Cho Ninja Tai Inazuma!
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
series produced by Toei Video
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
that was released in June 2006. Its sequel, which began filming on February 23, 2007, is titled , and was released July 21, 2007.
The series itself is in the jidaigeki
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...
genre (Japanese for an Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
drama). Its cast of both movies feature actors from the Super Sentai
Super Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
Series' recent programs, primarily from Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger
Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger
is the twenty-eighth production of the Super Sentai television series produced by Toei. The action footage from the show was used for the American series Power Rangers S.P.D..The opening catchphrase of the series is .-Story:...
to GoGo Sentai Boukenger
GoGo Sentai Boukenger
is the 30th series in Toei's Super Sentai series, a franchise of Japanese tokusatsu television series. It is the first installment to be broadcast in HDTV. It premiered on February 19, 2006 at 7:30 a.m. on TV Asahi...
. As a result, the series' characters would use often reference their original characters.
Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma!
Jun Terada is a producer in the year 2076 and is trying to convince the president of Magical TV to allow her to create her life's work, Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma!, based on the long standing legend of a legendary lightning that bestows powers upon those struck by it. However, because the show is to be the 100th anniversary of the , it must be a first for the 100 year long franchise. President Mishima convinces her to turn it into a reality show by traveling back to 1720 in the Edo periodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
and picking three extremely inept locals and force them through humiliating training to become ninja.
When Jun and her writing partner Kuratanomiya arrive in the past, they find Hosomatsu, Kankichi, and Kaguya, three extremely cowardly, inept, and clumsy individuals, to be the stars of their show. Jun, as a Kami, begins to train the three, fooling them with futuristic technology and giving them self-confidence. Unbeknownst to Jun and Kuratanomiya, there are actual monsters killing various people throughout O-Edo, while Jun trains her Inazuma team. When Kuratanomiya encounters the villains on a night on the town, who turn out to be the trio's idols possessed by evil slug-like monsters, Jun must reveal the truth to her stars that they are without power, but the trio decide to fight anyway with Jun's earlier words taken to heart. But learning that the legendary lightning exists, Jun discovers that it's the spark from the glitches in the time teleport system that created the monster slugs. With that knowledge, Jun sends Kuratanomiya back to the future so she can become an antenna for the legendary lightning and empower the Inazuma team before they are killed by the three monsters.
Of past Super Sentai actors, two of them came from the cast of Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger
Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger
is the twenty-eighth production of the Super Sentai television series produced by Toei. The action footage from the show was used for the American series Power Rangers S.P.D..The opening catchphrase of the series is .-Story:...
(Ryuji Sainei, who played Kuratanomiya, also played Ban/DekaRed; and Mika Kikuchi
Mika Kikuchi
Mika Kikuchi , born on December 16, 1983 in Misato, Saitama, Japan, is a Japanese actress and seiyū. She is affiliated with Production Ogi.-Biography:...
, who played, Jun, also played Umeko/DekaPink), while many others were from Mahou Sentai Magiranger
Mahou Sentai Magiranger
, is Toei Company's twenty-ninth production of the Super Sentai television series. The action footage was used in Power Rangers Mystic Force and both shows had scenes simultaneously shot in New Zealand...
(Atsushi Hashimoto, who played Hosomatsu/Raiden, also played Kai/MagiRed; Hiroya Matsumoto
Hiroya Matsumoto
is a Japanese actor from Akita Prefecture who works under the Avex Entertainment label. He is known for his portrayal of in Mahou Sentai Magiranger.-Filmography:* Mahou Sentai Magiranger - MagiYellow/Tsubasa Ozu...
, who played Kankichi/Senden, also played Tsubasa/MagiYellow; Asami Kai
Asami Kai
Asami Kai is a Japanese actress & gravure idol born on January 9, 1987 in Kumamoto.- TV :* Mahou Sentai Magiranger - Urara Ozu/MagiBlue* Gakincho - Return Kids - * Joshi Ana Icchokusen!- Movies :...
, who played Kaguya/Shiden, also played Urara/MagiBlue; Yuki Ito
Yuki Ito
is a Japanese actor and musician from Tokyo Prefecture. The role he is most known for is as in Mahou Sentai Magiranger.-References:* - Personal Blog...
