Last I heard of the Koga and the Iga ninja societies was during the heyday of Koichi Ose's The Samurai, which laid the foundation for a whole generation of ninja films. It was a great thing that I came across Shinobi: Heart Under Blade, which interestingly combines elements of the old ninja story line of conflict between the two secret societies, and new elements of magical sorcery that ninja manga heroes like Naruto have popularized. Eye catching costumes, beautiful scenery, anime-like action all lay the backbone for a love story between the two heads of the warring societies. Yukie Nakama truly shines in her role as the only survivor of the mandatory conflict, and the motley of emotions that she has to project onscreen (her character is both kind and vicious; in the end, she must kill her own husband) endears her character to the audience. The one-time gravure artist is also known for her role in Gokusen, in which she played a high school teacher, who also happens to be the daughter of a top gangster. Yes, my kind of kick-ass lady!
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