New Nintama Rantaro animated film hits Japanese cinemas in December

A new animated film based on the TV anime "Nintama Rantaro" and inspired by Soubee Amako's original work has been announced for a nationwide theatrical release in December. Titled "Nintama Rantaro: Dokutake Ninja Squad's Strongest Strategist," it marks the first adaptation of one of the series' most celebrated episodes.

The film is based on the book "Novel Rantaro the Ninja Boy: Dokutake Ninja Squad's Strongest Strategist" by Kazuhisa Sakaguchi, who also wrote for the TV series.

Along with the announcement, a teaser image, information about the team and cast, and a special trailer were released. The teaser image shows Doi Hansuke with a rarely seen serious expression, accompanied by the tagline "The white darkness approaches." The animation production will continue to be handled by Asia-Do, the studio behind the TV series. Masaya Fujimori returns as director, having previously worked on the 2011 film "Nintama Rantaro: Ninjutsu Gakuen Zenin Shutsudou! no Dan," while Kazuhisa Sakaguchi is in charge of the screenplay. Voice actors Minami Takayama (Rantaro), Mayumi Tanaka (Kirimaru), Teiyu Ichiryusai (Shinbei), and Toshihiko Seki (Mr. Doi) will reprise their roles.