, who played Tojiro/Tōrōki, also played Makito/MagiGreen; and Meibi Yamanouchi, who played Ito/Jorōgumo, also played Heavenly Saint Lunagel).
Inazuma
/: A metal crafter in Terunosuke's service who is originally very cowardly, being less so after becoming an Inazuma and taking Jun's words to heart. As Raiden he is the and is proficient in the Ou shurikenShuriken
A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
attack. In addition, when the powers of the other Inazuma are infused into him, he can create a giant shadow duplicate of himself which battles the bugs after they combine into a giant monster./: A carpenter who is originally very inept at fighting. As Senden he is the and is proficient with his Dekee Bomb attack./: A snack shop girl who is originally very clumsy, considering Tojiro as her mentor. As Shiden she is the and is proficient with katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
. She was at Nagasaki during the events of Inazuma SPARK with Tojiro.
Allies
: A television producer with a romantic outlook on things, her previous Hyper Hero Series show, Woman Space Sheriff Beppy, flopped with very low ratings and it was cancelled. She was given a chance to redeem herself with the Inazuma series. Under the guise of KamiKami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
, Jun recruit the Inazuma team, placing them through training until things got too dangerous and forced to reveal herself to the clueless trio. She played a part in making them true heroes before returning to her time to re-envision the show in the direction of her time at the Edo Era. The show was such a success, that she produces the sequel series.: Despite being Jun's assistant, Kuratanomiya is a realist and often thinks of her as foolish; however, he remains loyal to her. He acts like a foil and remote controls the Crow Camera. He gets to direct the Spark series.
Edo Era
: A young lord who owns of fabrics shop was admired by Hosomatsu, who serves under him. He was possessed by one of the slugs, wearing a lizard-like helmet and took on the name .: Terunosuke's sister who Kankichi respected. She was possessed by one of the slugs, wearing a spider-like helmet and took on the name . While under the monster's control, she uses silk-based attacks.: A former ronin under Terunosuke, whom Kaguya had feelings for. He was possessed by one of the slugs, wearing a dragon/mantis-like mask and took the name of . While under the monster's control, he uses sickles as his weapons.Cast
- Hosomatsu/Raiden: Atsushi Hashimoto
- Kankichi/Senden: Hiroya MatsumotoHiroya Matsumotois a Japanese actor from Akita Prefecture who works under the Avex Entertainment label. He is known for his portrayal of in Mahou Sentai Magiranger.-Filmography:* Mahou Sentai Magiranger - MagiYellow/Tsubasa Ozu...
- Kaguya/Shiden: Asami KaiAsami KaiAsami Kai is a Japanese actress & gravure idol born on January 9, 1987 in Kumamoto.- TV :* Mahou Sentai Magiranger - Urara Ozu/MagiBlue* Gakincho - Return Kids - * Joshi Ana Icchokusen!- Movies :...
- Terunosuke/Dokuyamo: Yousuke Ichikawa (Hikaru/Heavenly Saint Sungel/MagiShine in Magiranger)
- Ito/Jorōgumo: Meibi Yamanouchi
- Tojiro/Tōrōki: Yuki ItoYuki Itois a Japanese actor and musician from Tokyo Prefecture. The role he is most known for is as in Mahou Sentai Magiranger.-References:* - Personal Blog...
- Jun Terada: Mika KikuchiMika KikuchiMika Kikuchi , born on December 16, 1983 in Misato, Saitama, Japan, is a Japanese actress and seiyū. She is affiliated with Production Ogi.-Biography:...
- Takanao Kuratanomiya: Ryuji Sainei
- Ronin: Seizō FukumotoSeizo Fukumotois a Japanese actor.Born February 3, 1943, he entered acting at age 15 in Kyoto, the capital of Japanese cinema. A specialist in film and television jidaigeki set in the Edo period, he most often plays a ronin, but in his hundreds of appearances he has taken nearly every role. His forte is...
