Journey Through Madhouse Episode #15: A tale of revenge, ninjas, and a treasure hunt, which doesn't aim to be an action anime but rather a historical drama. The revenge and ninja aspects are somewhat sidelined. The true message of the work seeks to represent Japan's vision regarding opening its borders. The story explores the dilemma that if Japanese protectionism is overthrown, they risk losing their identity. The film represents this, in a rather strange way, in a fight between ninjas and cowboys. The anime aims to reflect the doubts and concerns of Japan at that time, which is why it has its characters travel through Russiaand the United States. However, the film suffers from the same concerns. In the third act, it loses some of its identity, shifting from a ninja story to a Western. I don't know if this was intentional or not, but I think it's a negative point for the film.

As for the animation, for an anime from the 80s, it has quite a few interesting elements. Especially in a couple of chase scenes where the effort put in is evident. However, it's the 80s, and epilepsy was a constant theme at that time. You'll frequently encounter scenes with a dazzling light show and flashing lights that, if they don't leave you foaming at the mouth, will at least give you a migraine.

The soundtrack is the strongest point of the work. It's music that makes its presence known. Many times you'll be more captivated by the music than by the scene you're watching. Particularly, the soundtracks for the few fight scenes do the best job of communicating the emotions of the moment through sound.

I would only recommend the film to people who are somewhat interested in Japanese history. In terms of trade and globalization, the film offers a glimpse into the Japanese mindset of the 80s. On the other hand, if you're just looking to watch an anime for entertainment, this isn't it. Here you'll only find cowboys versus ninjas, but instead of punches, there will be a lot of dialogue.