Nin x Nin: Ninja Hattori-kun, the Movie (2004)

Kanzo Hattori, an apprentice ninja, leaves his hometown of Iga to go to Edo (Tokyo). There, for his final training, he must find himself a master, and protect his master with his life, whilst upholding the ninja code.

Director:

Masayuki Suzuki

Writers:

Fujiko F. Fujio, Magy

Stars:

Shingo Katori, Rena Tanaka, Gori

Cast

Credited cast:
Shingo Katori	...	Kanzo Hattori
Rena Tanaka	...	Midori
Gori	...	Kemumaki / Sato Sensei
Yuri Chinen	...	Kenichi Mitsuba
Shirô Itô	...	Jinzo Hattori
Keiko Toda	...	Taeko Mitsuba
Kazuyuki Asano	...	Kentaro Mitsuba
Takeshi Masu	...	Korakage
Takashi Ukaji	...	Tahara Keibu
Mikihisa Azuma	...	Detective Kashiwada
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hiroki Kawata
Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
Masahiko Nishimura
Ren Ohsugi
Otoha

Storyline

Kanzo Hattori, an apprentice Ninja, leaves his home town of Iga for his final training. He must go to the city of Edo (Tokyo), and the first person he meets shall be his master, whom he must protect with his life, whilst upholding the ninja code. Also while in Edo, Hattori must find out why their rivals, the Koga Ninjas, are flourishing while the Iga Ninjas are dying out. Hattori's master is Kenichi, a 9 year old boy. Kenichi is an introvert and not very popular boy, so he never plays with the other children from school. Kenichi also has a secret crush on a young lady called Midori, yet he's too shy to speak to her. Though as he watches Hattori trying his best, he too begins to try. Meanwhile, people are being found unconscious, their bodies completely unmarked. All the victims have a tattoo (the Koga Ninja crest) and are found with a throwing knife lying close by.

---

Plot Keywords:

ninja | iga | detective | murder | comic hero | 

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Drama

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [jp]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

28 August 2004 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Legend of Nin Nin Ninja Hattori

Company Credits

Production Co:

DENTSU Music And Entertainment, Fuji TV, Fuji Television Network

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hattori greets Kenichi one morning with "O-ha!". This word, and the accompanying hand actions, were coined by Shingo Mama, Shingo Katori's female alter ego.

User Reviews

Great kids' movie & fun for grown-ups, too!

Like "The Great Yokai War" (2005), "Nin X Nin" is the story of a lonely, sensitive kid who is befriended by an oddball with super powers. In this case, Hattori, the Iga Ninja pal, played to campy perfection by Shingo Katori, is on a mission to obtain his graduate degree in the ninja arts. To do so, he must travel to contemporary Tokyo, (from his primitive mountain retreat,) adopt a new master and, all the while, maintain the exacting code of his ancestors.

In an especially funny scene, a (historic enemy) Koga ninja describes to Hattori the ways that members of his clan have adapted to modern society, putting their ninja skills to work in benign, useful and entertaining ways. Among his fellow Koga retirees are juggler, a skyscraper window washer and a housewife preparing dinner salad. Fans of ninja movies should get a laugh from these "adaptations."

Friendship, loyalty and discovering one's special gifts are the overall themes in this delightful movie. If you watch it without a hypercritical eye, you can enjoy being a kid again.