Series REVIEW: Ninja Sentai Kakuranger

Following the success of Gosei Sentai Dairanger, Toei looked to a new theme for the 18th instalment in the Super Sentai franchise - one that had not been done until this point, but would go on to be among its most repeated. 1994-95's Ninja Sentai Kakuranger marks the first appearance of a ninja-themed Sentai, combining ancient Japanese folklore with the visuals of street art, fashion and American comics to create a series quite unlike any that had come before it. Despite being one of the few series since Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger to not feature a sixth ranger as a regular character, it instead looked to innovate the franchise in other ways - marking the first time a ranger other than red would be leader, an "Extra Hero", as well as a two-part story format that shifted in tone as it progressed.

Four hundred years ago, a great war was fought between humanity and the Yōkai. After a team of legendary ninjas were able to trap the Yōkai commander Nurarihyron and his force's energy in a cave protected by a powerful Seal Door, the Yōkai remaining in the human realm were forced to live out the rest of their lives powerless. However in the present day, one of the remaining Yōkai tricks Sasuke and Saizou into opening the door - releasing all of the Yōkai back into the world.

Discovering they are descendants of these great ninjas of the past, Sasuke and Saizou - along with Seikai, Jiraiya and their leader Tsuruhime, are tasked with defeating the Yōkai and restoring order. Becoming the Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, they are aided in the fight by the Three God Generals and their apprentice Ninjaman. However they have their work cut out for them as the chaotic Yōkai begin to unite under one banner - first by the ruthless Young Noble Junior and then his father, the great demon king Daimaou.

Not to start the review on a cliché, but Ninja Sentai Kakuranger really is a series of two halves. Though from its very first episode it's steeped in lore and mythology that carry throughout the series, "irreverent" would be a good way to primarily describe its first half - telling a traditional Super Sentai story with an air of cheekiness and a penchant for surreal comedy. It's in these episodes that it particularly shows off its modern inspirations - combining that staple Super Sentai look with comical ninja techniques and onomatopoeic overlays in fight scenes as if they came straight out of the 1966 Batman series. Even outside as civilians the Kakurangers are presented as anachronistic, juxtaposing their traditional ninja attire with the height of 90s street fashion. The appearance of a fourth-wall breaking announcer only heightens its almost theatre-like production, his interruptions of the story to properly introduce the Yōkai of the week making him like a full member of the cast even though, he's almost entirely detached from everyone else. Kakuranger is brash and brightly coloured, but has its fun with a precision that makes for a consistently captivating show.

However amongst all that silliness Kakuranger still knows when it's time to get serious, and with the introduction of its recurring villains comes a shift in storytelling that helps bring all that previously seeded lore together. The show even has a very slight visual shift, toning down some of the more unorthodox elements that was also done to supposedly create more useable footage for Power Rangers. Truthfully this sounds far more overblown than it actually is though, and the change feels like a natural progression of the story than a sudden production pivot. Even in amongst the more plot-orientated parts Kakuranger never loses that wild sense of humour though, with one of its more infamous episodes ("The New Year's Manga Hell") actually coming quite late into its run.

The constant throughout the two halves of the series though are the Kakurangers themselves, who not only  share a fantastic dynamic with one another but all have enough personality to pull off brilliant focus episodes on their own. One of the show's most notable talking points is the placing of Tsuruhime (Ninja White) as the leader of the team, which she does with advanced ninja skills and a cool-headedness that her teammates so often lack. Special credit should also go to actress Satomi Hirose as well, who was only 14 when initially playing the role. But although Tsuruhime might be the leader that doesn't mean Sasuke (Ninja Red) feels any less the face of the series, getting many of the great standout moments but without overshadowing the rest of his team. Saizou (Ninja Blue) and Sekai (Ninja Yellow) meanwhile feel like the more comedy-orientated members, but given that comedy is something Kakuranger exceeds at this usually means they're at the front of some of the most memorable episodes. That said, even they are not adverse to some of the show's more heartwarming moments. Finally there's Jiraiya (Ninja Black), the "American Ninja" who immediately stands out for his many exclamations in English but has plenty else to offer as well. An early leading role for now tokusatsu veteran Kane Kosugi, his martial arts skills are just as impressive as his grasp of the English language. Jiraiya also has the most fleshed out backstory of the group following Tsuruhime - his raising in America being the subject of a particularly good two-part story. The Kakurangers have plenty to offer as individuals, but they undoubtedly shine the most when altogether.  When they're not taking down Yōkai, they're often bickering or teasing one another just like a real family. All while commanding a questionable dress sense and travelling around Japan in a sentient cat-themed food truck. Kakauranger is something special.

