The Amazon
Prime Video platform has added Nintama Rantarō: Invincible
Master of the Dokutake Ninja (Gekijō-ban Nintama Rantaro Dokutake
Ninja-tai Saikyō no Gunshi), the first film in the Nintama Rantarō franchise
in 13 years, to its catalog. The feature film is available
with Japanese audio and English subtitles.
The film
opened in Japan on Dec. 20 and grossed a cumulative $22.18
million at the global box office.
A story
based on the novel by Kazuhisa Sakaguchi
The plot
adapts Kazuhisa Sakaguchi's novel of the same name published
in 2013, in which Rantarō's teacher, Hansuke Doi, loses a fight
against Sonnamon and Zatto Konnamon takes on
the role of a teacher at Ninjutsu Academy.
Masaya
Fujimori, known for
directing Doraemon films, resumes his role as director after
the previous installment, working again with the animation studio
Ajia-do, also responsible for the television series. The script was written
by Sakaguchi himself.
More
than three decades of ninja adventures
The latest
film in the franchise, Gekijō-ban Anime Nintama Rantaro Ninjutsu Gakuen
Zenin Shutsudō! no Dan, was released in March 2011. Currently, the 33rd
season of the TV anime began on March 31, while the 32nd
aired in April 2024.
The
original work, the manga Rakudai Ninja Rantarō by Soubee
Amako, narrates the adventures of Rantarō, a young apprentice at a
prestigious ninjutsu academy in historic Japan. Together with his friends, also
students, they form the group of the "Nintama", a contraction
of "ninja" and "tamago" ("egg").
A
classic that is still alive with more strength
The manga
inspired the television anime in 1993, which still airs on the NHK-E channel
in 10-minute episodes every weekday. In addition, the franchise features two
anime films and two live-action films, with the first of the latter directed
by Takashi Miike.