Songs
Opening Theme: by Ichirou MizukiIchirou Mizuki
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese vocalist, lyrist, composer, voice actor and actor best known for his work on theme songs for anime and tokusatsu. For over 40 years, he has recorded over 1200 songs for Japanese film, television, video and video games. He is referred to by fans and...
Ending Theme: "Thank you" by Mika Kikuchi
Mika Kikuchi
Mika Kikuchi , born on December 16, 1983 in Misato, Saitama, Japan, is a Japanese actress and seiyū. She is affiliated with Production Ogi.-Biography:...
, Asami Kai
Asami Kai
Asami Kai is a Japanese actress & gravure idol born on January 9, 1987 in Kumamoto.- TV :* Mahou Sentai Magiranger - Urara Ozu/MagiBlue* Gakincho - Return Kids - * Joshi Ana Icchokusen!- Movies :...
, and Meibi Yamanouchi
Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma!! SPARK
is the sequel to Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma!. A year after the prequel's events, Jun is now producing a sequel to her original show and has the daughter of Magical TV's president as her female lead. However, Tsubame is unable to keep herself from helping those she feels are in need, and she is accidentally sent to the Edo period where she tries to befriend a ronin shinobi. Hosomatsu and Kankichi are trying to find out who is killing all of daimyo, but Kaguya is traveling with Tojiro, so they are down one member as Inazuma.Tsubame tries to get Hayate to smile, but she learns of the loss of his sister and how he is determined to seek suicidal revenge. When Jun finally finds Tsubame in the past using the original defective time teleporter, Tsubame realizes she must stay to save Hayate, sends Jun back to be deliberately struck by the legendary lightning herself. She then fights the two aliens who had behind the attacks as the newest Inazuma and to save Raiden and Senden who had been trapped.
In this new cast, from past Super Sentai incarnations came came two actors from GoGo Sentai Boukenger
GoGo Sentai Boukenger
is the 30th series in Toei's Super Sentai series, a franchise of Japanese tokusatsu television series. It is the first installment to be broadcast in HDTV. It premiered on February 19, 2006 at 7:30 a.m. on TV Asahi...
(Mitsuomi Takahashi
Mitsuomi Takahashi
is a Japanese actor best known for playing Satoru Akashi/BoukenRed in the tokusatsu show GoGo Sentai Boukenger. He took part in the 20th and 21st SASUKE competition...
, who played Hayate, also played Akashi/BoukenRed; and Mami Yamasaki, who played Tsubame/Hien, played Kaze no Shizuka), while Ayumi Beppu
Ayumi Beppu
is a Japanese actress and tarento from Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. She is chiefly known for her role as / in Mahou Sentai Magiranger.-Filmography:*Mahou Sentai Magiranger - Houka Ozu/MagiPink...
, who played Ayumiko and Hayabusa, also played Houka/MagiPink in Mahou Sentai Magiranger
Mahou Sentai Magiranger
, is Toei Company's twenty-ninth production of the Super Sentai television series. The action footage was used in Power Rangers Mystic Force and both shows had scenes simultaneously shot in New Zealand...
.
New characters
/ : Flightly female lead of Jun Terada's second program in the Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma! series and the daughter of the president of Magical TV, the kind of person who can't resist to help those in need. She accidentally activate the Teleport Room and ends up in 1721, attempting to learn learn how to become a better ninja from Hayate, whom she fall in love at first sight. Wanting to help him, Tsubame deliberately hits herself with the Legendary Lightning to fight the Gezoians. In the end, Tsubame returns to her time with Hayate. As Hien, she is the .- An aloof Iga shinobi who worked under Sendai until Aoba CastleAoba Castle', also known as Sendai Castle , was the castle of the Date family. Built by Date Masamune atop Mount Aoba, it commanded a highly defensible strategic position overlooking the city of Sendai. The castle was one of the nerve centers of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei during the Boshin War, when Date...
was destroyed by the Gezoians, who later murdered his sister. With the item his sister gave him, Hayate pursued the Gezoians, though they were a step ahead of him. It was due to Tsubame's constant attempts to befriend him that Hayate finally opened up and smile and end his suicidal lust for revenge. In the end, Hayate faked his death so he join Tsubame in going to the future and work for Magic TV. While there, he learns of Ayumiko and wanted to meet her due to the resemblance to his sister, only to be scared to death of her upon meeting Ayumiko.: Hayate's slain sister and kunoichiKunoichiis the term for a female ninja or practitioner of ninjutsu .-Etymology:The term is thought to derive from the names of characters that resemble the three strokes in the kanji character for ; said in the order they are written: ku - no - ichi...
