Shuriken Sentai Ninninger Returns: Ninnin Girls vs Boys.

Here we are in another new year and boy has this one ever started off on an odd note. For as much as people claim this time is about change and life goals it seems all the more real when you get started by saying goodbye to a job you've held for fifteen months. Don't get me wrong, I'm not all that down about this turn of events, truthfully I'm looking forward to the opportunity to focus more on my own projects rather than freeze my ass off in a dirty old guard shack. That being said, I'm still in an odd place to start the year. If I utilize this opportunity though this could really be a year for advancements, and maybe I'll even grow a crazy unemployment beard. In a wonderful bit of serendipity, today's topic ended up focusing on people working towards their larger goals, not to mention it allows us to revisit some old friends which is what holidays are all about. Let's check up on the old ninja crew in Shuriken Sentai Ninninger Returns: Ninnin Girls vs Boys.

It's been two years since the end of the original TV series, and all the Igasaki kids are returning home to reconnect and compare how they've progressed. Seeing as it wouldn't be much of a Sentai story without ridiculous monsters attacking, you can probably guess what happens. Instead of the whole group joining up to destroy the baddies, it all comes down to Fuuka and Kasumi in new gaudy costumes to save the day. Turns out Fuuka & Takaharu's mother has recently returned to push her daughters budding career as a ninja idol and she managed to rope Kasumi and another poor girl into this crime-fighting super group.

Turns out old mommy dearest is kind of an asshole. She's a highly successful producer of ninja entertainment which not only keeps her away from home but is largely the reason she approached her husband in the first place. Her current plan to promote an all-girl ninja squad involves convincing the boys that they're no longer needed, so she sets up a girls vs boys showdown to decide who will continue defending Japan.

With all this commotion, our heroes fail to realize a few of their old foes have been revived by their old grudges. I'll be honest, this sub-plot hardly matters. It's mainly an easy way to provide some punching bags for our team without spending cash to create a new baddie, and actually that's not much of a problem, but we'll come back to this point.

The boys and girls face off in one on one combat with dad serving as an extra for the girls team. Kinji is pitted against a new green ranger who claims to be familiar with him, though he's clueless as to how. While almost evenly matched, the girls come out on top. In a surprising show of maturity, Takaharu congratulates his sister on becoming so strong and encourages her to follow her own path rather than let their mother dictate everything.

The remainder of the film is primarily made up of action with the girls being bested by the villains, and the boys show up to get the band back together properly and save the day. Oh,and since I'm unsure where to plug this bit in, the green ranger turns out to be a girl who's possessed by the spirit of Kyuemon who needs to repay his debt to the team before he can be reincarnated.....seems sensible. While far from the best action this crew has given us, these fight scenes showcase a level of confidence that permeates the whole film and makes this something better than the usual Sentai movie.

During it's entire run, Ninninger struggled to find solid footing. It was as if the show wasn't confident enough to decide whether it wanted to be a crazy grab bag of ninja fun or serious action. Instead of a finding a nice mix of elements, everything always felt a little half-baked. That's not as much the case here as the entire cast and subsequently the characters they portray have all grown considerably. They're exchanges, humor, and affection for each-other shine through in a way that would have made the show something really special. I can't help but feel this is what the series should have been doing in it's last leg. At least we get a vision of how good this group would have been if given a little more time and care. Even the elders learn a few lessons about how to be better parents and let their children grow. Especially after Takaharu calls out his mom in a great scene.

That confidence is also the theme of the film itself. Mainly the focus is towards Fuuka as the youngest member of the group, and if she's strong enough to achieve her idol dreams. In fact, the movie almost straight out admits she was the best character from the show, though Nagi gets a couple good bits for himself. This character focus is why the lackluster villain subplot is a fairly minor issue.

There's an almost off-putting honesty to the message of the film as everyone is a little closer to their dream than they were before, yet they all still have a little further to go. It's a pleasant and still realistic lesson for kids that you can achieve your goals but it will still take time, possibly years. In the end, our heroes even remind the audience that if they ever feel lonely or afraid just think of them for comfort and keep moving forward.

As you might imagine, watching a flick so plane about following your dreams felt a bit odd since I currently have to figure out the next phase of my employment history. Can't say as I expected so much encouragement from TV ninjas but I did appreciate the sentiment.

As for you online folk, you should definitely expect to see more from me in the coming months on here and as I attempt to launch a massive article series elsewhere. I have a feeling that the next couple of years are going to be very transformative. I hope you'll all tag along for the ride.