Kakuranger works with a fairly small cast of supporting characters, but that actually works to its advantage in that it's able to make them all memorable in some way even if they don't have a great deal of screen time. The first of these is Sandayuu, the wise but laidback ninja master who acts of a mentor of sorts to the Kakurangers in the first half. From there the recurring characters are more intertwined with Tsuruhime as they are mostly members of her family - primarily her father Hakamenrou but also her "brothers" Tarou and Jirou. Hakamenrou's storyline is particularly one of the more involved elements of the series, as both the driving force behind Tsuruhime's development and as a component in Daimaou's plan. However of the supporting cast undoubtedly the most significant of all is Ninjaman, the first "Extra Hero"-type character to prominently appear in a Super Sentai series. Though coming into the series much later than a sixth ranger perhaps would, Ninjaman still fits effortlessly in with the Kakuranger cast - his appearances not long enough to change the dynamic the main cast have but his hot-headed naivety perfect for working alongside them. 

A similar level of care and development have also been given to the Yōkai, most of whom bear resemblance to their traditional folklore counterparts but have been modernised in a way that somehow (no matter how left-field it may seem) works with or feels like a progression of their original purpose. It also ties in nicely with the idea of the Yōkai evolving their methods over 400 years, whether its whilst they were sealed or living powerless amongst humanity. But even with these changes Kakuranger still pays close reference to the folklore element, with the introduction of each new Yōkai bringing with it a brief history lesson from the announcer (and later the Yōkai themselves) complete with a traditional image of them so that audience not only learns about them but can also see how it might have helped shaped the Kakuranger version. The monster design in the show really is fantastic, brilliantly capturing that same surreality traditional Yōkai have that's sometimes just as grotesque as it is bizarre. A lot of the credit also has to go to the suit actors, who add their own eccentricities to make up a really memorable bunch. Initially introducing the Yōkai as more out for themselves and creating chaos to their own benefit, this more scatterbrained approach works well for the lighter tone of the show's first half.

The introduction of Young Noble Junior (alias of the Yōkai Gashadokuro) as their leader brings structure to the villains as well as the story itself, along with more consistent elements that can be counted among the highlights of the series. Junior himself immediately brings a sense of menace that the show previously lacked, both in his demonic design and more bloodthirsty action. But although his debut marks a more dramatic turn for the series, Junior isn't completely detached from Kakuranger's over the top approach - presenting his human form (brilliantly portrayed by Kenichi Endō) rather fittingly as a loud, leather-clad punk rocker. Comparatively his father Daimaou may be a far more composed character, but he brings that same level of menace as the true leader of the Yōkai Army Corps. While again he's not beyond being part of the joke every now and again, any time Daimaou becomes more active in the plot usually spells a more serious string of episodes. His eventual endgame and defeat also stand out as a particularly interesting one within the franchise, one that opts for quite a different approach whilst also fitting in perfectly with the themes of both Kakuranger and Super Sentai as a whole.

