The appeal and reviews of NINKU: Exploring the depth of the action and story

The appeal and reviews of "NINKU": The deep world view and characters of the animated film

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

July 15, 1995 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Distributor: Toei

■Frequencies

26 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・Original work: Mitsuji Kiriyama ^{Published by Shueisha "Jump Comics"}

■ Director

・Director: Noriyuki Abe Abe Noriyuki

■ Production

Produced by Yomiko Advertising Agency

■Works

©Kiriyama Mitsuji/Shueisha, Fuji Television, Pierrot

■ Story

In this world, there exists a powerful martial artist called "Ninkuu" who combines ninjutsu and karate. In the village where Fusuke and his friends continue their journey, they encounter a group of impostors who are plotting to make money by using Ninkuu's influence.
After a quarrel with the fake Fusuke and the fake Aio, they encounter the Tenchi Brothers, a group of ruffians who are trying to make a name for themselves by defeating Ninku and his friends! In order to protect the village that has been targeted, Fusuke and his friends stand up together with the fake Fusuke and his friends, who are not bad people at heart.

■Explanation

This is an animated feature film based on the TV anime of the same name, produced as part of the Toei Anime Fair in the summer of 1995. NINKU faithfully recreates the world of the original manga, while allowing viewers to enjoy the scale and dramatic development that only a feature film can offer. In particular, the scenes in which Kazesuke and his friends confront the imposters and the battle scenes with the Tenchi Brothers are spectacular and have the power to draw the audience in. The film also has a deep depiction of the characters' growth and friendship, and an inspiring storyline.

■Cast

・Kazusuke/Rika Matsumoto・Ainao/Mitsuaki Madono・Taiji/Jurota Kosugi・Rihoko/Megumi Hayashibara・Hiroyuki/Katsumi Suzuki

■ Main staff

・Original story: Mitsuji Kiriyama (published by Shueisha's Jump Comics)
・Director: Noriyuki Abe (currently Noriyuki Abe)
・Screenplay/Hashimoto Yuji ・Character design/Nishio Tetsuya ・Art director/Ikeda Yuji ・Director of photography/Fukushima Toshiyuki ・Sound director/Mizumoto Kan ・Music/Homma Yusuke

■ Theme songs and music

・TM
・The sparkle is in you・Lyrics by Akiko Nakajima・Music by Takayuki Yamaishi・Arrangement by Akira Inoue・Singer by Yume Suzuki

■Detailed story and character analysis

The story of "NINKU" depicts the adventures of people who use a special martial art called Ninku. During his journey, the main character, Fusuke, meets some fake Ninkus. They are trying to use Fusuke's name to extort money from the villagers. However, Fusuke realizes that they are not really bad people, and together they rise up to protect the village. This unfolding story depicts the growth of people who were enemies by working together, and deeply moves the audience.

In addition, the battle scene with the Tenchi Brothers features the power and speed that can only be seen in a movie version. You can see how Kazesuke and his friends use their Ninkuu techniques and how they defend against the attacks of the Tenchi Brothers. This battle scene brings out the worldview of the original work to the fullest and has the power to draw the audience in.

The character growth is also a big attraction. Kazesuke meets various people during his journey and reaffirms his own beliefs. The fake Ninkuu and his friends also reevaluate their own actions and grow through their encounters with Kazesuke. The portrayal of this character growth and friendship deeply moves the audience.

■Production background and staff's commitment

"NINKU" was produced as part of the 1995 Toei Anime Fair. This fair is an anime film festival held every summer that many people look forward to. "NINKU" was produced as part of this festival, and while faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work, it is a work that allows you to enjoy the scale and dramatic development that only a movie version can offer.

Director Noriyuki Abe (now known as Noriyuki Abe) carefully depicted the battle scenes and character growth to bring out the worldview of the original work to the fullest. In addition, screenwriter Yuji Hashimoto skillfully constructed the story to depict the adventures and growth of Kazesuke and his friends. Character designer Tetsuya Nishio faithfully reproduced the characters from the original work while bringing out the charm unique to the theatrical version. Art director Yuji Ikeda created art with attention to detail to realistically depict the world of Ninku. Director of photography Toshiyuki Fukushima made full use of his photography techniques to bring out the power and sense of speed of the battle scenes to the fullest. Sound director Kan Mizumoto has the power to draw the audience in with his realistic reproduction of the character's voices and sound effects. Musician Yusuke Homma provided moving music that matched the story, deeply moving the audience.

■ The appeal of the theme song and music

The theme song for "NINKU", "The Light Within You", was written by Akiko Nakajima, composed by Takayuki Yamaishi, arranged by Akira Inoue, and sung by Yume Suzuki. This song is a perfect fit for the story of Kazesuke and his friends' adventures and growth, and deeply moves the audience. The music used in the film was also created by Yusuke Homma, providing moving music that matches the story. These songs have the power to draw the audience in, and bring out the appeal of the film to the fullest.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"NINKU" faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original work, while allowing viewers to enjoy the scale and dramatic development that only a movie version can offer. In particular, the scenes where Kazesuke and his friends confront the imposters and the battle scenes with the Tenchi Brothers are spectacular and have the power to draw the audience in. In addition, the portrayal of character growth and friendship is deep, and the moving story development is appealing. The theme song and music are also a perfect fit for the story, deeply moving the audience.

This work depicts the adventures of people who use a special martial art called Ninkuu, and is recommended not only for fans of the original work, but also for those who like works that depict action and friendship. It is also recommended for those who want to enjoy the scale and dramatic development that only a movie version can offer. Please watch this work and feel the adventure and growth of Kazesuke and his friends.