Imagine.. Squads of shinobis immersed in a futuristic Tokyo…This is the starting point of Tokyo Shinobi Squad, a novelty published by Kazé in September 2020. We see you coming… Another ninja story after Naruto and Boruto? The two volumes released by Kazé do not revolutionize the genre but they prove effective. At the base of this project, we find two young artists: Yûki TANAKA and Kento MATSUURA. Tanaka is the screenwriter. He made his debut as an autodidact right out of high school. A first version of Tokyo Shinobi Squad was released in the Jump Giga in 2017. The second one you hold in your hands today begins its publication in the Weekly Shonen Jump in 2019. Matsuura has been a rising value in recent years in the manga world. A talented mangaka, he won the thirteenth Weekly Shōnen Jump Gold Future Cup in 2018 for Honomieru shōnen. He admits in an interview given to our colleagues of the jounal of Japan that he started manga after discovering the excellent Bakuman (by the authors of Death Note). For those who do not know this masterpiece, we follow the journey of two https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn70c9Gk1z0&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=Kaz%C3%A9
Tokyo: A land for Shinobi
The story takes place in 2049. The Japanese capital has become the most dangerous place in the world. Thanks to a modernized network of high-speed trains, the city is connected to the world. This leads to a steady rise in crime. Shinobis, spies with special skills, reappear in the 4 corners of the city. We follow the adventures of Jin, the leader of the Narumi Kai squad. Considered the most promising ninja of his generation, he masters powers related to electricity and magnetism. He meets Enh, a young boy whom he saves from a gang of thugs. Our two characters become friends and will live together exciting adventures.
Tokyo Shinobi Squad: Jin, the anti-hero par excellence
The city where our motley quartet evolves is quite close to Tokyo Actuel. A city devoid of special technologies… A choice that is justified by the fact that the reader will be able to immerse himself more easily in this adventure and science fiction story. The sets are the most classic but they are perfectly exploited by the assured line of Matsuura. His style, which remains in line with action shonen, fully fits the urban atmosphere of the manga. He gives us realistic shallows by brilliantly playing on the nuances of light and darkness. A most pleasant result that clearly highlights the gangrenous side of the playground of these shinobis. The strong point of the mangaka lies in his ability to multiply the angles of views relevant to the fights of our heroes against the villains of the story.With the multitude of titles within our reach right now, it's hard for new releases to stand out, but Tokyo Shinobi Squad gives us a solid score thanks in part to its designer. On the scenario side, everything goes very fast. We don't have time to look at the background of the characters. Jin is an exceptional ninja that his peers fear. He twirls throughout the city without caring about the codes demanded by a corrupt society. Although he physically resembles a certain Konoha ninja, he cannot be made the new Naruto. He has nothing more to prove and is already asserting himself as a confirmed leader.
A quartet of shock
The missions follow one another and are not the most original for the moment. However, they are pleasant to follow thanks to this shock squad composed of singular characters. Besides Jin and his electrical powers, Enh has an incredible memory after obtaining a unique scroll. Papillon is a former model, her spinning skills are of another level. Taiga Shimizu completes this special training. A jazzman in his spare time, he is also a formidable fighter. The main interest of the adventures of clan Narumi lies in the relationships between the characters. This budding friendship between Jin and Enh, the bonds between the clan leader and his subordinates, different successful ingredients that make this manga a pleasant and refreshing read. After some relatively anecdotal adventures, volume 2 takes us to the heart of the Shinobi general union. New characters appear with stakes that could lead to some interesting consequences. The first 2 volumes are currently available from Kazé.
