——even now. I am an Asian, so I know the importance of pride, but the way how people can hold too much onto it makes me laugh. Yeh.
In the first 50 pages of the book, I read it with a poker face...because it is only the beginning, where they have introduced the duel (Hattori Hanzou is the official that banned the two clans from fighting; however Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu needs to resolve a clash over succession of his two grandsons, so he orders Hanzou to erase the ban and hold a duel... Each clan represents one of the two grandsons. Basically, whichever clan wins will have its represented grandson to become shogun)...*this duel is not taken in an arena, so I'm happy :)* both clans were like "oooh, goody, we've been waiting for this day to kill each other, FTW" (of course, this ain't a direct quote...you get my point).
I also dislike the fact that the author didn't focus on the love history of Gennosuke and Oboro (the Romeo & Juliet here; one from the Kouga and the other from the Iga clan... I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, Yamada!~ a forbidden love, heh heh heh). I know they're in love, but it felt very flat in the beginning. The author gave no insights. They're just in love. End of statement.
However as I sink deeper into the book, WHOA~ the actions (they bring out the beauty of the book). There are nine ninja from each side, commencing to wipe off their opponents (well originally there are ten from each, but the two hags managed to kill each other in the beginning). The two hags are Danjou (from Kouga) and Ogen (from Iga). They used to be in love, but because of the duel, they killed each other off mercilessly. This already foreshadows how cruel the ninja can be; they can even sacrifice their sweet memories between each other. Thus, don't expect this book to be nice.
Each ninja has a special ability!! & they are definitely mind-blowing. Of course, I will not spoil for you. I have to say, my favorite ninja is Saemon (if you read, you'll see). I dislike Tenzen with passion.
Whenever a character dies, the author never fails to make it a masterpiece. Every character's death shall forever remain in my mind, especially when it comes to the lines that officially announce their death.
Do expect blood and gore.
*sigh*
Then... expect this book to have amorous scenes as it advances towards the end. It speaks out men's sexual desire (and even women's). There are scenes where beautiful women (or I should say ninja) attempt to seduce and scenes where men attempt to rape... yeh... I actually never expected it... believe it or not, I've laughed at each scene. It's just really funny (and awkward) when it comes to amorous scenes written in books... like the wordings. Example: pearl-like breasts... AHAHHAHAHAHA, wtf? So this book is strictly restricted to PG 13+. It seems I'm a bit immature when it comes to such scenes though...
Now this book is not only about the actions and... seduction ( a lot of forbidden love btw)...
The author apparently has a firm knowledge when it comes to science. Do you know that slugs dissolve completely when they come in contact with salt? I didn't know until I read. The author also backs up most of the ninjas' abilities with scientific info. Quite interesting.
The author has a way to provoke readers about the world, such as family bond (Okoi and Saemon ;__;), pride, love, destiny, friendship, human's evilness, and etc. Very realistic.
Overall, The Kouga Ninja Scrolls is readable. The ending is tragic, but adds the bitterness and brings closure to the plot. I liked it.
Satisfaction Level In the End: OKAY. Quite Impressed.
**THIS IS MORE THAN A ROMEO & JULIET STORY; read and find out.
My reaction
But then in the blink of an eye, I checked it out from the library.
Expectation level: Quite High.
You can't blame me; after all, the cover claims:
"For the first time in English, the classic
bestselling novel that inspired the manga Basilisk
and the film Shinobi: Heart Under Blad "
First off, the translation is not bad. Readable.
@ -Beginning- In my opinion, the plot is quite idiotic... You have two ninja clans bearing a four-hundred-year-old rivalry... I couldn't help but laughed. I know about the pride that ninja clans held, especially during Feudal Japan...still, I find it laughable——even now. I am an Asian, so I know the importance of pride, but the way how people can hold too much onto it makes me laugh. Yeh.
In the first 50 pages of the book, I read it with a poker face...because it is only the beginning, where they have introduced the duel (Hattori Hanzou is the official that banned the two clans from fighting; however Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu needs to resolve a clash over succession of his two grandsons, so he orders Hanzou to erase the ban and hold a duel... Each clan represents one of the two grandsons. Basically, whichever clan wins will have its represented grandson to become shogun)...*this duel is not taken in an arena, so I'm happy :)* both clans were like "oooh, goody, we've been waiting for this day to kill each other, FTW" (of course, this ain't a direct quote...you get my point).
