Trailer: Koichi Sakamoto’s Superbly Violent Genre Thriller NINJA VS SHARK Teases The First Massacre Of 2023
The promotional campaign for Koichi Sakamoto’s latest spectacle, Ninja VS Shark has been a bit stealthy since the West took notice back in January. It helps that we’ve had to wait until about last week to finally see some trailer footage and it looks about as glorious as folks could hope given the hype.
In the Edo period, at the remote village of Okitsu, the evil cult leader Koushirou uses ninjutsu to ensorcell sharks and forces them to attack local pearl divers so the cult can steal the pearls from their mangled corpses. Desperate for help, the village chief hires Kotaro Shiozaki, a guard at a nearby temple, but Kotaro soon finds his path blocked by lady ninja Kikuma, and a gigantic shark that doesn’t seem like something from this world.
It’s been years since Sakamoto’s done any feature work in the West. Indeed, many of us miss the potential there once was, though given his career growth in Japan up to this point for a film like Ninja VS Shark to happen, I only have pride and admiration at this point.
This trailer is wild. It’s gory. It’s full of ninja action and crazy ass CG sharks to boot. It knows exactly what it is and makes no apologies, and I don’t contend that the festival scene is ready for this. I know I am.
Opening in Japan on April 14, Ninja VS Shark stars Hirochika Hirano, Shun Nishime, Yuuichi Nakamura, Julia Nagano and Kanon Miyahara. The film is produced by Yoshinori Chiba out of his YABAI-ZE! Japan Edge label, along with Jiro Ishikawa, and with Kihiko Harata.
Native New Yorker. Lover of all things pizza, chocolate, pets, and good friends. Karaoke hero. Left of center. Survivor. Fond supporter of cult, obscure and independent cinema - especially fond of Asian movies and global action cinema. Author of the bi-weekly Hit List. Founder and editor of Film Combat Syndicate. Still, very much, only human.
You must log in to post a comment.