Recap: Shuriken Sentai Ninninger, Episode 5 – Space Ninja UFOmaru

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Takaharu, Yakumo, Nagi and Fuuka head out from the dojo when the Gamagama-ju alert them after a Sealing Shuriken attaches to a satellite dish. But when they get to the location, they see a Yokai happily handing out shiny Zett silver balloons to children. Kasumi apologizes for being late and becomes just as confused as the others. They henge anyway.

The Ninningers aim their Gamagama-ju, but the Yokai Ungaikyou begs them not to shoot since he wouldn’t even hurt a fly. Why are they judging him just because he’s a Yokai? There are plenty Yokai who just want to be popular.

Yakumo doesn’t want to believe a word he says, but Takahru says to wait and look at how happy he’s made all the kids. Nagi agrees that he doesn’t really feel comfortable killing the Yokai if he hasn’t done anything wrong. At the same time, Fuuka adds, they can’t just ignore him.

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Kasumi suggests they take turns tailing him.

Fuuka and Nagi are first up and only see Ungaikyou continuing to happily hand out balloons. Kasumi hurries over to relieve Yakumo from his shift and apologizes for being late again. She was at her college lecture.

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Yakumo sees her yawning and says ninja should get enough sleep. Ninjutsu training is bad enough, so why should she also continue her studies in science?

Kasumi says she became interested in space and science after hearing Grandpa’s story about talking to aliens. It’s been her dream to become a scientist, that’s why she continues her studies even now.

Yakumo says it’s good to have things that you want to do, but remember not to forget things that you have to do.

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Kasumi picks up one of her textbooks. “I guess it’s not possible to do both.”
“Well, I don’t know…” Yakumo starts to say.

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Back at the dojo, Takaharu gets ready to head out and take over for Kasumi. He takes Nagi along to buy some anpan for them.

Fuuka sees Yakumo deep in thought. He apologizes for spacing out and asks her what her childhood dream was. She doesn’t really know. How about him?

Yakumo says he wanted to be a soccer player. But now, his goal is to combine Ninpou and magic to become a new type of ninja. Fuuka remembers Kasumi wanted to become a scientist. Fuuka admits she’s kinda jealous that Kasumi has been able to keep that dream alive.

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Yakumo’s not so sure about that. He remembers Kasumi from earlier and says it can be hard to have other dreams while they walk the path of the ninja. But at the same time, he could never ask Kasumi to quit going to school.

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Suddenly, Nagi calls to tell them Takaharu and the Yokai are gone. Yakumo and Fuuka hurry out to meet Nagi and they find Takaharu handing out balloons too. He’s lost the Yokai, but Ungaikyou is actually just around the corner, happy that he’s completed the preparations.

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Ungaikyou changes his friendly face to his real mean face and sends a signal up into the sky that communicates with all the balloons he’s been handing out. The transmission from the balloons has created seven huge Kibaoni Gengetsus.

The four Ninningers henge as the Kibaonis begin attacking the city. Kyuuemon is gathering plenty of fear and Gabi Raizou is raring to go fight the red guy. Kyuuemon asks him to hold on just a little bit so she can gather more fear. He tells her to hurry it up.

The Ninningers help get the people to safety as Kasumi arrives. She again apologizes for being late since she was at her college lab. Yakumo asks if she’s okay and Kasumi says yes, “I’m done.”

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Yakumo is surprised she has decided to quit college.

The others try shooting at the big Kibaonis, but it doesn’t work. Of course not, Kasumi says, since they are just illusions created by Ungaikyou.

Ungaikyou comes out of hiding and says this was his plan all along. He decides to run. Takaharu and Yakumo summon Shinobimaru and Dragomaru to chase after the Yokai. But Ungaikyou sends a transmission wave at them and uses a marionette attack to control them.

Nagi asks if they should split up, but Takaharu says they can take care of both the Yokai and the big Kibaonis. Takaharu uses Wood Technique to fashion himself a kite glider to follow the flying Ungaikyou.

Takaharu shoots at Ungaikyou and then turns his attention to the Kibaonis. He shoots at one and the shot goes straight through and instead hits the silver balloon.

That causes one of the Kibaonis to disappear. Fuuka realizes the balloons were working as transmitters.

Takaharu says he’s going after Ungaikyou. Yakumo turns to Kasumi-nee and says just like Taka-nii, she doesn’t have to give up either. In fact, not giving up can give you strength. Which is why she shouldn’t have to give up either college or Ninjutsu.

“I was never planning to, but okay!”