I also dislike the fact that the author didn't focus on the love history of Gennosuke and Oboro (the Romeo & Juliet here; one from the Kouga and the other from the Iga clan... I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, Yamada!~ a forbidden love, heh heh heh). I know they're in love, but it felt very flat in the beginning. The author gave no insights. They're just in love. End of statement.
However as I sink deeper into the book, WHOA~ the actions (they bring out the beauty of the book). There are nine ninja from each side, commencing to wipe off their opponents (well originally there are ten from each, but the two hags managed to kill each other in the beginning). The two hags are Danjou (from Kouga) and Ogen (from Iga). They used to be in love, but because of the duel, they killed each other off mercilessly. This already foreshadows how cruel the ninja can be; they can even sacrifice their sweet memories between each other. Thus, don't expect this book to be nice.
Each ninja has a special ability!! & they are definitely mind-blowing. Of course, I will not spoil for you. I have to say, my favorite ninja is Saemon (if you read, you'll see). I dislike Tenzen with passion.
Whenever a character dies, the author never fails to make it a masterpiece. Every character's death shall forever remain in my mind, especially when it comes to the lines that officially announce their death.
Do expect blood and gore.
*sigh*
Then... expect this book to have amorous scenes as it advances towards the end. It speaks out men's sexual desire (and even women's). There are scenes where beautiful women (or I should say ninja) attempt to seduce and scenes where men attempt to rape... yeh... I actually never expected it... believe it or not, I've laughed at each scene. It's just really funny (and awkward) when it comes to amorous scenes written in books... like the wordings. Example: pearl-like breasts... AHAHHAHAHAHA, wtf? So this book is strictly restricted to PG 13+. It seems I'm a bit immature when it comes to such scenes though...
Now this book is not only about the actions and... seduction ( a lot of forbidden love btw)...
The author apparently has a firm knowledge when it comes to science. Do you know that slugs dissolve completely when they come in contact with salt? I didn't know until I read. The author also backs up most of the ninjas' abilities with scientific info. Quite interesting.
The author has a way to provoke readers about the world, such as family bond (Okoi and Saemon ;__;), pride, love, destiny, friendship, human's evilness, and etc. Very realistic.
Overall, The Kouga Ninja Scrolls is readable. The ending is tragic, but adds the bitterness and brings closure to the plot. I liked it.
Satisfaction Level In the End: OKAY. Quite Impressed.
**THIS IS MORE THAN A ROMEO & JULIET STORY; read and find out.
August 16, 2015
So, this is the book that I read on the way to Chiran. Because I got this book on a whim, I didn't know what to expect. I mean, I haven't even watched Basilisk or Shinobi. All I knew, before I started reading, was that the body count of this book was pretty high. (Thanks Nicholas =.=)
That was an understatement. [MILD SPOILER ALERT] This book was gripping, fast-paced, and one of the most depressing books that I've ever read. The most accurate description I can give is
Ok, there's a bit more to it. The book starts with Tokugawa Ieyasu trying to decide who is going to be his heir. And instead of doing the normal thing and having said heirs compete among themselves, he decides to let two ninja clans kill each other, and the last clan standing will decide who his heir is. Yeah, I don't really get it either. But, with that decision, the war between the Kouga and Iga ninja clans resume.
But, Gennosuke (the heir to the Kouga) and Oboro (heir to the Iga) are in love and engaged to each other. Oops. Now they have to kill each other, but can they? (Meanwhile, their clansmen are ecstatic that the ban on killing is lifted)
All the ninjas here have inhuman powers. Just take the two protagonists - Gennosuke has basilisk eyes, and Oboro can pretty much stop any ninja power. So despite the book starting out as "although they [the ninja] were still human", it basically ignores that less from, I don't know, the next chapter onwards and has the power of each ninja become more and more unbelievable.
By the way, the characters of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hattori Hanzo (basically, the normal "humans") do exist, and the Kouga and Iga were ninja clans. But I wouldn't take anything else as historically accurate. Just enjoy the book for what it is - a depressing Romeo and Juliet story.
This review was first posted at With Love from Japan, Eustacia
That was an understatement. [MILD SPOILER ALERT] This book was gripping, fast-paced, and one of the most depressing books that I've ever read. The most accurate description I can give is
Ok, there's a bit more to it. The book starts with Tokugawa Ieyasu trying to decide who is going to be his heir. And instead of doing the normal thing and having said heirs compete among themselves, he decides to let two ninja clans kill each other, and the last clan standing will decide who his heir is. Yeah, I don't really get it either. But, with that decision, the war between the Kouga and Iga ninja clans resume.
