War of the Ninja Monsters: Jaron vs. Goura – SRS Cinema (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2024
Director: Shinpei Hayashiya
Writer: Hirokatsu Kihara, Shinpei Hayashiya
Cast: Kingentei Anju, Anko Hayashiya, Keiki Hayashiya, Kinako Hayashiya, Sakuhei Hayashiya, Shun Ichinose, Akira Ohashi, Mizuho Yoshida

Release Date: October 28th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 55 Minutes 31 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $19.95

"Two men, tired from work, visit the town of Chichibu to enjoy their favorite hobby—exploring caves. But little do they know, the town has been secretly protected by the descendants of the righteous Shinobi ninja since the Sengoku period. The two unlucky friends accidentally break a spell that awakens two colossal beasts, Jaron and Goura. The area's rival clans manipulate them into a fierce battle, bringing chaos to the area. But a righteous female ninja steps up, wanting to stop the destruction and restore the seal. Can she defeat the evil ninjas that stand in her way before Chichibu is completely destroyed by the two kaiju?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

War of the Ninja Monsters: Jaron vs. Goura comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 18.9 GB

Feature: 13.3 GB

Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles. The most surprising aspect of the audio is how robust it sounds during action and moments where the monsters attack. That said, dialogue comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an introduction by Eugene Alejandro, who discusses War of the Ninja Monsters: Jaron vs Goura (1 minute 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a behind-the-scenes featurette (42 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with kaiju historians Elijah Thomas and Daniel DiManna, a collection of Kaiju trailers for films released by SRS Cinema, and trailers for other films released by SRS Cinema.

Summary:

War of the Ninja Monsters: Jaron vs. Goura was co-written and directed by Shinpei Hayashiya, a filmmaker who's obviously a fan of kaiju films; he's directed six films, and all of them are kaiju.

Two men exploring a cave accidentally unleash monsters and ninjas when they tear a scroll they found in the box.

Despite only clocking in at 55 minutes in length, pacing-wise things tend to drag, rarely building any momentum. Although there are quirky characters and an ample amount of humor, neither of these two things really comes off well. Anyone expecting the monsters to play a significant role will be disappointed; their inclusion feels haphazard. The battle between good and evil ninjas is the focal point of the narrative, and the monsters are nothing more than background fodder.

It's immediately clear that War of the Ninja Monsters: Jaron vs. Goura is working on a micro budget, and there are many areas where it comes up short. That said, these shortcomings are too glaring, and anyone expecting something in line with the best the kaiju film genre has to offer will be sorely disappointed. Ultimately, War of the Ninja Monsters: Jaron vs. Goura, like Shinpei Hayashiya’s other kaiju films, is best described as a celebration of kaiju from a filmmaker who loves these types of films.

SRS Cinema gives War of the Ninja Monsters: Jaron vs. Goura a strong audio/video presentation.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer