Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma is a Japanese tokusatsu direct-to-video comedy series produced by Toei Video that was released in June 2006. Its sequel, which began filming on February 23, 2007, is titled Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma!! SPARK, and was released July 21, 2007.
Chou Ninja Tai Inazuma
The series itself is in the jidaigeki genre. The cast of both movies feature actors from the Super Sentai Series’ recent programs, primarily from Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger to GoGo Sentai Boukenger. As a result, the series’ characters would often reference their original characters.
Chou Ninja Tai Inazuma
Jun Terada is a producer in the year 2076 and is trying to convince the president of Magical TV to allow her to create her life’s work, Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma!, based on the long-standing legend of a legendary lightning that bestows powers upon those struck by it. However, because the show is to be the 100th anniversary of the Hyper Hero Team Series”, it must be a first for the 100-year-long franchise. President Mishima convinces her to turn it into a reality show by traveling back to 1720 in the Edo period and picking three extremely inept locals and force them through humiliating training to become ninja.
Chou Ninja Tai Inazuma
When Jun and her writing partner Kuratanomiya arrive in the past, they find Hosomatsu, Kankichi, and Kaguya, three extremely cowardly, inept, and clumsy individuals, to be the stars of their show. Jun, as a Kami, begins to train the three, fooling them with futuristic technology and giving them self-confidence. Unbeknownst to Jun and Kuratanomiya, there are actual monsters killing various people throughout O-Edo, while Jun trains her Inazuma team. When Kuratanomiya encounters the villains on a night on the town, who turn out to be the trio’s idols possessed by evil slug-like monsters, Jun must reveal the truth to her stars that they are without power, but the trio decide to fight anyway with Jun’s earlier words taken to heart. But learning that the legendary lightning exists, Jun discovers that it’s the spark from the glitches in the time teleport system that created the monster slugs. With that knowledge, Jun sends Kuratanomiya back to the future so she can become an antenna for the legendary lightning and empower the Inazuma team before they are killed by the three monsters.
Chou Ninja Tai Inazuma
Of past Super Sentai actors, two of them came from the cast of Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, while many others were from Mahou Sentai Magiranger (Atsushi Hashimoto, who played Hosomatsu/Raiden, also played Kai/MagiRed; Hiroya Matsumoto, who played Kankichi/Senden, also played Tsubasa/MagiYellow; Asami Kai, who played Kaguya/Shiden, also played Urara/MagiBlue; Ayumi Beppu, who played Woman Space Sheriff Beppy, also played Houka/MagiPink, Yuki Ito, who played Tojiro/Tōrōki, also played Makito/MagiGreen; Yousuke Ichikawa, who played Terunosuke/Dokuyamo, also played Hikaru/MagiShine; and Meibi Yamanouchi, who played Ito/Jorōgumo, also played Heavenly Saint Lunagel).
Chou Ninja Tai Inazuma