But, Gennosuke (the heir to the Kouga) and Oboro (heir to the Iga) are in love and engaged to each other. Oops. Now they have to kill each other, but can they? (Meanwhile, their clansmen are ecstatic that the ban on killing is lifted)
All the ninjas here have inhuman powers. Just take the two protagonists - Gennosuke has basilisk eyes, and Oboro can pretty much stop any ninja power. So despite the book starting out as "although they [the ninja] were still human", it basically ignores that less from, I don't know, the next chapter onwards and has the power of each ninja become more and more unbelievable.
By the way, the characters of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hattori Hanzo (basically, the normal "humans") do exist, and the Kouga and Iga were ninja clans. But I wouldn't take anything else as historically accurate. Just enjoy the book for what it is - a depressing Romeo and Juliet story.
This review was first posted at With Love from Japan, Eustacia
March 5, 2009
Written in the 50s by an ex-medical student, the pulpy Kouga Ninpou Chou novel is the grandfather of Naruto and the modern image of ninja fighting each other with special powers.
The novel was made into a manga by Segawa Masaki, and that was turned into an anime by Gonzo. Yamada Futaro went on to write a whole series of Ninpou Chou novels.
The story itself is full of tension and reversals; there are odd moments where Yamada's medical background comes to the fore. I prefer the anime version for bringing Segawa's grotesque designs to life and filling in a little bit of the background. This English translation fills in some of the historical background that the Japanese version leaves assumed.
The novel was made into a manga by Segawa Masaki, and that was turned into an anime by Gonzo. Yamada Futaro went on to write a whole series of Ninpou Chou novels.
The story itself is full of tension and reversals; there are odd moments where Yamada's medical background comes to the fore. I prefer the anime version for bringing Segawa's grotesque designs to life and filling in a little bit of the background. This English translation fills in some of the historical background that the Japanese version leaves assumed.
November 25, 2021
Outre des techniques ninja qui raviront tout fan de Naruto, ce texte montre la brutalité des stéréotypes qui entourent ce monde de secrets.
October 22, 2013
My reason for reading this was that The Kouga Ninja Scrolls is a classic and I've always been into ninjas and Japan. Everything started with this book and in this case I mean the movies and the manga Basilisk for example. It was also fascinating that this was written already in 1958 and we got the English translation way much later in 2006. Sadly so I must say that the years have eaten most of this book's value in many ways.
There's hardly any plot, well, it's just Kouga and Iga ninjas killing one another, which in itself isn't a bad thing. The problem is that we have about twenty characters that Yamada doesn't give enough persona to make us feel anything for them. Mostly they are just ninjas with some weird talents. In 1958 this was probably the greatest thing ever as it was the time when superheroes were popular everywhere. Yamada's approach was quite new at that time especially in Japan, but now it surely is used, so the novelty value isn't there anymore. The whole storyline is mainly fighting with different skills without any other content, which makes the book utterly boring. It may work in movies and manga, but in a written form not so much. I can surely understand why it was popular and probably still is in Japan, since who wouldn't want a superhero story mixed with one's own cultural history background. The book's literary value is weak and it seems sporadic from time to time. Still, there are some good points too, like the whole cultural setting, real people in it and it's history altogether.
There's hardly any plot, well, it's just Kouga and Iga ninjas killing one another, which in itself isn't a bad thing. The problem is that we have about twenty characters that Yamada doesn't give enough persona to make us feel anything for them. Mostly they are just ninjas with some weird talents. In 1958 this was probably the greatest thing ever as it was the time when superheroes were popular everywhere. Yamada's approach was quite new at that time especially in Japan, but now it surely is used, so the novelty value isn't there anymore. The whole storyline is mainly fighting with different skills without any other content, which makes the book utterly boring. It may work in movies and manga, but in a written form not so much. I can surely understand why it was popular and probably still is in Japan, since who wouldn't want a superhero story mixed with one's own cultural history background. The book's literary value is weak and it seems sporadic from time to time. Still, there are some good points too, like the whole cultural setting, real people in it and it's history altogether.
March 12, 2011
I got this through Interlibrary Loan because I've read that two of my favorite anime----Ninja Scroll and Basilisk----are both influenced by this book. I went in expecting a Romeo & Juliet style conflict with a lot of courtly intrique and politics. While it certainly has all of that, this book is a lot more Ninja-riffic than I expected. While I wouldn't say each every idea of the anime comes from the book, a lot of it does, including the crazy ninja magic. Considering this was written back in the 1940's, it seems to have been a big influence on the kind of stories we think of today as Ninja stories. Very readable, very fun if somewhat gruesome. I'm curious to see if any of his other works have been translated into English.
