Recap: Shuriken Sentai Ninninger, Episode 8 – The Nekomata Who Leapt Through Time!

Ninninger 8

Nagi has to use some Ninjutsu to hop across rooftops to avoid being late for the first day of school, much to Fuuka’s consternation. He lands right in front her near school and asks why she didn’t wake him up. But she says she isn’t going to wake him up if he’s just going to go back to sleep.

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More importantly, they can’t let anyone at school know the transfer students are ninjas. They’re already calling her NJK, Ninja School Girl. Fuuka doesn’t want the gossip.

Meanwhile across town, the Nekomata watch appears to still be working.

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Back at home, Takaharu wakes up and joins Yakumo and Kasumi for breakfast. But Father interrupts with reports of a Youkai attacking downtown. They wonder why the Gamagama-ju aren’t reacting, but they’ll deal with that later.

Youkai Nekomata has revived, but Takahrau, Yakumo and Kasumi easily take care of him. But there’s no Sealing Shuriken. That and the Gamagama-ju not detecting it are very strange. Takaharu says at least it didn’t interrupt Fuuka and Nagi at school.

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Back at the home, Kasumi suggests they train as a trio for now. Takaharu says they should play hide and seek like he and Fuuka used to do as kids. Yakumo thinks that’s just easy child’s play, but Kasumi says it might be a good idea to practice how to hide around the house using Ninjutsu.

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Fuuka is with her friends and they tell her since they’re Year 3, they’ll have to talk with their counselor about their career choice. Fuuka hasn’t really thought about it.

Nekomata has revived a third time and explains to Kyuuemon that he can repeatedly revive thanks to the timer he’s set to reverse his own time. He’s also retained his Youkai form despite losing the Sealing Shuriken. He wants to be of use to her so he offers to search for the Finishing Shuriken of the End again.

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Later, Fuuka tells Nagi about the career counseling on the way home. He says he wants a government job since it’ll be stable and it’ll allow him to continue being a ninja. Fuuka says once the fight against Kibaoni’s done, ninjas will no longer be needed though. Plus, it’s not like she wanted to be a ninja in the first place.

Fuuka’s two friends approach when they see her with her boyfriend cousin. Fuuka explains that he’s a year younger and has just transferred here with her.

Since they’re all going the same direction, they decide to walk together. But when they arrive in front of their house, Fuuka whispers to Nagi not to tell the girls they live here because she doesn’t want them to meet Takaharu.

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“Hey, Igasaki-san, don’t you live around here?”
“Huh!? How did you know?!”

Oops. The girls invite themselves over.

Takaharu is at the door having just finished counting and ready to find Yakumo and Kasumi. But he sees his sister and cousin and welcomes them home for the day. Fuuka tells her Oniichan to go away, but the girls hear her.

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Nagi teases Fuuka about being such an adorable airhead sometimes.

But what’s Takaharu doing out here anyway? He tells them they’re playing hide and seek and he’s it.

The girls are confused, but he takes them inside.

While Nagi serves them some tea, Fuuka again asks her oniichan to be “normal” today while they’re here.

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Nekomata begins rampaging in the city again. Father pops in from the wall with the alert, taking one of the girls by surprise. Nagi drops his cup on the floor which is actually where Kasumi has been hiding this whole time. She rolls away, much to the shock of the other girl.

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While Nagi tries to brush off the strangeness to the girls, Father tells Takaharu, Kasumi and Fuuka about the Youkai. Takaharu and Kasumi will go while Fuuka gets her friends to stay here somehow since it’s not safe for them to go out yet.

She tells the girls to wait for the sushi that they’re having delivered.

Takaharu and Kasumi take care of Nekomata again. They see the watch on the ground and Takaharu takes it to help maybe figure out what’s going on.

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Back at home, the girls are eating the sushi when a bamboo in front of them starts moving. POOF! Yakumo pops out, tired of waiting for Takaharu to find him.

The girls are covered in sand. Takaharu and Kasumi come running in when they hear the girls scream. But Fuuka hurriedly ushers her brother and cousins outside and tells them to stay there.

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But Takaharu has dropped the watch and the timer has just reset to allow Nekomata to revive again. The girls faint from the shock and the Youkai proceeds to ransack the house to find the Shuriken.

Fuuka comes back in and Nekomata attacks. The others hurry back when they hear the commotion.

Nekomata has the two girls tied up and deciding that the Shuriken is not here, he decides to go back to 2005. Girls included.

