Ryusei Onishi and Joichiro Fujiwara, members of the popular boy band Naniwa Danshi, have been announced as the latest additions to the voice cast of the upcoming Nintama Rantaro anime film, Dokutake Ninjatai Saikyo no Gunshi. The film, set to premiere in Japanese theaters on December 20, 2024, will feature Onishi voicing Seiemon Sakuragi and Fujiwara portraying Kanbei Nakoji.
The new film is directed by Masaya Fujimori, known for his work on Kemono Jihen and Revenger. Fujimori returns to the Nintama Rantaro franchise, having previously directed the 2011 film Gekijo-ban Anime Nintama Rantaro Ninjutsu Gakuen Zenin Shutsudo! no Dan. Kazuhisa Sakaguchi, who has worked on several adaptations of the series, is responsible for the screenplay. Animation production is handled by Ajia-do Animation Works, the studio behind the long-running Nintama Rantaro TV series.
The cast will also feature several voice actors reprising their roles from the TV series, including Minami Takayama as Rantaro Inadera, Mayumi Tanaka as Kirimaru Settsuno, Teiyu Ichiryusai as Shinbei Fukutomi, and Toshihiko Seki as Hansuke Doi.
Based on Sakaguchi’s 2013 novel Dokutake Ninjatai Saikyo no Gunshi, the film explores the story of Rantaro’s teacher, Hansuke Doi, as he takes on a new teaching role at Ninjutsu Academy.
The Nintama Rantaro franchise, which began as the manga Rakudai Ninja Rantaro by Soubee Amako in 1986, has been a staple of Japanese children’s entertainment for decades. The manga was serialized in Asahi Shogakusei Shinbun until 2019, and has been compiled into 65 tankobon volumes. The story of Rantaro, a young ninja apprentice at the elite Ninjutsu Academy, has been adapted into a TV anime series since 1993, making it the longest-running program on the NHK network with over 2,000 episodes.
In addition to the upcoming film, the Nintama Rantaro franchise has seen several other adaptations, including a 1996 anime film and multiple video game releases. In 2011, director Takashi Miike brought the series to the big screen with a live-action film titled Ninja Kids!!!.
Fans of the beloved series can look forward to the new anime film as it continues to bring Rantaro’s adventures to audiences young and old.
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