Sep 13, 2024
Ninja Cadets is an obscure, passionate, action-packed 90s OVA that I believe punches far above its weight. Beginning with the story, it's a pretty simple setup, with a group of young aspiring ninja students looking to infiltrate the castle which was once the base of operations for their clan, and retrieve magic scrolls from its possession, all while they are pursued by a band of evildoers. The story has strong bones, and provides the perfect structure within which all the action can unfold. It does a great job of investing you in the world and its characters, and therefore the
...
story, pretty much right away.
The strongest aspect of Ninja Cadets, however, is the art. Not only is it a perfect example of 90s anime, it is a perfect example of 90s anime that's done really well. The backgrounds are colorful and provide a sense of depth, the character designs are visually intriguing and aesthetic, the animation is fluid and dovetails nicely with the fight choreography, which is itself downright badass. I love the way everything looks in this art style, but especially the fights, specifically when there's a monster involved. The monster designs are otherworldly, and capture this mystic sense of being, either through a sense of scale or unfamiliarity. They're not just reskins of common monster tropes, but rather unique imaginings, to the point where when you see one for the first time it's not instantly clear what exactly you're looking at until it dawns on you, which makes their reveal all the more enthralling. Ninja Cadets has some of the best monster designs I've seen in anime, to be honest, and that really is an unexpected strength.
The sound is a close second, with an awesome OST consisting of high-energy 90s electronic music that somehow doesn't feel out of place in this anime. It slowly builds tension with the gradual addition of new elements throughout a given scene, and before you know it, the scene is backed by a complex and riveting musical accompaniment, elevating the action to the next level. Furthermore, the sounds of life are rich and abundant, be it the quiet sloshing of water, the creaking of floorboards, or the metallic clashing of blade against blade.
The characters are also quite good, being themselves quite engaging despite the severely limited time the viewer has to get to know them. They interact in ways which feel realistic, despite their powers or skills, with distinct personalities that contrast against each other very well. Of them, my favorites are Matsuri and Pochi, Matsuri for the persistent comedy she adds to various scenes through her stubborn, competitive nature, while still being a competent and valuable member of the group, and Pochi, for his honest, heroic nature, interesting character design, and especially his actions in episode two, which are extremely cool, and thoroughly badass, though impossible to expand on without spoiling it. An honorable mention goes to Jame, the tall, spindly, evil witch with wild hair who leads the nefarious villains of this OVA, boasting a striking character design and cool, collected Machiavellianism that makes her feel truly sinister. Overall, Ninja Cadets exceeded every expectation I had for it, and the only problem I really have with it is that there Isn't more of it. If this OVA were even 4 or 5 episodes instead of 2, it would have easily gained a score of 8 from me. Regardless, I still absolutely recommend this gorgeous, maverick title.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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