REVIEW: Ninninger 17
This is a Kinji focused episode so I'm sure you already know my thoughts on this one. I've made no small effort to express just how much I dislike Kinji, and if you share in my opinion this episode is gonna drag on for you, but it will have pay off I swear. One of those ways is a new Ninja Ally, and the other we'll go into later. Even if you do like Kinji I would say it was a rather disappointing outing for him all around and there really isn't much more to talk about this week besides Kinji because of how heavy his focus is so I can't do much besides complain and be sarcastic this time around. So I suppose it's just more of the same really.
We open with something I never thought I'd ever actually see on this show. Kinji attacking someone else besides Taka. I mean Taka is also fighting there too, but I just can't believe Kinji finally is trying something else. His deadline is tomorrow which is why he's trying such crazy things as fighting someone else. However the day grows late and Fuukas set hours of attack are up. Kinji really is the worst assassin, letting himself be told when to attack his targets, it makes me care less about his deadline stress when he could just keep trying anyway. Hell at this point it would be easy since the whole team seems to be used to this time table. Kinji left his how to be a ninja book behind as well as his family picture, and Nagi goes after him to try to return it, overhearing him talk his deadline in the process. See this is another reason why Kinji can't beat the ninja, he didn't notice someone behind him who wasn't even trying to trail him.
While the team talk about what to do with Kinji's deadline, Kyuuemon pays a visit to the cowboy. She wants to know what he thinks about her offer to be her student instead, and they talk a bit about the End Shuriken. Apparently its power isn't simply to end the world, but also to start a new one. As glad as I am that this thing isn't just some WMD in pocket form, now I have to ask who even made this thing? Ninja Jesus? Zeus during his otaku phase? Of course Kinji doesn't ask why Kyuuemon wants the End Shuriken or anything smart like that, he just says he needs another day to think about it. I swear if Kinji wants the shuriken just to bring back his family I'm gonna need a lot more Scotch to do these reviews.
We cut to Masakage and Kyuuemon talking by the sea, because I guess even monsters can't stand being in that dark as hell base. Masakage has an idea, you know how when they make a monster it alerts the ninja? Wouldn't it be nice if they could just, not do that? Because that's all he does, just make some bubble, make a monster inside that bubble, and boom no toad gun alerts. Putting aside the fact that the very idea of this is some of the laziest writing I have ever seen, you'd think a master strategist would think of concealing his monsters sooner. Well he may be able to hide the monster from the ninja, but Kinji's burger can detect the Youkai still, so he rushes onto the scene. This week our monster is Sea Monk Umibouzu, who credit where credit is due actually does look pretty good. His power is all about creating illusions on the water of what people fear most from their past. While Kinji is able to save the people the monster was luring in, as well as get his selfie in, he gets himself lured in by the illusions of his Dad and brother just before they went off and got killed. I can't even find the moment sad because I'm too busy thinking how someone falls for an illusion right after being told he's gonna get hit with an illusion.
Well our team finally arrive after Pops brings in a report to them and now have to find out what to do about this fog. Of course they all turn to Kasumi and you gotta love her here. She says she has no idea what to do and says they should just rush in, sending Taka in first because he's the red one. Well folks what do you think our Red fears most from his past? Some regret? Some one he couldn't help? Some family trama? Nope! Green peppers. Like tons and tons of green peppers. I can only assume this guy got touched in a bad place by a green pepper or something because he really does freeze up. Also apparently it's one illusion per group because everyone else sees what Taka sees instead of their own fear. Of course using Taka as bait was Kasumi's plan all along, and now that she knows how this whole thing works, they calm Taka down and he eats some pepper steak. I really do have to write the most random sentences reviewing this show...
With one illusion down the team moves onto Kinji's. From what it looks like in the illusion, Kinji's family was killed by some werewolf Youkai while they were trying to protect Kinji. He finally opens up to the whole team about his family, and goes to say that he feels ruled by that past and that he has been very rash in how he acts because of it. Feeling totally defeated, he tells himself he doesn't deserve to be Gramps' student. I'd say yes, so he can go away faster, but our team has other ideas. Earlier they had all decided to formally challenge Kinji as a way to give him every shot to make his deadline, and this was a perfect chance to give it to him and boost his spirits. It actually is a really nice moment and the first time I felt some actual emotion come from the cast. With spirits renewed, the whole team breaks free of the illusion, and it's payback time. After a henshin and rollcall sequence that you can just tell the editors are having a hard time blending together with Kinji's our fight starts. Taka and Kinji go for the Youkai, while the rest of the team make a day at the beach of fighting the foot soldiers. Apparently this Youkai can't fight for shit because his only idea for the fight is to try to stop Kinji and Taka with...illusions of Kinji and Taka. They try to say they don't care if they attack the illusions because they are just an assassin and target, but obviously it's because they know the real ones are standing right next to them and this monster is really dumb. Well a quick finisher from Taka and Kinji, plus a second selfie for Kinji, means their friendship has leveled them up enough to unlock a new shuriken! The monster grows and we can start getting in to the best parts about this weeks episode.
