| Shuriken School | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Format | Animated series |
| Starring | Charlie Adler Kimberly Brooks Nathan Kress Jessica Di Cicco Maurice LaMarche |
| Country of origin | France |
| Production | |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel |  Nickelodeon CITV, Jetix |
| Original run | February 11 2006 (UK) August 20, 2006 (USA) – present |
Shuriken School is an animated series that first aired on August 20, 2006 on Nickelodeon and then on YTV a few weeks later. It has also been airing on Jetix in the UK since February of 2006, as well as on CITV. In the US, the show currently airs on Nicktoons Network. Shuriken School is a Japanese Ninja series with a contemporary twist. It features a school for ninjas where finances are in desperately short supply. The equipment is appalling and the staff have to think up innovative teaching methods to occupy the young Ninjas’ thirst for knowledge. At Shuriken School, one is taught that all good Ninjas must be able to defend themselves with whatever is at hand—be it a yoyo, a ruler or even a mobile phone. The show has many characteristics influenced by anime, and is a 26 x 26 minute series with a 50:50 split between action and comedy.
Contents |
Characters
Shuriken School
Students
- Eizan Kaburagi
- Eizan Kaburagi is an only child, raised in an oriental working-class family from Tokirohama. Eizan is intelligent, hardworking, and eager to learn. His sole aim since childhood has been to become a ninja (and to avoid selling rice balls). His signature weapon is a green plastic ruler.
- Jimmy B.
- Jimmy comes from a comfortable New York family, but pretends to be much more streetwise than his true origins. He spent all his time with his rap gang, developing a real talent for break-dancing. His parents, perplexed and fed up with their neighbors' comments, sent him to Tokirohama to stay with his aunt and uncle. Before coming to Shuriken, he went to Katana school, Shuriken's competitor, but was kicked out after a week. His weapon is a skateboard.
- Okuni Dohan
- Okuni is the sole female member of the main group, and the most well-studied of them. She frequently cites examples from important lessons, and possesses great deductive skills. She also has a great origami talent. She was probably named after the famous Japanese Shrine Maid, Izumo no Okuni.
- Tetsuo
- A bitter second-year student who looks down on all freshmen with disdain. He is a powerful and skilled ninja, but his anger keeps him from advancing further. This, combined with his great height, may mean that he has been held back for an unspecified amount of time. Constantly following him is his mindless henchman, Yota. He is possibly named after Tetsuo Shima from Akira.
- Yota
- Yota is Tetsuo's ever-present henchman, following him about like a remora follows a shark. He has little personality of his own, often inheriting the personality of the person he is with. He is extremely clumsy, but (somewhat paradoxically) is good at sneaking. He is also very short.
- Ami Saeki
- Ami is a blonde girl who wears a sailor fuku-type uniform. She is very vain, constantly obsessing over her appearance. However, her pampered looks conceal a great aptitude for disguise and deception. She might have a crush on Jimmy B. which is implied in the episode, "Flip Flops of Fury". Daisuke seems to like her quite a lot; however, she does not return the feeling. She was initially one of the students selected to go to the cheerleader's school, but she gave her ticket to Okuni instead. With her blonde hair, red bow, and sailor fuku, Ami resembles Sailor Venus from Sailor Moon.
- Nobunaga
- Nobunaga comes from a long line of skilled sumo wrestlers, and dresses accordingly. He is fairly well-respected among his peers, and his size and strength make him a formidable opponent. He appears as a fat boy with a large belly spilling over his mawashi. His girth makes him slow, however.
He was named after the Sengoku warlord Oda Nobunaga. - Jacques
- A rather confused young Frenchman who believes Shuriken School is a diving school, due to the similarities between the uniforms. He dresses in a black scuba suit, reminiscent of Jacques Custeau, whom he may have been named after. His specialty is underwater combat.
- Marcos
- A Latin-American student who came to Shuriken School to hide from a vicious group called the 3-Saints Gang. It turned out that he ran to Shuriken because he saw them with their masks off. Thinking they were after him, he hid in Shuriken. It was proven in the episode "An XXL Lie" that they abandoned their masks to become Midwestern singers, making his whole escape pointless. He is very sly and mysterious, and he wears sunglasses constantly, in order to hide his face. He excels in covert strikes, and possesses all-around good skills in other fields as well. There have been a few occasions were Marcos' face has been seen for instance in the flashback he had of the 3-Saints gang in "An XXL Lie".
- Choki
- Choki is a Tibetan monk who possesses the powers of telepathy and psychokinesis. He spends most of his time asleep or meditating, and has a very easy-going personality. Most of the time, he prefers floating over walking.
- Daisuke Togakame
- An arrogant student who cares more about his hair than his studies. He is a known coward, and is quick to run from a fight. He likes fellow student Ami, constantly hitting on her and trying to randomly kiss her in almost every episode he appears in. In the episode "An XXL Lie" it is proven that he truly likes Ami. It's unlikely that he is completely useless, though. In the episode "Eizan's Shadow", Daisuke is seen not washing his hands after using the bathroom, though he has a great skill in sewing, due to his nimble fingers.
