Nintama Rantaro's Space Adventure: A thorough review of the collaboration with Cosmic Front☆NEXT 5

"Nintama Rantaro's Space Adventure with Cosmic Front☆NEXT 5" Review and Recommendation

"Nintama Rantaro's Great Space Adventure with Cosmic Front☆NEXT 5" is a special episode that is a collaboration between the long-loved anime "Nintama Rantaro" and NHK's popular science program "Cosmic Front☆NEXT". The series was broadcast in two consecutive episodes on NHK from March 11 to March 18, 2020. The original work is "Rantaro, the Failed Ninja" by Amako Soubei, and the animation is produced by Asiado.

story

This special episode is made up of two parts: Episode 9, "The Earth is Rotating After All!" and Episode 10, "Hayabusa 2 Asteroid Mission!".

In episode 9, a boy named Leo (Galileo) from Pisa, Italy, appears in the gardens of the Ninjutsu Academy. Leo gets lost in the Ninjutsu Academy while reading a book about Copernicus' heliocentric theory by the Arno River. Leo loves experiments and observations, and uses the Ninjutsu Academy's telescope to observe the night sky and confirm the movements of Jupiter's moons. Leo thinks that this might help him discover the truth about the heliocentric theory, but then Rantaro appears in front of him, exuding a mysterious aura.

In episode 10, a talking bird called "Tsu (Tsu the falcon)" appears in front of Rantaro, Kirimaru, and Shinbei, who are exhausted from extra lessons. Tsu says that he is looking for his older brother "Hayabusa" who went missing in space, and tells them that the Ninjutsu Academy is a shortcut to space. At night, the classroom blackboard starts to emit a mysterious light, and Tsu heads to the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter.

Commentary

This work is a collaboration between "Nintama Rantaro" and "Cosmic Front☆NEXT," so the scientific elements are emphasized. In particular, episodes about the heliocentric theory and the asteroid probe "Hayabusa 2" will pique children's interest in science. In addition, the story combines the everyday humor of the Ninjutsu Academy with the grandeur of space exploration, providing viewers with fresh surprises.

cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Rantaro Inadera: Minami Takayama
• Kirimaru of Settsu: Mayumi Tanaka
• Shinbei Fukutomi: Sadatomo Ichiryusai
• Yamada Denzo: Akio Otsuka
• Hansuke Doi: Toshihiko Seki
• Leo (Galileo Boy): Kana Hanazawa
• Tsuu (Hayabusa): Hiroshi Kamiya

These voice actors express the personalities of their characters well, and the performances of Kana Hanazawa as Leo and Hiroshi Kamiya as Tsuu are particularly fresh and impressive.

Main Staff

The following staff members were involved in the production of this work:

• Original work: "Rantaro, the Failed Ninja" by Soubei Amako
• Director: Hideo Kawachi
• Series Composition: Yoshio Urasawa
• Music: Koji Makaino
• Character design: Emiko Niiyama
• Art director: Keiko Motoyama
• Director of photography: Kazuhiro Sasaki
• Sound Director: Akira Okuma
• Animation Production: Asiado
• Animation producer: Ryuichiro Matsuyama
• Producer: Saori Obara
• Production Supervisor: Yuko Yonemura, Miki Miyamoto

Thanks to the cooperation of these staff members, we were able to create a work that maximizes the appeal of the original while adding new elements.

Main Characters

The details of the main characters are as follows:

