Ninjas of the Southeast: Shadow of the Dead is a 2016 Action Fantasy Adventure film written by Dan Gilroy & Max Borenstein and directed by Hideo Nakata. It is the second instalment of the Ninjas of the Southeast franchise beginning with Takashi Shimizu's 2014 Ninjas of the Southeast: The Code of Bushido. Tony Goldwyn, James Franco, Rinko Kikuchi, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zooey Deschanel and Ziyi Zhang reprise their central roles along with previously introduced cast that comprise the Ninjas of Shinoba. New central cast members include Mila Kunis, Danny Glover, Daniel Kaluuya and Rosa Salazar.
The story follows the crossing plot points of the Ninjas of Shinoba led by Cobalt and Alice, who are captured by the Kōri clan of Ninjas and Master Byram & Yukio proceeding on to confront her birth mother Iza who resides in the frozen fortress of Yomi.
Released theatrically on October 14th, 2016 to be a box office success and receive positive reception.
Plot
God Izanagi and his wife the Goddess Izanami use their divine abilities to forge the seven islands of Japan, building the first Jade Palace for themselves and forging the first Shinobi (Ninjas), eighteen element controlling guards for the Temple of Age. Trying to conceive an actual child results in the birth of Kagutsuchi, who reduces the Shinobi to bones and causes Izanami to die from severe burns, cradled by Izanagi who then kills the monstrous fire salamander with his weapon: The Ten Grasp Sword.
Meeting with the original Aina Anawa a deity of the African continent who forged his weapon, he learns that Izanami's spirit is in the Underworld realm of Yomo, accessible by the Warrior's Path, which Izanagi crosses. Yomo, an icy temple fortess and citadel overrun with large snow fox monsters Kitsune, the skeletal undead Shinobi and a disfigured ice controlling Izanami. Izanagi refuses to bring her back to the mortal world and her rage spawns a hag monster Yomotsu and the lightning deity Raijin to stop Izanagi from leaving, he however fights and escapes.
Present Day
Cast
- Tony Goldwyn as Master Byram Kitashi
- James Franco as Cobalt Endome
- Ziyi Zhang as Yukio Rodako
- Zooey Deschanel as Alice Morway
- Jake Gyllenhaal as Salomon The Scholar
- Mila Kunis as Master Iza
- Danny Glover as Aina Asafa
- Daniel Kaluuya as Badru
- Courtney Halverson as Maid Mona
- Takeshi Kitano as Oram Yao
- Rinko Kikuchi as Letti Loa
- Kimiko Yo as Ma Wa Loa
- Chiaki Kuriyama as Tiu Ni Xan/ The Fan Blade Death
- Sota Fukushi as Romiio Kang/ The Rolling Shot
- Tadanobu Asano as Master Nichi No
- Eita as Barai Il
- Shota Matsuda as