See, this weeks Youkai likes the sea, so that's where he is gonna attack from, and although they have ShurikenjinDrago to fly over the sea, and UFOMaru to hover over the sea, our team sees no way to fight this monster who stays in the sea. How lucky for them then the shuriken they got summons another new Ninja Ally that is meant for the sea. Enter SurferMaru, who I'm just gonna say is now my second favorite Ally after UFOMaru. It's a submarine that changes into its surfer form. As excited as Taka is about it, Kinji just can't contain himself at the sight of this one and has to try it out, he's even the one who names SurferMaru. So just for the record Kinji is now a surfin' ninja cowboy. It's still dumb but I respect that they are taking this even further. I'd like to see what more they tag onto him actually, maybe by shows end he'll be a football playing surfin' ninja cowboy king in space. SurferMaru shows off a little with some sweet CGI moves before combining with Shurikenjin to make ShirukenjinSurfer, and god damn it if this isn't my new favorite combination. I love the shark jaw face, for some reason the purple is a nice touch to the whole mech, and I'll be damned if the idea of a giant robot surfing on a submarine isn't cool as shit. I love how Taka still doesn't want to give up his chair in Shurikenjin, only offering to split it with Kinji until the rest of the team make him get down, it's my favorite running bit of the show honestly. Surfer's finisher raises walls of water on both sides like Moses himself to lock the monster in for the final slash. It makes me kind of sad that one of the coolest combinations is hardly ever gonna be seen, I just can't see them constantly putting stuff by the water to justify using it, unless it's gonna pull a Galaxy Glider and can fly.....which better happen.
Well with the monster dead, there is nothing left to do but for the team to make good on their letters of challenge. The ninja line up to face the cowboy, with both sides saying they feel no bad blood and whatever happens happens. It's a somber moment that actually has a decent amount of emotion behind it. So guess who shows up to ruin it? Why Gramps of course! He shows up to block Taka and Kinji from fighting and asks why the hell he's still attacking his grandkids since his deadline is up. Naturally everyone else is confused as this whole damn episode has been about this deadline being today. Well folks, turns out that our dumb ass cowboy is still on American time, and was behind enough to be late by a day. So this whole episode was useless, because Kinji couldn't check a calendar even once during his entire month in Japan. To Gramps' credit, he does give SurferMaru to Kinji as a parting gift which is pretty sweet. After all that work, Kinji just leaves, saying goodbye to everyone with some ribbon things instead of staying and still trying anyway or actually trying to help with all these Youkai popping up. He's gone? HE'S GONE! Yay! Excuse me while I go break out the good scotch. The team, much more upset about Kinji leaving then I am, ask why exactly Gramps won't take him in, and the truth about him and Kyuuemon is dropped on them. Naturally everyone is shocked, but we won't get to see the full weight of this truth until next week.
NO MORE KINJI YAY!!! I'm so happy right now I feel like a weight is taken off me shoulders. I know he's gonna come back but I'm just gonna enjoy this feeling while it lasts. I said earlier that even if you like Kinji this episode fell flat. He says he's desperate to beat the ninja, but still follows Fuukas rules, and then when the entire episode was about him not being swayed from what he wants, he didn't so much as argue against Gramps when he said he had to give up. Beyond that we get scenes where he sees his family, but we still don't get any deeper then "Youkai killed brother and my Paw!". Besides that Kyuuemon did catch my interest this week with what she said about the End Shuriken, plus it seems like she is actually interested in having Kinji under her wing, even seeming worried when Masakage said he wants to target him. I do want to see more about why she wants a student so bad, I wonder if it has to be Kinji or if he is just the best thing to come around. All in all I can't complain much when we get new robots, plus Kinji is gone so a lot of good things came out of this week. It may have taken awhile to get to the better parts but this show has done worse before. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed Kinji stays away for awhile though.