• Rantaro Inadera : 10 years old. His family has a long and distinguished history as ordinary ninjas. He enrolls in the Ninjutsu Academy, aiming to become a top-class ninja, despite his parents' expectations. He has shaggy hair and wears glasses due to severe astigmatism.
• Kirimaru of Settsu : His house was burned down in the war and he lost his family, but he lives a strong life by working part-time jobs. During the long holidays from the Ninjutsu Academy, he is taken care of at Mr. Doi's house. He loves coins and can guess the type of coin just by hearing their sound.
• Shinbei Fukutomi: Son of a wealthy merchant in Sakai. He is easygoing, laid-back, and a big eater. But he also uses his stiff hair, stubborn head, and sticky snot to help his friends out of trouble.
• Yamada Denzo : A practical teacher for the first-year class. He has outstanding ninjutsu skills, from matchlock guns to disguises, and is confident in cross-dressing. His lessons are strict, but he is like a father to his ninja students, full of love. He has been working at the Ninjutsu Academy alone for 10 years, and he rarely goes home. His students are active all over the country.
• Hansuke Doi : A teacher in charge of subjects for Class 1-1. He is knowledgeable about gunpowder and military tactics, but has a terrible weakness for fish pastes such as kamaboko and chikuwa. He is always on edge with the other Class 1-1 ninjas, and has a tight stomach. He is highly trusted by the ninjas, and has a deep bond with Kirimaru that is like family. He is the advisor of the Explosives Committee.
• Leo (Boy Galileo) : A boy from the Southern Barbarians who came from Pisa, Italy. He falls asleep while reading a book about Copernicus's heliocentric theory on a small boat, and when he wakes up, he finds himself lost in a Japanese ninja school.
• Tsuu (Hayabusa) : A falcon that speaks human language who appears before Rantaro and his friends.

subtitle

The subtitles for this special episode are as follows:

• Episode 9: The Earth is Rotating After All! (2020/03/11)
• Episode 10: Hayabusa 2 Asteroid Mission! (2020/03/18)

Related Titles

This work is part of the "Nintama Rantarou" series, and is a must-see episode for fans of the entire series.

Theme songs and music

The opening theme is "Yuki 100%" with lyrics by Goro Matsui, music by Koji Makaino, and vocals by Junior Boys. This song is used throughout the series and is a nostalgic piece for viewers.

review

"Nintama Rantaro's Great Space Adventure with Cosmic Front☆NEXT 5" is a unique work that combines the worlds of science and ninja. In particular, episodes about the heliocentric theory and the asteroid probe "Hayabusa 2" will pique children's interest in science. In addition, the story combines the everyday humor of the Ninjutsu Academy with the grandeur of space exploration, providing viewers with fresh surprises.

The characters' personalities are appealing, especially the new characters Leo and Tsuu, who provide a good contrast to the existing characters. The voice actors' performances are also excellent, especially Kana Hanazawa and Hiroshi Kamiya's performances, which are fresh and impressive.

Thanks to the cooperation of the staff, the film has been completed with the addition of new elements while maximizing the appeal of the original work. Each staff member, including director Hideo Kawachi, series composer Yoshio Urasawa, and composer Koji Makaino, has played their part well, raising the quality of the film as a whole.

This work is recommended not only for fans of the "Nintama Rantaro" series, but also for children who are interested in science and viewers who want to enjoy it with their families. In particular, it is a work that will pique children's interest in science, and it has high educational value.

Recommendation

"Nintama Rantaro's Great Space Adventure with Cosmic Front☆NEXT 5" is a unique work that combines the worlds of science and ninja. In particular, episodes about the heliocentric theory and the asteroid probe "Hayabusa 2" will pique children's interest in science. In addition, the story combines the everyday humor of the Ninjutsu Academy with the grandeur of space exploration, providing viewers with fresh surprises.

The characters' personalities are appealing, especially the new characters Leo and Tsuu, who provide a good contrast to the existing characters. The voice actors' performances are also excellent, especially Kana Hanazawa and Hiroshi Kamiya's performances, which are fresh and impressive.

Thanks to the cooperation of the staff, the film has been completed with the addition of new elements while maximizing the appeal of the original work. Each staff member, including director Hideo Kawachi, series composer Yoshio Urasawa, and composer Koji Makaino, has played their part well, raising the quality of the film as a whole.

This work is recommended not only for fans of the "Nintama Rantaro" series, but also for children who are interested in science and viewers who want to enjoy it with their families. In particular, it is a work that will pique children's interest in science, and it has high educational value.

Please watch this film and enjoy the world of science and ninjas.