- Pig
- Pig is, perhaps, the most mysterious of all the Shuriken School students. He appears to be a humanoid pig, complete with pink skin, a snout and ears, and is apparently mute (except for a small grunt in "An XXL Lie"). He communicates via musical instruments, which he is proficient in using. He is also very good at detecting the purpose and personality of disguised and supernatural enemies such as in the episodes "Funny Chick" and "The Demon and Mrs. Clean" respectively, where he detects that the Chick has foul purposes and tries to get the group to stop it, and that the demon messing up the place is really a possessed Mrs. Clean; thus he is not afraid of it unlike the others, but rather enjoys the actions of the former. These actions imply that in place of speech, he has been gifted with clairvoyance. As for his ninja skills or powers, they remain completely unknown...for now, at least.
Staff
- Principal of Shuriken
- He is always worried about the school's funding and is also money-obsessed to the point that in the episode "Eizan's Shadow", he actually asked Kazumi's parents to put the withdrawn check on the phone so he could talk to it. However, he does have exceedingly good ninjitsu skills that made him the principal.
- Vladimir Keitawa
- One of the three teachers at Shuriken School. He has a really long middle name. He comes from Russia, has great physical strength and has a weakness for attractive women. Vlad once pretended to be a foreign exchange student named "Ed" in the episode "Vlad's Past", as it is revealed that although he teaches at Shuriken School, he is not a certified teacher because—due to his extreme phobia of tests—he did not pass the stealth and evasion course. Eizan and the gang disguise him as an exchange student and help him hide from the inspector, who is after Vlad to expose him. After conquering his fear and fooling Kubo and the inspector, it is proven that he has passed the course, making him a certified Ninja Teacher.
- Kubo Utamaro
- One of the three teachers at Shuriken School. Kubo teaches boring theory lessons and has a crush on Kita. He also dreams of being principal one day. He was also very suspicious of Vlad when he was pretending to be Ed.
- Kita Shunai
- One of the three teachers at Shuriken School. She has master skills with ninja weapons and she used to be a teacher at Katana School. She has a pretty bad temper.
- Zumichito
- Zumichito is Shuriken School's groundskeeper. He used to be a student there; thus he knows all of the secrets of the school, and knows a lot of stories about it as well.
- Mrs. Clean
- Real name Michiyo, Mrs. Clean is the Shuriken School's cleaning lady. She has spent her whole life around Shuriken School and knows some ninja moves as well. She takes great pride in her work, and if her cleaning is disrupted, she transforms into a terrifying demon.
Katana School
- Naginata
- A ninja who is a student of Shuriken's rivaling school, Katana. He is very selfish and very good at trickery, only using his ninjitsu for the cause of others' misfortune. He seems to suck up to Katana's principal and usually cheats in battles where he is losing. He dislikes Eizan and had lost against him in the episode, "The Winning Ninja".
Naginata's name is a reference to a naginata, a polearm traditionally used by Japanese samurais. - Bruce Chang
- One of Naginata's loyal followers, Bruce likes getting into fights and confrontations. He has a bad temper and also a loud mouth, which coincidentially, gets the group into trouble. He has a rivalry with Jimmy B. He is a brave fighter but is very reckless and senseless, usually jumping into a battle without a second thought. He sleeps with a teddy bear. His name probably comes from a mixture of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.
- The Kimura Twins
- Followers of Naginata, they are sneaky and will usually gather information for Naginata. They act tough when they are together but when apart, they weaken. They are also dependent on each other. They are sexists as well, which makes them hate Okuni the most.
- Doku
- Another one of Naginata's followers, Doku is big and easily outwitted. His mother still brings him lunch everyday.
- Principal of Katana
- Everyone seems to fear this man. He owns a cute ninja chick that he always keeps by his side, and his face is always covered by an ominous shadow. Naginata and his group suck up to him to earn his favor, and he clearly despises Shuriken and its students. His hairstyle is similar to that of Heihatchi Mishima from the Tekken fighting games.
Miscellaneous
- Kazumi
- A bratty, spoiled little rich kid that appeared in the episode, "Eizan's Shadow". He followed Eizan around through most of the episode, annoying and embarrassing the other students (including the Katana school students) and staff.
- Torrence, Missy and Casey
- Three cheerleaders from a different prep school in California who came to Shuriken School in a foreign exchange program. All of the students, sans Daisuke, has a crush on Torrence, while Daisuke has a crush on Missy. Casey is Missy's twin sister. They are surprisingly skilled ninjas, evidenced when they battled the Katana students and defeated them with their cheerleading-style moves. Eizan, Jimmy B, and Ami were chosen to visit their school, but Ami gave her ticket to Okuni.
