© 2000 Lawrence Tuczynski

Title:	Shinobi No Mono/Rikugun Nakano Gakko
CD Label:	King Records
CD Number:	KICA 3033
Music by:	Various
Number of tracks:	60
Running time:	77:05
Number of discs:	1
Year of release/manufacture:	1998

REVIEW

September 18, 2000 This CD is made up of the "Shinobi no Mono" series of films and the movie "Rikugun Nakano Gakko". Shinobi no Mono Shinobi no Mono is a series of eight Japanese historical dramas which were released in Japan over a four year period from 1962 to 1966 by Daiei Pictures. The plot of the films focuses on a ninja named Ishikawa Goemon and his struggle to survive during Japan's warring states period. The films star Ichikawa Raizo (of Nemuri Kyoshiro / Sleepy Eyes of Death fame) who plays Ishikawa Goemon as well as several other characters throughout the series. Wakayama Tomisaburo (of Kozure Ookami / Lone Wolf and Cub fame) also appears in the first four movies. Rikugun Nakano Gakko Japanese officers attend the infamous Tokyo school for spies in this frightening and depressing docudrama. Those who do not pass the course are encouraged to fall on their swords and die. The premise that decent, patriotic officers are turned into immoral killing machines is hard to take. Soldiers are trained to kill, and this is just another class in carnage for which they willingly accept the risks of life and death. (by -- Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide) Akira Ifukube scored at least one of the movies from this series as can be found on the Ifukube "Filmworks Vol. 6" CD. Other music may be by Ogawa Hirooki. Most of the tracks on this CD are good sounding action and suspense music mixed with a few slower tunes. I'm not sure what was used as source material for this CD but track #43 is very muffled and muddy sounding. Overall this is a very good sounding CD with several outstanding tracks. I can recommend this one with a clear conscience.

English Title: THE NINJA*/ARMY NAGANO SCHOOL Japanese Title: SHINOBI NO MONO/RIKUGUN NAGANO GAKKO * = "Shinobi no mono," which litterally means "those that are unseen," could also be translated as basically "ninja" (since "shinobi mono" is also best read as "ninja") Translations courtesy of John Cassidy (Daijirou Ryuusei) From THE NINJA and THE NEXT NINJA Michiaki Watanabe (AKA: Chuumei Watanabe) 1.) Musical Selection "The Ninja" (Main Theme ~ Ninja Vs. Ninja ~ Goemon's Final Moment) From THE NEW NINJA Michiaki Watanabe 2.) DB TOP (Daiei Mark) 3.) DB3 (Main Title) 4.) DB7 (The Shadow That Dances Into the Small Side Gate) 5.) DB14 (Hideyori's Procession ~ Goemon's Reminiscence) 6.) DB16 (Hideyori Captured) 7.) DB24 (Goemon's Secret Maneuvering) 8.) DB32 (Escaping the Money Storehouse) 9.) DB36 (Shuuji Commits Harakiri) 10.) DB38 (The Time For Revenge Has Come) 11.) DB39 (Ending) From THE NINJA: KIRIKAKU SAIZOU Akira Ifukube 12.) DB4 (Main Title) 13.) DB16 (Ninjutsu Fight of the Horse Storehouse Among the Mountains) 14.) DB28 (To Nabari) 15.) DB29 (Saizou And Akane ~ Farewell) 16.) DB30 (Osaka ~ Summer Camp) 17.) DB35 (Ending) From THE NINJA: THE NEXT CHAPTER OF KIRIKAKU SAIZOU Sei Ikeno 18.) DB1 (Daiei Mark) 19.) DB3 (Main Title) 20.) DB5 (Foggy Night ~ Underwater Fight ~ Inferno) 21.) DB33 (Ieyasu's Assassination) 22.) DB35 (Victory In the Air ~ Ending) From THE NINJA: THE IGA MANSION Michiaki Watanabe 23.) DB1 (Daiei Mark) 24.) DB4 (Main Title ~ A Peaceful Three Years) 25.) DB13 (Saizou's Search) 26.) DB38 A (The Tokugawas' Conspiracy) 27.) DB42 (Deathmatch) 28.) DB43 B (Saizou And Princess Yuri ~ Ending) From THE NINJA: THE NEW KIRIKAKU SAIZOU Ichirou Saitou 29.) DB TOP (Daiei Mark ~ Main Title) 30.) DB22 (A Woman's Happiness) 31.) DB27 (The Kazama Family's Next Attack) 32.) DB35 (The Challenge) 33.) DB35 I (The Kazama Family's Collapse) 34.) DB36 (Yayoi's Death ~ Ending) From THE NEW CHAPTER - THE NINJA Takeo Watanabe (Wrote the themes to STAR OF THE GIANTS, ATTACK NO. 1, the original CUTEY HONEY series, THUNDER MASK, EMERGENCY COMMAND 10-4-10-10, THE KAGESTAR and the original MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM) 35.) DB TOP (Daiei Mark ~ Prologue) 36.) DB3 (Main Title) 37.) DB7 (The First Bitter Enemy) 38.) DB15 A (The Training Days) 39.) DB18 (Koujirou and Akane) 40.) DB43 (Slipping Into the Small Side Gate) 41.) DB45 A (To Kai ~ Ending) From THE UNSEEN MASSES Hajime Kaburagi 42.) DB2 (Main Title) From THE ARMY NAGANO SCHOOL Sei Yamauchi 43.) Main Title (Excerpt from the film soundtrack) From THE ARMY NAGANO SCHOOL: CLOUD # 1 DIRECTIVE Ichirou Saitou 44.) DB1 B (Main Title) 45.) DB34 (The Moment The Explosion Draws Near) 46.) DB35 (A Firm Handshake ~ Ending) From THE ARMY NAGANO SCHOOL: DRAGON NO. 3 DIRECTIVE Sei Ikeno 47.) DB1 A (Daiei Mark ~ The Sniper) 48.) DB2 A (Main Title) 49.) DB31 A (Escape) 50.) DB36 A (The Military Pistol) 51.) DB44 (O' God Giveth Us Difficult Obstacles) From THE ARMY NAGANO SCHOOL: THE TOP SECRET COMMAND Ichirou Saitou 52.) DB1 (Daiei Mark) 53.) DB4 (Main Title) 54.) DB23 (The Spy And The Widow ~ The Widow's Secret) 55.) DB25 (The Man Of "Caravan") 56.) DB33 (Takakura's Death) 57.) DB34 A (Shiina's Pursuit) 58.) DB44 A (The Letter to Misuzu ~ To The Next Place of Destination) From THE ARMY NAGANO SCHOOL: THE WAR THAT BROKE OUT LAST NIGHT Sei Ikeno 59.) DB25 (The False Romance) 60.) DB30 (Gunshot ~ Kogiku's Following In Suicide)