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Kasumi henges and uses Wood Technique to get herself her own glider. She shows them her Karakuri Nin Antenna before flying off to join Takaharu.

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Kasumi’s device uses a telegraph straight key and she presses it to send electromagnetic waves to affect Ungaikyou’s transmission and eventually pop all the balloon transmitters across the city.

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Yakumo realizes Kasumi wasn’t talking about college earlier. Indeed, Kasumi actually came up with the idea for the antenna during her stakeout and she hurried back to her school’s lab to build it. That’s why she wasn’t able to get enough sleep like Yakumo suggested.

Takaharu focuses back on Ungaikyou and uses the Paon Otomo Nin Shuriken to use Stretch Technique to flatten him.

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The Ninningers reunite and each use different Ninjutsu techniques to counter Ungaikyou’s marionette attack. They then join together for a Simultaneous Nin Violent Slash.

They finish off Ungaikyou and Takaharu sees another Sealing Shuriken has transformed.

Suddenly, Gabi Raizou appears, ready to fight Takaharu. But nearby, Kyuuemon interrupts by embiggening Ungaikyou. Gabi Raizou does not appreciate this interruption, but Kyuuemon just leaves.

Yakumo tells Takaharu they need to take care of the embiggened Ungaikyou first. But Gabi Raizou wants to fight right this minute. Takaharu asks him to wait and Gabi Raizou obliges since all he cares about is the victory of war, but they must hurry back.

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Takaharu tries using the new Otomo Nin Shuriken that’s just transformed. But nothing arrives so they just hop into ShurikenJin Drago to follow Ungaikyou who decides to fly into space.

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Yakumo says they can’t go any further up, but Kasumi says to push on. An Otomo Nin suddenly appears and transforms into a robo. This must be what was summoned from the Shuriken. Takaharu calls it UFOmaru.

So Grandfather saying he talked to aliens was true!

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They initiate ShurikenJin UFO and battle Ungaikyou on the moon.

They deliver a UFO Big Bang to finish off Ungaikyou for good.

Grandpa watches them through a telescope at the dojo. Father asks what he’s looking at and Grandpa explains that all the Otomo Nin are modeled after UFOmaru. Grandpa used the alien technology to combine with things that would suit his grandchildren to develop the Otomo Nin.

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Father thinks he’s just joking again. But anyway, Grandpa seems to be spoiling the kids. Which is the complete opposite of how he treated him when he was a kid.

But it’s okay, Grandpa says, since things will get much more difficult from now on, especially for those seeking the title of Last Ninja.

The Ninningers arrive back home. Yakumo asks Kasumi-nee when she first figured out the Yokai’s plan. “Right from the start, actually,” she replies.

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Fuuka asks why she didn’t tell them then.
“Well, you didn’t ask.”
Nagi says it’s very amusing that Kasumi might be more of an airhead than she seems. Yakumo says it was his misunderstanding from the beginning. But Kasumi appreciates his concern. From now on, she will be a scientist and the Last Ninja.

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Nagi says Kasumi might be more like Taka-chan too. Fuuka notices Takaharu seems worried, but he says he just feels like he’s forgetting something.

But oh well.

Actually, he has forgotten something. Gabi Raizou is still waiting and he decides to take a seat to wait some more.

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Episode Thoughts

I think this might be my favorite episode so far. While we didn’t really get much story development, we got the best character development yet. It was a great episode for both Kasumi and Yakumo as well as Kyuuemon and even Gabi Raizou.

I definitely enjoyed Kasumi and Yakumo the most though. It was great to see Kasumi able to balance being a ninja and going to school. I think they handled that lesson perfectly this episode. They had Yakumo spelling it out, while also showing a bit more of his personality beyond the “Too easy” caricature of him in the first four episodes. Good interaction between all five Ninningers too.

Now what I still don’t get is some of the random aspects so far. Space ninjas? Okay. Nagi’s favorite thing is a dump truck, which is why Grandpa gave him a dump truck mecha? I mean, I am usually amused by random stuff, but I don’t know about all this so far.

UFOmaru, while fun, I don’t know how they’re going to use it in the future. Especially since it was already random and out of nowhere to take the fight to space in this episode to begin with.

I guess Grandpa still has a couple more secrets that need revealing, so hopefully those can propel the season forward too.

Anyway, this was also the first episode where the music played a big part and was highlighted excellently. Didn’t really get a chance to appreciate the music in the first four episodes, but this one gave plenty of opportunity.

Gabi Raizou waiting on the road at the end was amusing. But I do hope we get to see more from him than just a one note “Let’s duel” character like a Juzo or something.

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