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Nintama Rantaro Franchise Gets 1st New Anime Film in 13 Years in December
posted on by Alex Mateo
The Nintama Rantaro anime franchise is getting a new anime film titled Gekijо̄-ban Nintama Rantaro Dokutake Ninja-tai Saikyо̄ no Gunshi (Nintama Rantaro the Movie: The Dokutake Ninja Team's Strongest Strategist) in December. The movie is based on Kazuhisa Sakaguchi's 2013 novel of the same name, and it is also the franchise's first film in 13 years. An official Twitter account and website opened on Thursday and revealed a teaser video, visual, returning cast, and staff.
The visual features Rantaro's teacher Hansuke Doi and the teaser text that "White darkness approaches":
The returning cast includes Minami Takayama as Rantarō, Mayumi Tanaka as Kirimaru, Teiyū Ichiryūsai as Shinbei Fukutomi, and Toshihiko Seki as Hansuke Doi.
Masaya Fujimori (Doraemon movies) is returning from the previous film to directing the new one at Ajia-do, the same animation studio for the television series. Original novel writer Sakaguchi is writing the screenplay.
Sakaguchi's novel centers on Rantaro's teacher Hansuke Doi losing a battle against Sonnamon and Zatto Konnamon becoming a teacher at Ninjutsu Academy.
Staff announced the news at a 30th anniversary screening of two previous films in the franchise on Thursday, February 22, which is also unofficially considered Ninja Day because the number "2" is "ni" in Japanese so "2/22" sounds like a ninja call "ninini."
The 31st series in the Nintama Rantaro anime franchise debuted in April 2023. The 32nd series will premiere in April 2024.
Soubee Amako's original Rakudai Ninja Rantarō ninja gag manga centers around Rantarō, a ninja apprentice at an elite ninjutsu academy in historical Japan. As elementary students, Rantarō and his ninja-in-training friends are called "Nintama" — a contraction of the words "ninja" and "tamago" ("egg").
The manga inspired the Nintama Rantaro television anime in 1993, and the NHK-E channel is still airing the 10-minute anime every weekday. The manga also inspired two anime films and two live-action films. Takashi Miike directed the first live-action film.
Sources: Gekijо̄-ban Nintama Rantaro Dokutake Ninja-tai Saikyо̄ no Gunshi film's Twitter account, Comic Natalie
