REVIEW: Ninninger 16
So Father's day is coming up, you can almost smell the neck ties and last minute cards. Speaking of Fathers, this shows Dad just can't catch a break. He's pretty much the butt of the family joke and gets little respect overall. This actually really bothered me a few episodes back when Gramps restrained Pops for trying to go save his children, and then insulting him right to his face. Well for Fathers day the show has given Pops the gift of competence. In fact, competent is very much the theme of the episode this week, as our team has a rare moment of intelligence. Yes, even Taka. We get to see how Pops became the way he is and just what he can do when push comes to shove. The show really picked up this week, lets talk about how.
We open this week with a good old action scene to start things off on a high note. Everyone is kicking a good amount of Jukkarage ass and take them all out fairly quickly. The team notice there is no Youkai around but they let it go and decide to head back. Well just because the explosions happened doesn't mean the fight is over, Masakage has a plan you see, he wants to find out where the ninja live. However right now his plan isn't too bright as he just sends some Jukkrage to tail them, and as you could guess they bumble and stumble around and get found out really fast by our ninja and are dealt with accordingly. However, Masakage figured that would happen so he had a backup plan now that he thinks the ninja's guard is down.
You would think a bunch of ninja would be totally on guard after trying to be trailed, but these are our ninja so you know better. They are just hanging out at the house figuring they will never have to deal with being followed ever again. They go on about how awesome it is to be a ninja and how that was easy for anyone who's a ninja and how ninja ninja ninja ninja. All this ninja talk is making Pops pretty sad since he couldn't be a ninja when he grew up. Pops exits pretty quick mentioning a special sale going on at the store, because that's not the worst excuse to leave a conversation ever. The team would have stopped him, but again the fucking cowboy comes out of nowhere and attacks Taka. This guy must have a sixth sense to know just the worst moment to pop up.
So hold on to your hats folks because this is where things get weird. Pops drops a pen, which Masakage picks up and turns into Umbrella Goblin Kasabake. An umbrella from a pen, sure, guess they can't all make sense. So, what does our master strategist Masakage plan to have this monster do? Well, step one for the monster is to make it rain, then step two is to turn into an umbrella by the shop and wait, step three is get picked up by Pops who will need an umbrella in the sudden rain, taking him back to the base. I would again like to point out that this is a plan from Kibaoni's head strategist. I'm starting to see how this mighty demon empire fell apart. Well since Pops isn't a ninja he can't tell the umbrella is a monster so he falls for it. I guess he is also blind for not noticing the big eye on the umbrella as well. Hell, the disguise even fools the whole team for a little while as they rush off to find the Youkai they were alerted to. Thankfully they don't take this gag too far, and Kinji's stupid burger thing tells them the Youkai tracks end at the umbrella stand and they put two and two together pretty fast. They break the Youkai's disguise and of course Kinji has to take a selfie. What I don't get is he says that Kasabake is famous, but he's only been alive for like ten minutes, is he just trolling the Youkai? I'd like to think so. Sadly after the selfie, the Youkai gets away.
So Pops is sad and the team are now finally on guard after the terrifying umbrella plot. Dad tries to get some fresh air and talks to his kids about when he was younger. Apparently back in the day Pops was quite the ninja and everyone thought he would take over the last ninja title, but one day when he was Fuukas age, his powers just kind of stopped working. He can still do a little wind jutsu, but only enough to make a tiny gust as best. This of course is why Pops has always been so sad about not being a ninja, however Taka tells him that it's still amazing that he was a ninja at some point, and vows to try to help Pops become a better ninja. It's a rare touching moment that's not broken up by Kinji.
Well the Youkai haven't given up on trying to find the home base just yet, and find Pops out for a walk later in the day. Of course since it's mostly just the Jukkrage they are found out pretty fast, I mean come on even Pops could spot a Jukkrage they don't exactly blend in. Well Operation Make Pops Feel Good takes place and he gets all into it declaring he is the son of the last ninja and he's here to kick ass and chew gum, and he's all out of gum. He pretends to do some ninja attacks and the team help him out so it looks like he's going it. This spooks the Youkai a bit but he still tries to give chase, getting himself stuck in an ally and falling for a fake house decoy. Taka talks a little shit to the Youkai and tells him that his Dad is great and can in fact, beat up his Dad. The team transforms and Pops has to bow out from this part.
Turns out Taka should not have talked so much because when this Youkai isn't trying to sneak around he's actually a pretty good fighter. He's able to shoot the team up from afar and come in quick before they can use any techniques. Pops is watching this ass kicking take place and just can't sit around and not try to do something, and since Gramps isn't around to bind him he goes running into the fight. He gives his best shot as his old hurricane technique, but just a tiny gust comes out. With his cover blown the monster attacks again, and Taka has to come in and protect Pops so he can get out of there and not die. Apparently though being stubborn and heroic really is a family trait because right as he's safe again he goes running right back in. This time though, they finally give the guy a break and with everything on the line, he gives his technique one last shot and boy does it work blowing the Youkai away both literally and figuratively. Most of the team doesn't even know what to say except Taka who was pretty pleased. Well Pops isn't done yet because he joins with his son and makes hurricanes for Taka to use to get up to the Youkai and cut it down while Pops is floored at what he just did.
Of course with the monster dead it must grow big, and as much as I'd like to tell you Pops somehow summons his own new mech or something this is not the case. Instead the monster tries to fly around the rain down shot on them, but a handy use of UFOMaru saves the day, as well as a sweet uppercut from Kinji. Not much else to it this week though, they remind us ShurikenjinKing is a thing with its big flashy finisher but that's all she wrote for that part outside of a funny little clash between Taka and Kinji over who gets to say the final post fight line.
Back at the dojo, it turns out Pops ninja powers only came out in a time of great crisis, and right now he's back to doing a small gust at best. Sad as he is he's still happy he was able to protect his family even once. They sit down together and Fuuka presents Pops with his gift, a new pen. I gotta admit it got a chuckle out of me. The family have another cute moment coming back from the store deciding what to have for dinner and that wraps up a rather nicely done episode.
I really do hate family mumbo jumbo but this was actually a really cute episode. You could really feel how helpless Pops felt during the whole season including this very episode when it came to defending his kids, as well as how worried he was for them whenever they went out. It was a real joy to see him finally be able to do something about it. Beyond that I'm glad he not unable to do ninjutsu, just not good at it. I have an idea that he might have lost his powers when he started fearing, fretting, and doing all that other stuff ninja aren't supposed to do. He already has a nice backstory and I think they have something they can build on from there, I have high hopes for Pops. On top of that there were a lot of other high notes this week, the team whips butt in the first half, but then get whipped right back by the monster and it's nice to see the team get beat up by someone other than Gabi. Things have picked up a bit so fingers crossed things stay that way for a bit.
