Ninku
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| Ninku | |
|---|---|
 Logo for Ninku |
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| NINKU -忍空- | |
| Genre | Martial arts |
| Manga | |
| Author | Kōji Kiriyama |
| Publisher |  Shueisha Glénat |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Serialized in | Shōnen Jump |
| Original run | 1993 – 1995 |
| Volumes | 9 |
| TV anime | |
| Director | Noriyuki Abe |
| Studio | Pierrot |
| Network | Fuji TV, Animax     Animax |
| Original run | 1995 – 1996 |
| Episodes | 55 |
| Animated film: Ninku: The Movie | |
| Director | Noriyuki Abe |
| Studio | Pierrot |
| Released | 1996 |
| Runtime | 26 minutes |
| Manga: Ninku -SECOND STAGE:干支忍編- | |
| Author | Kōji Kiriyama |
| Publisher | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Serialized in | Ultra Jump |
| Original run | 2005 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 4 |
Ninku (NINKŪ -忍空-?) is a Japanese manga series by Kōji Kiriyama, which was later adapted into an anime series, produced by Pierrot and directed by Noriyuki Abe, spanning 55-episodes and a movie. The anime series, originally running between 1995 to 1996, premiered on the Fuji Television network, and was broadcast by the anime television network, Animax, across Japan, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and other regions.
The anime series also spawned a movie in 1996, entitled Ninku: The Movie, which was a "double bill" (the other movie being a YuYu Hakusho film) release, produced by Pierrot.[1] Media Blasters's AnimeWorks brand released both movies in their original "double bill" format across North America in 1998.[2]
The original manga spanned 9-tankōbon volumes and was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump manga magazine between 1993 to 1995 and recently restarted as Ninku -SECOND STAGE: Stories of Etonins- (忍空 -SECOND STAGE 干支忍編-?) in the Ultra Jump magazine since October 2005, with its forth tankōbon volume being issued in November 2007.
Jump! Ultimate Stars, a fighting game game for the Nintendo DS released in November 2006, has three participants from Ninku.
Contents |
[edit] Storyline
The story in Ninku is about an odd-looking 12-year-old boy named Fuusuke (Fuusuke the wind (風の風助 Kaze no Fūsuke?)) who is a powerful warrior from the Ninku school of martial arts, a style that mixes ninjutsu and karate.
It is explained that before the present time in the story that those who could use Ninku were targeted by an evil empire and the Ninku corps were formed to combat the menace. The names of the corps were taken from the twelve Chinese zodiac animals (干支 Eto) and each captain of the corps was called the zodiac animal Ninku master (干支忍 Etonin). When the war was over, the Ninku were defeated and almost all of them were killed (except for a few corps' captains) since they were useless and were also dangerous for the rulers. At the beginning of the story, three years later, Fuusuke, the young former captain of the 1st Ninku corps and controller of the wind and Hiroyuki (ヒロユキ), his flatulent penguin, start searching for the other Ninku captains, each of whom can control various elements. However, a new group of Ninku users has arisen and are trying to take over the world. Fuusuke and his penguin must defeat the new Ninku empire with the help of his old comrades.
[edit] Characters
Fuusuke (風助 Fūsuke)
- Fuusuke the wind (風の風助 Kaze no Fūsuke), the main character in the story, is a former captain of the 1st Ninku corps (子忍 Ne-nin, the rat Ninku) and main character of the story. With the ability to control wind, Fuusuke searches for other former Ninku after a war with an evil empire. Voiced by: Rica Matsumoto
Aicho
- Aicho the sky (空の藍朓 sora no Aichō) is the former 10th Ninku corps (酉忍 Tori-nin, the rooster Ninku) captain and has extremely strong legs with an attitude to match, enabling him to cover large distances in a single bound and cause big damage on enemy machinery through his techniques. He also hates women, as this can be seen in his attitude towards Toji's sister, who has a crush on him. Voiced by: Mitsuaki Madono
Toji
- Toji (Touji) the ground (大地の橙次 daichi no Tōji) is the former 6th Ninku corps (巳忍 Mi-nin, the snake Ninku) captain specialising in land [ground] attacks and techniques. Voiced by: Juurouta Kosugi
[edit] Ninku corps
| Corps# | Ninku | Specialty | Etonin (captain of the corp) | Other members |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | rat (子忍 ne-nin) | wind | Fuusuke the wind (風の風助 Kaze no Fūsuke) | Suzaku (朱雀) Souta (草太) |
| 2 | ox (丑忍 ushi-nin) | muscle | Baku (獏) aka. Byakko (白虎) | |
| 3 | tiger (寅忍 tora-nin) | |||
| 4 | rabbit (卯忍 u-nin) | |||
| 5 | dragon (辰忍 tatsu-nin) | flame | Sekirai the flame (炎の赤雷 honō no Sekirai) | Youkou (陽紅) |
| 6 | snake (巳忍 mi-nin) | ground | Toji the ground (大地の橙次 daichi no Tōji) | Koushu (黄愁) |
| 7 | horse (午忍 uma-nin) | ice | Kisumi the ice (氷の黄純 kōri no Kisumi) | |
| 8 | ram (未忍 hitsuji-nin) | plant | Midori the plant (植物の緑里 shokubutsu no Misdori) | |
| 9 | monkey (申忍 saru-nin) | thunder | Seima the thunderclap (雷鳴の青馬 raimei no Seima) | |
| 10 | rooster (酉忍 tori-nin) | jump | Aicho the sky (空の藍朓 sora no Aichō) | Kirin (麒麟) aka. Hamaji (浜地) |
| 11 | dog (戌忍 inu-nin) | animal | Shigure the wild (野生の紫雨 yasei no Shigure) | |
| 12 | boar (亥忍 i-nin) | water | Kokuro the water (水の黒楼 mizu no Kokurō) |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] Official sites
- Pierrot official Ninku website
- Animax Asia's official webpage for Ninku
- Animax South Asia's official webpage for Ninku
[edit] Profiles
- Ninku (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Ninku (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Ninku: The Movie (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Ninku at Animenfo.com
- Ninku: The Movie at Rotten Tomatoes