, she was murdered by the Gezoians when she attempted to avenge the residents of Aoba Castle. - A pair of ammonite-headed aliens, named and , with a superiority complex from planet Gezo in a farway galaxy, using two suits of samurai armor as puppets to act for them on Earth. Since the Aoba incident they caused, they started to slaughter various daimyos while searching for Japan's protected key point, Edo Castle, to bring ruin to the country so their people can take it over. When they wounded Hayabusa, she took one of the egg-like jewels from their chests and gave it to her brother to aid him in tracking them down. Their actions attracted Inazuma's attention, sealing Raiden and Senden in gourd to prevent their interference. The two then overpower Hayate when he attempted to get his revenge on them, only to be halted by Hien who destroyed the puppets. Enraged, the jewelless Gezoian with golden teeth battle Hien, using the prison gourd to have an advantage until she uses a decoy bomb to get the gourd to free Raiden and Senden before killing the guy. The other blue-toothed Gezoian attempts to retreat with intent to get reinforcements, only for Tsubume to assume Ou-Tsubame form and chase the UFO into space, blasting it to bits.
- A popular singer in O-Edo who sings of the exploits of the Inazuma team.
- The actress who portrayed the title character in . Despite its cancellation, the show gains enough popularity to release DVDs by 2077 during the events of Inazuma!! SPARK. Hayate notices a resemblance in Ayumiko Kitabeppu his slain sister Hayabusa from the Edo period and wants to meet her. However, the fact that Ayumiko is a flashy shallow girl frightens Hayate to death.
New cast
- Tsubame Mishima/Hien: Mami Yamasaki
- Hayate: Mitsuomi TakahashiMitsuomi Takahashiis a Japanese actor best known for playing Satoru Akashi/BoukenRed in the tokusatsu show GoGo Sentai Boukenger. He took part in the 20th and 21st SASUKE competition...
- Ayumiko Kitabeppu / Hayabusa: Ayumi BeppuAyumi Beppuis a Japanese actress and tarento from Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. She is chiefly known for her role as / in Mahou Sentai Magiranger.-Filmography:*Mahou Sentai Magiranger - Houka Ozu/MagiPink...
- Shōryūsai Mizuki: Ichirou MizukiIchirou Mizuki, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese vocalist, lyrist, composer, voice actor and actor best known for his work on theme songs for anime and tokusatsu. For over 40 years, he has recorded over 1200 songs for Japanese film, television, video and video games. He is referred to by fans and...
- Gezoian Suru: Yūsuke NumataYusuke Numatais a seiyū who is affiliated with Aoni Production. His old stage name was .- Television animation :*Atashin'chi *Aoki Densetsu Shoot *Mobile Suit Gundam SEED *Konjiki no Gash Bell!!...
- Gezoian Mē: Masato Hirano
Songs
Opening theme: by Mitsuko HorieMitsuko Horie
is a Japanese seiyū and singer. She was born on March 8, 1957 in Yamato, Kanagawa, Japan. She has voiced several characters throughout her career, such as Sailor Galaxia in Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars and Remi in the Nippon Animation World Masterpiece Theater series Remi, Nobody's Girl...
Insert song: by Shōryūsai Mizuki (Ichirou Mizuki
Ichirou Mizuki
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese vocalist, lyrist, composer, voice actor and actor best known for his work on theme songs for anime and tokusatsu. For over 40 years, he has recorded over 1200 songs for Japanese film, television, video and video games. He is referred to by fans and...
)
Ending theme: by Mika Kikuchi
Mika Kikuchi
Mika Kikuchi , born on December 16, 1983 in Misato, Saitama, Japan, is a Japanese actress and seiyū. She is affiliated with Production Ogi.-Biography:...