Welcome to Astral Animations, where we'll examine the imports of Japanese animation currently available in the United States.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the movie.
That said, on to the review!
During a final, fateful battle the evil Kabusu clan invaded the territory of the Byakuro and wiped the clan out. But despite the Kabusu ninjas' greatest efforts, one Byakuro warrior escaped, and he took with him the infant clan princess, who is rumored to possess an incredible but as yet dormant power. She was the ultimate target of the attack, for if the Kabusu could control her and her power, they would be invincible. But with the princess hidden away, there's no telling when she'll return to avenge her clan.
Years later, five ninja cadets prepare to undergo a final exam that will determine whether they become ninja in truth. Their mission is to infiltrate the captured Byakuro palace and recover certain treasures from the castle's scroll storage room. It is a dangerous quest they must undertake, but they will not be alone. Their young instructor, Kaoru, has paired them off into three different teams: the sword-wielding Sakura and her devoted admirer, Pochi; the hand-to-hand fighter Matsuri and her bomb-throwing partner, Hayashi; and the gentle Yume and her handsome, noble instructor, Kaoru himself. The teams are deliberate, separating Sakura and Matsuri, between whom has arisen an intense rivalry to be the best. Yume cares little for being a ninja and just wants to be with Kaoru for the rest of her life. But little do they know--do any of them know--that one of the three girls is actually the hidden Byakuro princess, raised in secret as a ninja.
And little do they know that their secret band has been discovered by Kabusu mercenaries. Now, as they prepare to cross the border into Kabusu territory, the mercenaries make their move, hounding Sakura and Pochi with fierce monsters and malevolent spirits. Finally, they send a huge arachnid monster, and it is only Kaoru's quick intervention that enables them to survive. But while the one monster dies, it transforms into another, fiercer, and deadlier fiend that chases them toward the border. Matsuri and Hayashi had made it to the border ahead of everyone else, but it quickly becomes apparent that only with all of them working together do they stand a chance of defeating the monster. And even if they manage to slay the thing, will they be able to make it all the way to the Byakuro palace and its hidden treasures undetected?
Ninja Cadets is a 60-minute, 2-episode anime feature. It takes place in feudal Japan, but you wouldn't think it from the gigantic steam-driven war machine used to destroy the Byakuro palace. Then again, it's entirely possible that it wasn't actually steam-driven; maybe there was magic powering it.
I've seen a number of ninja-related anime, from Curse of the Undead: Yoma to The Dagger of Kamui to Ninja Scroll. This anime, however, is considerably more interesting than all the others. As much as I enjoy watching Yoma, Ninja Cadets is much more amusing. Whether it's watching Matsuri and Sakura calling each other "liar" and "cheater" repeatedly or seeing the gutsy, take-no-prisoners Matsuri screaming because she saw a frog, or watching Sakura's face as she samples her own cooking, I don't know. All I know is that an already terrific anime is made even better by its humorous situations.
Perhaps the most disappointing things about this anime is that it seems to be the only OVA in existence about the Ninja Cadets. At least, this seems to be the only one released in the Western hemisphere. The second episode ends leaving a lot of questions unanswered. Who is the real Byakuro princess and how powerful is she? What's happened to the third ninja team? Will Sakura, Matsuri, Pochi, and Hayashi make it back home safely? I hope that someday these questions will receive some answers. In the meantime, I can only wait and hope.
Media Blasters has released this anime in America and, presumably, Canada under its "AnimeWorks" label, which means that there is, theoretically, nothing morally questionable in its content. Although the fighting scenes between the heroes and the demons might be considered violent, they aren't quite so violent as you might find on television.
You can likely purchase Ninja Cadets on videotape at any video store that sells Japanese anime. You can also order it through the Media-Blasters website.
Interested in buying this video? You can! Just follow the link to order the English subtitled VHS version or the English dubbed VHS version. You can also visit the Stellar Video Store for other titles.
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