June 7, 2022
If you have seen the Basilisk anime series, this story will be very familiar. The best part of this story is reading about the different techniques used by the various ninja.
What I did not care for was the reason for the competition. Such powerful ninjas with compelling abilities, and they lay down their lives to settle a political matter - a succession dispute? It makes you angry as a reader. Perhaps the message was that historically, many major disputes have been settled in this way. "Leaders" and their sycophants persuade skilled people to fight for a cause and their honor, but it's ultimately about maintaining a power structure that fulfills basic feelings of pride and entitlement.
What I did not care for was the reason for the competition. Such powerful ninjas with compelling abilities, and they lay down their lives to settle a political matter - a succession dispute? It makes you angry as a reader. Perhaps the message was that historically, many major disputes have been settled in this way. "Leaders" and their sycophants persuade skilled people to fight for a cause and their honor, but it's ultimately about maintaining a power structure that fulfills basic feelings of pride and entitlement.
November 15, 2020
The book's cheesy fun -- all ninja fights, intrigues and mind-boggling horror\fantasy, Japanese style!
It's not a stellar novel by any standards, save for how ground-breaking it was -- it's said that much of shonen fighting manga and anime stemmed from it and I can clearly see how.
Highly recommended to the fans of "Ninja Scroll", "Yotoden: Wrath of the Ninja" and "Kage no Gundan" + otaku in general -- the greater portion of the pleasure I got from reading it was in familiarity and parallels with my favorite titles... but not to anyone else.
It's not a stellar novel by any standards, save for how ground-breaking it was -- it's said that much of shonen fighting manga and anime stemmed from it and I can clearly see how.
Highly recommended to the fans of "Ninja Scroll", "Yotoden: Wrath of the Ninja" and "Kage no Gundan" + otaku in general -- the greater portion of the pleasure I got from reading it was in familiarity and parallels with my favorite titles... but not to anyone else.
December 4, 2021
J'ai lu ce roman sans être une passionnée de l'histoire japonaise. Donc, forcément, les noms qui étaient cités ne me disaient rien et, à force, je finissais par oublier certains (beaucoup même).
Cependant, j'ai beaucoup aimé. Un mélange entre réalités historiques et fantastique qui est très prenant tout en alliant un peu de Shakespeare avec la tragique romance à la "Roméo et Juliette". J'ai eu du mal à lire certains passages mais je trouve que c'était tout de même intéressant à lire.
Cependant, j'ai beaucoup aimé. Un mélange entre réalités historiques et fantastique qui est très prenant tout en alliant un peu de Shakespeare avec la tragique romance à la "Roméo et Juliette". J'ai eu du mal à lire certains passages mais je trouve que c'était tout de même intéressant à lire.
July 24, 2024
While researching Ninja Scroll for a podcast ep I had seen this listed as one of the inspirations, and when it was accessible at the library (shouts out to the library) I decided to give it a shot on vacation.
And it’s a little tough to follow at times because it moves so dang quick and there are so many individual loyalties to track - but it’s also a lot of fun, very Romeo and Juliet meets X-Men. I would recommend it!
And it’s a little tough to follow at times because it moves so dang quick and there are so many individual loyalties to track - but it’s also a lot of fun, very Romeo and Juliet meets X-Men. I would recommend it!
December 24, 2024
Es una historia entretenida muy visual que seguramente funcionaria mejor en manga o anime para ilustrar los poderes de los ninjas y los combates que libran entre ellos. Es un libro curioso y original aunque, al mismo tiempo, no cabe esperar mucho más de la narración aparte de la mutua aniquilación.
November 23, 2025
Assez décevant si on s’attend à un roman historique ou reminiscent des vieux films de ninjas. Cela ressemble plus à une sorte de manga dont on aurait fait une version littéraire, beaucoup de combats, très peu d’intrigue et des personnages assez vides…
December 18, 2017
I truly enjoy it 100% It's pretty Fast Pace and pretty brutal I love it
April 13, 2019
Naruto who??
February 5, 2023
Historical ninja with fantasy monster/mutant elements. Great read! Pure fun.
June 26, 2024
slightly underwhelming.
March 10, 2017
I picked up this translated novel after learning that it was the basis of one of my favorite anime, "Basilisk". The anime was billed as "Romeo and Juliet"... but with *ninjas*, and it was everything I wanted and more. The fights were amazing, the characters had depth, and the whole thing was simply epic.
