The whole film drips with lurid avidity. Nudity is almost as common as arterial sprays, and both are depicted with Kawajiri's typical bravura.

The sophisticated visuals and imaginative storytelling, not to mention large dollops of sex and violence, elevate the Japanese manga genre of animated fantasies a few notches above their dreary, one-dimensional American counterparts.

A wandering ronin takes on a posse of supernatural ninjas in a whipcracking race that never lets reality get in the way of a hearty bout of blood-lettting.

The violence is without exception wince-inducingly gruesome; and the sexual content is extremely unpalatable. But the fight scenes are masterfully choreographed -- and it’s certainly a film that, once seen, is not swiftly forgotten.