- Mr. No
- The head of a sporting good store that Shuriken School was in debt to. He made a bet with Kita, saying that if Eizan wins the competition, he'll clear all the debt, but if he loses, Eizan demand instant payment and she has to go on a date with him. He starts to cheat to help the principal of Katana School and he orders 15,000 rice balls from Eizan's father. Eizan ends up winning, and when Eizan's father delivers the rice balls to Mr. No, the latter says "I'm ruined."
- Eizan's Father
- Eizan's father is a rice ball seller. He makes them himself by using a secret recipe. His first appearance was in the episode "Dirty Rice Balls".
- Nika
- Kubo's younger sister, She used to teach at Katana School, but left after being reprimanded by Kubo, accidentally leaving Kubo's first ever trophy in the Katana School trophy case. Since then she hasn't spoken to Kubo, but at the end of the episode "Kubo's Mystery" the two siblings reconcile.
- Juliette Talent
- She is the hostess of Whiz Kids, a TV show Jimmy loves. At the end of "Shuriken School Secrets", it is implied she'd go on a date with Vlad. She also has an assistant called Barney.
Voice cast
- Nathan Kress - Eizan, Jacques, Choki, Marcos
- Jessica Di Cicco - Okuni, Ami, Kita, Kimura Twins, Yota
- Kimberly Brooks - Jimmy, Nobunaga, Bruce Chang
- Charlie Adler - Principal of Shuriken, Vladimir, Tetsuo, Cleaning Lady
- Maurice Lamarche - Daisuke, Naginata, Kubo, Zumichito
Episodes
Season 1
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Winning Ninja | August 20, 2006 |
| 2 | Catnap Burglar | August 28, 2006 |
| 3 | Eizan's Shadow | September 3, 2006 |
| 4 | Vlad's Past | September 10, 2006 |
| 5 | Flip Flop of Fury | September 17, 2006 |
| 6 | Lousy Labyrinth | September 24, 2006 |
| 7 | An XXL Lie | October 1, 2006 |
| 8 | Kubo's Mystery | October 8, 2006 |
| 9 | Cherry on the Cake | October 15, 2006 |
| 10 | The Demon and Mrs. Clean | October 22, 2006 |
| 11 | Super Ninja | October 29, 2006 |
| 12 | Old School Ninjitsu | November 5, 2006 |
| 13 | Class Picture | November 12, 2006 |
Season 2
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | The Old Master | Unknown |
| 15 | Okuni for President | Unknown |
| 16 | Funny Chick | Unknown |
| 17 | The Lost Treasure | Unknown |
| 18 | Phantom of the Kabuki | Unknown |
| 19 | The Saber and Its Shadow | Unknown |
| 20 | Shuriken School Secrets | Unknown |
| 21 | The Big Illusion | Unknown |
| 22 | Pop Star for a Day | Unknown |
| 23 | The Master of Darkness | Unknown |
| 24 | Detective Mania | Unknown |
| 25 | Eyes Wide Shut | Unknown |
| 26 | Dirty Rice Balls | Unknown |
Movie
An animated film, entitled Shuriken School: The Ninja's Secret, has been produced by Xilam. It aired 22 December, 2007 on Disney Channel Asia.
Plot
"The plot of Shuriken: the Movie follows lead protagonists Eizan, Jimmy and Okuni during the summer holidays. The three friends soon engage an interesting albeit dangerous struggle for reputation, family, and a whole lot more when Eizan's dad is kidnapped by professional ninjas. Upon setting out to find and rescue Eizan's father, the kids must employ the skills and techniques they studied so fervently during their first year of ninja training. Things are difficult however, when they learn that the Jade Shuriken, an ancient symbol of extreme ninja power, threatens Eizan's dreams and potential to become a true ninja. A series of events unravel as Eizan strives to clear his name, realize his dreams and secure his place at Shuriken School."[1]
Broadcasting
Nickelodeon (Autumn 2006 – Present) 
YTV (September 1st 2006 – Present) CITV (March 2006 – Present), Jetix (February 11th 2006 – Present) Nickelodeon (August 20th 2006 – December 2006), Nicktoons Network (September 8th 2006 – Present) 
France 3 (April 2006 – Present), Jetix 
Mediaset (Autumn 2006 – Present) 
Once TV (October 2007 – Present) 
Jetix (Autumn 2006 – Present) 
Disney Channel Asia (October 5th 2006 – Present) [1] 
Hungama TV (March 2007 – Present) TV3 (March 2007 – Present) 
Jetix (September 4th 2006 – Present) 
Jetix (February 1st 2007 – Present), Nickelodeon (February 2007 – Present) 
Jetix (September 4th 2006 – Present) 
Jetix (September 2006 – Present) 
Jetix (September 4th 2006 – Present) 
Jetix Brazil (October 2006 – Present) 
Jetix (October 2006 – Present) 
MBC 3 
Jetix (in Disney Channel) (September 2006 – Present)
References
- ^ Air Date History for Shuriken School, Telebisyon.net