The novel does not compare well with the anime. Some of it may be the fault of the translation, which is repetitive and uses language and patterns that feel skewed towards a middle-grade audience. Even putting that aside, the novel loses a lot of the complexities of the anime. Characters are flat, motivations are weak, and the sense of epicness is missing. All that's left is a vague thrill akin to smashing action figures together.
Still... it's "Romeo and Juliet"... with ninjas! I'd recommend the anime over the book, but the book is not a terrible way to pass an hour or two.
The novel does not compare well with the anime. Some of it may be the fault of the translation, which is repetitive and uses language and patterns that feel skewed towards a middle-grade audience. Even putting that aside, the novel loses a lot of the complexities of the anime. Characters are flat, motivations are weak, and the sense of epicness is missing. All that's left is a vague thrill akin to smashing action figures together.
Still... it's "Romeo and Juliet"... with ninjas! I'd recommend the anime over the book, but the book is not a terrible way to pass an hour or two.
November 24, 2023
Short version: It's Romeo and Juliet with mutant ninjas.
Longer version: I bought this book after I heard it being talked about as the inspriation for several other works, including apparently being part of the inspiration for the Naruto manga series, and decided to check it out. Having read it, I can see why it was so influential.
Going back to the short version, yes it basically is Romeo and Juliet, doomed love amid a long standing blood feud, which no one in the current generation seems to even know how it got started. The Capulets and the Montagues here being represented by two ninja clans: the Iga and the Kouga respectively. To add another layer to this, in addition to the general supernatural ninja skills that always seem to crop up in this sort of story (silent movement, extremely accute senses and absurd speed etc) the clans have engaged in centuries long eugenics programs, resulting in basically the entire named cast having outright inhuman abilities. These range from the situationally useful, to the outright terrifying.
The story itself kicks of when the ban on open warfare between these clans in temporarily lifted to determine who will succeed Tokugawa Ieyasu, with each clan representing one of the two candidates. It is a bloodbath.
Backdrop aside, the pacing and structure are great, always leaving me wanting to know what would happen next and who was going to take out who and how, the action is well written and the characters, particularly the main couple, are compelling. I particularly like how individual grudges crop up outside of the overarching feud and how different characters react to the unfolding situation. It was also interesting that, for the majority of the story, they don't even know WHY the ban had been lifted, since everyone who knows is dead long before they can tell anyone else, but they still fully commit without hesitation.
In the end, as any Romeo and Juliet style tragedy must, the story concludes with starcrossed lovers taking their lives... although in this case it's because they're surrounded by samuri and being forced to duel one another instead of being able to escape.
Great story.
p.s. There is one character who I think drastically underperforms, given what his special ability is...
Longer version: I bought this book after I heard it being talked about as the inspriation for several other works, including apparently being part of the inspiration for the Naruto manga series, and decided to check it out. Having read it, I can see why it was so influential.
Going back to the short version, yes it basically is Romeo and Juliet, doomed love amid a long standing blood feud, which no one in the current generation seems to even know how it got started. The Capulets and the Montagues here being represented by two ninja clans: the Iga and the Kouga respectively. To add another layer to this, in addition to the general supernatural ninja skills that always seem to crop up in this sort of story (silent movement, extremely accute senses and absurd speed etc) the clans have engaged in centuries long eugenics programs, resulting in basically the entire named cast having outright inhuman abilities. These range from the situationally useful, to the outright terrifying.
The story itself kicks of when the ban on open warfare between these clans in temporarily lifted to determine who will succeed Tokugawa Ieyasu, with each clan representing one of the two candidates. It is a bloodbath.
Backdrop aside, the pacing and structure are great, always leaving me wanting to know what would happen next and who was going to take out who and how, the action is well written and the characters, particularly the main couple, are compelling. I particularly like how individual grudges crop up outside of the overarching feud and how different characters react to the unfolding situation. It was also interesting that, for the majority of the story, they don't even know WHY the ban had been lifted, since everyone who knows is dead long before they can tell anyone else, but they still fully commit without hesitation.
In the end, as any Romeo and Juliet style tragedy must, the story concludes with starcrossed lovers taking their lives... although in this case it's because they're surrounded by samuri and being forced to duel one another instead of being able to escape.
Great story.
p.s. There is one character who I think drastically underperforms, given what his special ability is...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2010
Written first in 1959, this Romeo and Juliet tale of forbidden love is set in feudal Japan when Ieyasu Tokugawa was making his last steps toward unifying the country.
