Since the introduction of the internet across the world, people have been exchanging cultures with one another. Anime was only popular in Japan and some other Asian countries till then.
However, with the coming of the internet, Western countries have been able to access the cultures of countries in the East and vice versa. Since the 1980s, animated shows and movies have been blooming in the West and other parts of the world. Shows like Naruto, Pokemon, etc., have a massive following in the Western world which can be described as cult-like.
The most recent animated series making a similar impact in the West is Ninjai: The Little Ninja. It was a popular show in the early 2000s, but its creators stopped production since they weren’t being paid for their web space.
The animated show is about a child who has super ninja skills and goes on a long journey, eliminating dangers along the way, with his companion, Little Bird.
What is the Ninjai Gang?
If all the talk of the animated feature film Ninjai: The Little Ninja is true, then the fans are up for a real treat.
The teaser trailer shows the journey of a child ninja who is nameless and is setting out to find his true self. The Ninjai Gang, the show’s original creators, have not announced anything officially yet. Still, if we are to believe the online chitter-chatter, the feature film will become of the biggest English-made hits globally.
The Ninjai Gang is a group of enthusiastic artists and passionate fans who created this show. The word is that they discontinued the show because of the lack of funding. They were not being appropriately paid for their web space and had to cancel further plans to create more Ninjai content.
People believe that Ninjai’s official website has been taken down so that the creators can focus on producing the feature film.
Ninjai: The Little Ninja, The Story
This show gained attention in the West during the early 2000s and had a good following. It is now being rumored that an English-made animated feature film is under production, sending anime fans into a craze.
This show grew popular because of its high-quality animation, original music, and unique characters. A child ninja prodigy, Ninjai, who goes on a quest to find his true identity, plays the main protagonist in the hit web series.
Although a child plays the character, the show’s content is gruesome, involves a lot of violent killings, and contains strong use of language. It had a sense of quiet, charm, and violence, making it more attractive to viewers.
Ninjai’s character is a contradicting one that fans have fallen in love with. He is a child that has no name and goes to the end of the earth to find out who he is. He plays a curious character who wants to learn about his real identity and is followed along the journey by his companion, Little Bird.
Along the journey, you can see the two sides to the boy. When he is not fighting demons and foes, he projects the character of an ordinary boy who is curious about everything and is playful. He talks to his companion and shares all his doubts and feelings, showing his insecurities as a child would typically have.
However, when it is time for him to draw his sword, his game-face changes, and you can notice his darker side. He fights like a seasoned warrior who has seen countless deaths and fights with a sense of calmness. Ninjai’s ability to shift from a playful child’s instincts to a wounded warrior’s characteristics in seconds was one of the main reasons the show had so much following worldwide.
Ninjai’s Wisdom
The wisdom and philosophy of martial artists have been incorporated into animated shows that Westerners have created. One such example is the American anime-influenced movie, Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Aang was a child-like Ninjai who was desperate to learn about his true powers in The Last Airbender series. However, instead of going down the wrong path to achieving his powers, he prays and enters the Spirit World, where he meets the Dragon Spirit. He asks for advice from the Dragon Spirit to defeat the Fire Nation.
The narrative above is an example of how the West has taken values from the East and incorporated them into their animated movies, shows, etc. There is a scene in Ninjai: The Little Ninja where Ninjai prays after he felt his life night end.
Instead of running away to save himself from death, he whispers a prayer to stay calm and relaxed while stuck in a swamp. This shows the maturity and the wisdom of a child who, in the face of adversity, does not panic but lets his maturity overcome him.
That particular scene showed how wise he could be even though he was only a child. Combining a playful and sweet child with the wisdom and toughness of a seasoned warrior made the web series a recipe for success.
Ninjai: The Little Ninja, Animated Feature Film
Ninjai: The Little Ninja might make a comeback to the big screen with an animated feature film in 2022. There is a consensus that the English-made feature film will be one of the biggest hits if released this year.
The teaser trailer has fans on their knees, hoping for a great feature film. The quality of graphics in the trailer was high-quality, and the cast of characters was top-level.
The artwork shown in the trailer was excellent, and the animation was just eye-watering. Fans have been going crazy over the few insights they got from the teaser trailer, and there has been a lot of buzz around those topics.
Some fight scenes that made it to the trailer showed a lot of blood and violence, which is one of the best things about Ninjai: The Little Ninja.
If the rumors are to be believed, anime experts and fans predict a release of the feature film by mid-2022 or the end of 2022.