A particularly interesting, if sadly undeveloped, addition to the Yōkai Army Corps are the Flowery Kunoichi-Gumi - an all-female evil Ninja Sentai team that act as Junior's (and later Daimaou's) personal enforcers. Despite having next to nothing behind them in terms of character, they're very well fleshed-out as a counterpart to the Kakurangers and as an evil Sentai team in general. Each one has their own name and title, and in addition to being (even to this day) the only all-female team they were also the first where the colours or costume aren't simply copies. As with Junior and Daimaou whenever they show up the action really kicks up a notch, with them proving to be a credible threat to the Kakurangers right up to the very end. While it might have been nice to delve into them further either as a team or individual characters, their origin doesn't really warrant it nor does their place in the show really need it.

As one would expect from a ninja Sentai Kakuranger places a good emphasis on its action sequences, which while perhaps not quite as refined as Dairanger's martial arts theming still offer some fantastic fight choreography. There's a lot of traditional ninja swordplay and techniques both in and out of suit, combined  with more contemporary takes alongside them. Ranging from simply disappearing in a puff of smoke to size and shape-shifting, part of the fun is seeing what new Ninpo technique the team will seemingly pull out of nowhere next. Yet somehow their abilities never seem too far fetched nor do they ever take away the stakes of an episode, instead only ever really rearing their head when the tide is already turning. Similarly even though the Kakurangers have quite the arsenal at their disposal, it's surprising how often the show keeps things simple when it comes to weaponry. Each member has their own unique weapon (interestingly matching those of their mecha) and there are even combining shark motorcycles in the mix, but it's the standard Kakuremaru katana and Kakulaser they get the most use out of. Fights are often then capped off with the Kakuranger Ball, a lovely tribute to Super Sentai's strange history of ball-based attacks which should feel completely out of place in a ninja-themed show, yet couldn't be more at home here.

But in terms of action if there's one thing that truly stands out in Kakuranger it's how well the series handles its mecha element. Dairanger toyed around with the concept of a more agile and capable individual mecha component with RyuuseiOh, but Kakuranger takes it to the next level with the Giant Beast Generals. Here each of the team is presented with their own smaller robot component, not only allowing for giant-sized team combat but also scenerios where a single Kakuranger is able to lead the fight during their focus episode. Though they are able to combine into the impressive Muteki Shogun, this is often reserved as a finishing move - making this a rare occurrence where the individual components are feel more important than the larger robot. This approach is then further developed with the Beast General Fighters, less-armoured versions of the Giant Beast Generals that lack a combined form but allow for more fast-paced choreography. It isn't until the introduction of the animal-based Kakure Daishogun that the combined form itself becomes the focus, with that suit again designed for more agile movement than the bulky Muteki Shogun. That said even Kakure Daishogun's Super Ninja Beast components get some individual focus, particularly in the multi-part story arc that slowly introduces them. The unification of the Three God Generals (completed by the giant falcon Tsubasamaru) in addition to the introduction of Ninjaman (as well as his alternate Samuraiman form) leads to even bigger mecha fight sequences, with all four often fighting alongside one another. This isn't the only variety Kakuranger when it comes to the mecha either - with the team themselves both merging with/becoming the Giant Beast Generals and Beast General Fighters before adopting a more conventional cockpit approach with the Super Ninja Beasts. Together with mecha design that remains among some of the most popular in the franchise to this day, Kakuranger really helped set the standard for mecha action going forwards even if it wasn't necessarily the first to do any of these things.

All in all Ninja Sentai Kakuranger is just about the perfect Super Sentai package. Perfectly blending off-the-wall comedy and more serious storytelling with both its characters and plot, it's a series that builds upon the shake-ups to the franchise made in its closest predecessors whilst also making its own changes to stand out from the crowd. Kakuranger also feels wonderfully unique in its theming, offering a surprisingly in-depth take on ninjas and Japanese folklore but with a modern twist. And if all that isn't enough to sell you on it, then both the design and action (particularly the mecha sequences) are similarly top tier. The 90s felt like a big turning point for Super Sentai even without the growing brand recognition worldwide thanks to Power Rangers, and Kakuranger is definitely one of the series at the heart of that.