Fuuka and Takaharu run through the portal after them, but it closes before the others can join them.

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Fuuka and Takaharu have no luck finding the Youkai and the girls. Takaharu apologizes for bringing the watch home, but Fuuka says it’s the Youkai’s fault. Or maybe, it’s all because they’re a ninja family. If they weren’t, she could bring her friends home, have a normal school life and go to college and follow her dreams.

Takaharu wants to comfort his sister, but she says this is no time to be talking. Anyway, she feels like she’s been here before. They walk around and see this is their old home and completely intact. They realize they’ve traveled through time.

Fuuka remembers the Youkai must be after something from their home.

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Suddenly, a little girl pops out of the dojo asking if she can help them. It’s little Fuuka! Little Takaharu also comes out of the dojo as they’re playing hide and seek.

Fuuka tells them they should go hide somewhere safe as there’s a Youkai about. Little Fuuka suddenly starts crying.

That’s when Nekomata jumps out. Since he can’t find the Shuriken, he might as well collect some fear.

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But Little Fuuka stops crying and is excited that the Youkai has appeared. She was only pretending/using Ninpou Fake Tears Technique to draw the Youkai out. Little Taka says that was awesome! Of course, Little Fuuka says, “I’m gonna be a better ninja than you someday!”

Big Fuuka remembers, maybe she did want to become a ninja. She thanks them and tells them to get to safety as she and Takaharu henge.

Kana and Mariko think this is very cool as Takaharu and Fuuka chase Nekomata back to 2015.

Fuuka tells her friends to get to safety too and they wish her luck.

The cousins arrive and they roll call.

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Fuuka takes the lead as the Ninningers first take care of the Hitokarages. Takaharu gets tossed aside by Nekomata who gloats about being able to revive anyway.

Fuuka tells Takaharu it’s okay because she’s already figured out Nekomata.

“What?! You know that if my chest clock is broken, I can’t revive anymore?!”

Oops.

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“Fine play!” Nagi cheers. Fuuka says she can kinda relate to being an accidental airhead, after all.

The Ninningers work together to hold Nekomata down while Fuuka delivers the shot that destroys the chest clock before Fuuka and Takaharu deliver the final strike.

But naturally, Kyuuemon embiggens Nekomata and the Ninningers summon the Otomonin. Fuuka sics Wanmaru on the cat while Takaharu calls on Paonmaru so they can form Shurikenjin Paon.

Fuuka decides to take the lead once again as Takaharu reluctantly takes Fuuka’s spot in the cockpit. With a Paon Boomerang, they finally finish off Nekomata for good.

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Watching this scene is an interesting English-speaking, guitar-wielding newcomer who knows these are the grandchildren of the Last Ninja and is very excited.

Nagi and Fuuka are walking to school the next day. He asks her what she’s decided about her career choice. She says she’ll focus on being a ninja for now as she’s remembered that’s what she wanted when she was younger.

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Kana and Mariko come running, saying they’ll be late for school.

Nagi asks Fuuka if they should stop hiding and she says, just for today though.

Fukka tells Kana to hold on tight while Nagi takes Mariko in his arms. The cousins decide to Ninpou their way to school today.

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Takaharu, Yakumo and Kasumi happily watch them as Fuuka and Nagi speed off.

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Episode Thoughts

Now THAT was a great episode! Probably my favorite of the season so far.

I think everything came together for the first time in this ep. It had everything. Lots of great family stuff, lots of great action, lots of great funny moments. It was awesome.

My favorite part was definitely seeing more of the different interactions between everyone. Whether it was the cousins with each other, Father being an important part of the operation, Fuuka’s friends. It was really good to see those different dynamics.

I still wish though they had done a better job with those kinds of scenes between the cousins in the first seven episodes, especially with Starninger arriving.

Hope they can still build those relationships even when needing to squeeze in the new cowboy.

This was definitely a much better Fuuka episode and I guess the “real” Fuuka focus rather than episode 6. The little “flashback”/time traveling to have the siblings meeting their younger selves was fun and worked very well.

Having Nagi and Fuuka attending school is also a great way to expand the world. And it was good not seeing Grandpa randomly pop up for no reason. It keeps him more mysterious.

Looking forward to meeting Yakumo’s mom next week. And I hope we get to meet Kasumi and Nagi’s family too. Maybe some siblings even?

Overall, awesome episode. My new favorite of the season so far.

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