The Iga and Kouga ninja clans have been at war for 400 years. Only a truce brokered by the famed Hanzo Hattori has kept the two clans from engaging in a bloody battle that would destroy one or both. Instead, they have been mixing the bloodlines of their most accomplished ninja for countless generations. The results are more mutant monsters than human.
When Tokugawa calls for an end to the truce so that he may use the two clans in a deadly battle of supernatural chess, eighteen of the twenty ninja chosen to play the game out are ready. The other two, the leaders of their respective clans, who hope to bring the clans together... are in love.
What follows is a mash of gore and corpses.
Great ninja fantasy. I took one star off because the writer spoke (albeit only very occasionally) to the audience directly from the year 1959 and make comparisons. But it was slightly annoying.
The Iga and Kouga ninja clans have been at war for 400 years. Only a truce brokered by the famed Hanzo Hattori has kept the two clans from engaging in a bloody battle that would destroy one or both. Instead, they have been mixing the bloodlines of their most accomplished ninja for countless generations. The results are more mutant monsters than human.
When Tokugawa calls for an end to the truce so that he may use the two clans in a deadly battle of supernatural chess, eighteen of the twenty ninja chosen to play the game out are ready. The other two, the leaders of their respective clans, who hope to bring the clans together... are in love.
What follows is a mash of gore and corpses.
Great ninja fantasy. I took one star off because the writer spoke (albeit only very occasionally) to the audience directly from the year 1959 and make comparisons. But it was slightly annoying.
June 7, 2011
Set in feudal Japan, two lovers from rival clans find their hopes of peace and unity vanishing, as their families resume a bloody 400 year old feud.
Written in 1958, this novel shows no signs of age. It's riveting, at times gruesome, but a heart-wrenching tale akin to Romeo and Juliet. This story provides a unqiue behind-the-scenes look at how these 2 lovers decided the fate of history.
Recommended for any who enjoy Japanese literature, have an interest in ninja and well-written action, or have seen the amine inspired by it and want a more in-depth reliving of the tale.
Written in 1958, this novel shows no signs of age. It's riveting, at times gruesome, but a heart-wrenching tale akin to Romeo and Juliet. This story provides a unqiue behind-the-scenes look at how these 2 lovers decided the fate of history.
Recommended for any who enjoy Japanese literature, have an interest in ninja and well-written action, or have seen the amine inspired by it and want a more in-depth reliving of the tale.
April 14, 2012
I really liked that this was like the Asian version of Romeo and Juliet - although it probably came before them. The world painted here is such a vivid and magical but also a dangerous one - there's a lot of violence but also beauty in nature. Life is tough for the characters, they are at war with each other and can hurt one another in the most gruesome and unimaginable ways possible, but at the heart of it, it's a love story; it's a story about choosing family and tradition and honor over your own heart and desires.
January 25, 2014
The Japanese version of Romeo and Juliet, this book delights in the strangeness and originality of the powers the author gives the ninja protagonists. He goes to some lengths to explain these powers with examples from nature, though each is uniquely grotesque. Ten ninja from Kouga are pitted against ten from Iga to decide the outcome of the shogunate succession. The book is essentially the story of how these two groups slaughter one another, but each of the characters is well-developed and compelling and the central romance is beautiful and heartbreaking.
March 21, 2011
this is the novel that was the foundation for the anime basilisk. it is a good old fashioned bloody good time. the premise of the novel is that ieyasu tokugawa pits two ninja clans, the iga and the kouga, against each other in a battle of ninja powers. within the story is a romeo and juliet story as the heir of each clan falls in love with the other and plan to get married in order to help unite the two clans. it is a good read.
August 23, 2013
I love this book! I am a big fan of the anime and the weird film adaptation so I fell right into this book. only problem I had where some of the strange translation passages and the strange need to continuously repeat facts. For example every time Okoi was seen it had to be mentioned that she is Saemons sister. other than that its a great read
October 14, 2013
I wanted to like it more, but I suspect that the prose's problems were not all caused by the bad translation.
And the climax is very much of the "anti" variety.
As an outline for film/anime/manga, though, it deserves at least four stars.
And the climax is very much of the "anti" variety.
As an outline for film/anime/manga, though, it deserves at least four stars.
June 11, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Kouga Ninja Scrolls. The descriptions of each scene, including the fight scenes, were painted so vividly through words that I felt like I'm watching it unfold right in front of me.
September 10, 2008
a wonderful ninja story!but with very sad ending.
Want to read
February 24, 2014sugoii
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