Here it is campers - the third and final installment of the incredible NINJA SCROLL series! Jubei, Shigure, Dakaun and Tsubute have been up to their arms in mutants, assassins, & intrigue, and now the whole shebang comes to it fiery and bloody end! I can't wait another minute - let's dive right in!

Episode 9 "A DRAGON WITHIN" Separated from Jubei and the gang, Shigure walks right into the clutches of Lord Yasube. An old family friend, Yasube informs Shigure his small clan has aligned itself with the mighty Kimon clan - and that means Shigure must die! But Yasube and his men are distracted from their dastardly deed by the sound of laughter - it's Hiruko ninja Zofu. Zofu makes short work of Yasube and his men, but reveals his secret - he carries deadly snake-like symbiote in his chest that acts to protect his unwilling host. Zofu had wished for years to find a worthy ninja to fight so he can gain his freedom by catching and killing the damn thing. Zofu takes Shigure with him, and explains about the Dragon Stone she possesses half of. The Stone is the key to a lost clan, whose treasure the Hiruko want to reestablish themselves after yeas in hiding in the dark (hence, why they call Shigure the 'Light Maiden"); the Kimon clan want the treasure because they're greedy bastards. But Shigure tells him all she wants is a normal life. Disappointed, Zofu swings his blade...Later, Zofu meets Jubei, who's been following Shigure's trail. He tells Jubei since Shigure rejected her destiny; he had no use for her, and shows our ninja her locket. Enraged, Jubei attacks...

Episode 10 "HEART OF THE HIRUKO" Hiruko ninjas learn that one of their charges - Gyokai - has escaped. He sure has, and he's on the scent of his beloved Light Maiden. On the way, Gyokai's endless hunger spells mischief for Dakuan and Tsubute, and when he finds Shigure and Jubei fighting of a pack of skull-faced Kimon assassins, he plucks her from the fray and runs off, leaving Jubei in a somewhat precarious position. The child-like Hiruko tells Shigure he will protect her - just as Kimon Lord Yamadoro teleports in and grabs the Light Maiden! Gyokai rushes to find her - he has an uncanny sense of smell - but this brings him into conflict with Jubei. After a short skirmish, Gyokai catches Shigure's scent, and he makes a "fat wheel" (no lie!) out of himself and rolls off to save her. This leaves Jubei smack in the middle of a brace of Kimon monkey assassins. Gyokai finds Shigure, but Yamadoro's awful rotting power spells doom for him - and Jubei still has his hands full with monkey men...

Episode 11 - "YAGAU RENYA" Shigure is held prisoner onboard Yamadoro's flagship, heading to the hidden island of the lost clan. Jubei, once again united with Dakuan and Tsubute, book passage to follow her. Also on their ship is master ninja Renya, who demands Jubei's half of the Dragon Stone. However, their inevitable fight is interrupted when a young girl appears on deck, ostensibly hiding from a pervert. Jubei steps in and defends the girls, who gives him a big hug - and takes the Stone! Chaos ensues when she plays 'hide 'n seek" all over the ship with Renya, his men and Jubei and the gang. It's all funs and games until one of Renya's men is found butchered...Meanwhile, Yamadoro plays his own games with Shigure - since the Hiruko will die for her, he slaughters hundreds of Hiruko prisoners just to tease the Light Maiden. Back on Jubei's ship, no one can find the little girl, or the Stone, and more passengers wind up dead. Another fine mess for Jubei...

Episode 12 "DYNASTY RESTORATION" On the lost island of the forgotten clan, Yamadoro's ninjas are attacked by Hiruko under the leadership of Mufu - but the skull-faced assassins quickly cut them down. Shigure is placed in the care of red-eyed female ninja Utsushe, who seems to have a fondness for the girl. When Jubei and the gang arrive, they find themselves knee deep in Kimon ninjas, but Jubei is pretty pissed off by this point. After dispatching them, he finds Shigure - and Yamadoro! Grenades launched by Mufu's Hiruko seemingly bury the monster - and Jubei recovers the other half of the Dragon Stone! He gives the complete Stone to Shigure to face her destiny, but unknown to him; she's been a little strange since her encounter with Utsushe... It's time to reveal the secrets of the forgotten clan - but things don't go quite as anyone planned...

Episode 13 "FAREWELL JUBEI" Kimon lord Yamikudo gloats over the end of the Hiruko clan. Yamadoro readies his ninjas as Shigure plays the Dragon's Flute, revealing the passage to the lost treasure. She enters, followed by Yamadoro's skull-faced thugs, but suddenly - ninja toast! Jubei, Dakaun and two Hiruko chicks take out the skulls and follow Shigure and the Kimon lords into the underground passageway. Leaving Yamadoro's sumo guards to the 'care' of a late-arriving Renya. Seems the old coot Dakaun had a trick up his sleeve to put the kibosh on Yamadoro's sinister plans! Yamikudo sends his mechanical assassins to deal with the threat, but Jubei and Renya are not to be denied. Soon everybody winds up in the lost clan's treasure room where Shigure finds her destiny - and the shit really hits the fan!

What can one say about a series such as NINJA SCROLL? Jubei is the coolest hero - there's nothing our man Jubei can't do and no situation he can't handle. Unlike other 'anti-heroes' Jubei may say he doesn't care, but reveals during the course of the series that he most certainly does. His concern for Tsubute, tolerance of Dakuan and deeper feelings for Shigure combined with his kick-ass ninja skills combine to forge an unforgettable character who's just so...cool. Shigure is spotlighted most of the time in this volume, and her character also grows as she faces her destiny. It's ironic the very life she wished to get away from is really the life she longs for. Dakaun shows us a few new tricks for an old codger, and Tsubute doesn't do much, but actually matures. Well, somewhat. The Kimon villains and Hiruko ninjas are not the usual stereotypes, and their stories (and the lessons our gang learn) are as dramatic and engaging in many ways as the main storyline. The writing throughout is first-rate; events interconnect and build to a chaotic climax. It's interesting to see the characters reactions as they learn the story of the Stone and Shigure's role in things - we already know, but how they handle the revelations makes for great cinema. The animation is very good for TV - the colors are especially vibrant (you need a nice red color for all those blood 'n' guts!). The audio isn't a major player, but is very clear and the music is phenomenal. New Age artist Kitaro wrote many of the series' themes, and they are excellent - I hope there's a Ninja Scroll CD somewhere out there.

NINJA SCROLL 3 givers the viewer a fistful of extras. There are the obligatory trailers and previews, as well as an art gallery, but there's more! An interesting feature is a 'behind-the scenes' with the English dub crew - which includes a former "A-Team" member...There is also an neat storyboard to scene feature showing the background on several of Jubei's best fight in the volume. You can also choose to see the opening and closing without subtitles - just as if you were in Japan.

NINJA SCROLL 3: Deliverance is an awesome finish to a wild series. This is an anime that you can watch again and again - the characters are cool (and bizarre), the story intriguing, and the action second to none! NINJA SCROLL is da bomb! Hey - how about Jubei meeting Samurai Jack? Now that would be ultra-cool!