Ask John: How Has Ninja Anime Evolved?

Question:
What is the evolution of ninja characters in anime?

Answer:
This both is and isn’t a difficult question to answer. On one hand, anime prominently featuring ninja aren’t actually as prolific as casual observers may guess. And the image and concept of the ninja throughout anime hasn’t actually changed drastically through the years. I haven’t personally watched every anime that’s ever prominently featured ninja, but I am familiar with a variety of such shows. Furthermore, I hope I may be excused for responding with discussion of ninja anime rather than discussion of specific, individual characters.

Ninja star in some of the earliest modern anime, including the 1959 Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke movie, the 1964 Shonen Ninja: Kaze no Fujimaru television series, 1968 Sasuke television series, and 1969 Ninpu Kamui Gaiden television series. Having watched some of three out of these four early ninja anime, I can confirm that their depiction of ninja isn’t far removed from the imagery, action, and “ninjutsu” seen in contemporary ninja anime. These early ninja anime were fairly serious and dramatic action shows. I may be revealing my ignorance, but I don’t believe that humorous ninja themed anime appeared until much later. In fact, the first significant evolution in ninja anime I can recall is the 1972 debut of Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman (Science Ninja Team Gatchaman), which may be the first anime to transition ninja from a realistic historical setting to a futuristic sci-fi setting.

The next major progression in ninja anime may be attributed to early 80s titles including the 1981 Ninja Hattori-kun and 1982 Ninjaman Ippei & Sasuga no Sarutobi television series. These shows introduced comedy and brought ninja into the contemporary world. While many of the previous ninja anime were targeted at children, Ninja Hattori-kun was a very family friendly comedy revolving around young ninja in training rather than ninja battling each other or defending the world from evil. In numerous respects, Sasuga no Sarutobi can be seen as a predecessor and influence on Masashi Kishimoto’s contemporary series Naruto.

1985’s Ninja Senshi Tobikage television series placed ninja in a futuristic setting like Gatchaman, but Tobikage was uniquely a series featuring giant robots that were also ninja.

The 1987 Sengoku Kitan Yotoden OVA series is notable for possibly being one of the first anime to star a “kunoichi” female ninja. While supernatural and horror elements may have appeared in samurai anime as early as the 1969 Dororo television series, it may be late 80s productions including Yotoden, and 1987’s Maryu Senki that introduced the grim, bloody, supernatural and monster themes to ninja anime that would later appear in titles such as Yoma, Ninja Ryukenden, and Jubei Ninpucho.

The 1989 premiere of the Injuu Gakuen La Blue Girl adult anime series is particularly memorable for introducing a combination of female ninja and erotica that would later appear in anime including Jubei Ninpucho, Shadow, Ninpou Midare Karakuri, Kunoichi Bakumatsu Kitan, and Taimanin Asagi, just to name a few examples.

The 1990 Cat Ninden Teyandee television series may also be a first, introducing a cast of non-human ninja. The 1997 Ninpen Manmaru television series followed suit, starring a penguin in training to become a ninja.

While ninja have continued to appear in anime throughout the 90s and 2000s, including relatively recent appearances in Jubei-chan: Lovely Gantai no Himitsu, Kage Kara Mamoru, Nabari no Ou, Naruto, Basilisk, Stranger -Mukoh Hadan-, Nin x Nin ga Shinobuden, no significant thematic or conceptual advances in the genre immediately spring to mind. That’s not to say that modern ninja anime are bad, or that new, revolutionary ninja anime aren’t waiting to debut. I also may be simply forgetting or overlooking significant recent advancements in the evolution of ninja anime.

Article updated on June 15, 2010.