Ninja Clan – Feeling Hopeful
Chapter 1
Location: Meeting Room
Hmm… I see.
so you had to deal with all of that~? it must have been [rough] for you, shinobu.
It really was… I can’t just sit by and watch my club fall to ruins… So I must do whatever it takes to keep it alive…!
Alright, I understand what’s happening now. So you called us over to think up a plan on how to achieve that?
Yeah, basically.
We tried to work it out on our own at first, but we couldn’t come up with anythin’ good enough… so we decided to go back to the basics!
Hmm, what would that be?
We promote the Ninja Association as sincerely as possible one more time!
mm~? what would be [different] about that? hasn’t shinobu been doing [that] all this time?
Yeah, he didn’t make anythin’ out of those ideas, but there’s gotta be a reason behind all that!
So we’re gonna brainstorm what went wrong, make improvements on the idea, and try it again!
Yes, exactly. The reason we called you here is because we’d like you to share your knowledge with us.
ehh~? we do not need to do it this way; it is too slow. if you so [desire] it, i would make sure to do [something] about it for you, shinobu~♪
but please do not [hate me] no matter what happens, okay…?
Um, what’s that supposed to mean!? You’re scaring me…!
Shinkai-dono, let’s do this peacefully! Peacefully~!!
…What’re you even planning to do?
fufufu~ i am only [joking]~☆ so no need to worry.
Uuu… your jokes are bad for the heart, Shinkai-dono…
I did almost consider carrying out a nefarious plan like Shinkai-dono at first from the shock of the situation, but…
I established the Ninja Association because I love ninjas. So I want to enlist a member who would enjoy ninjas with me!
Mhm, I understand how you feel, Sengoku! Comrades, right? It’s always nice to have comrades~!
I used to struggle to find friends that are fans of tokusatsu in the past, personally…
But fear not, for those feelings will be enough! You’ll find hope in this situation through your passion alone!
Huh…?
I mean, just look around you!
I struggled for a long time to find tokusatsu friends, but now I have so many of them surrounding me…!
Ermm…? I’m not necessarily a tokusatsu fan, though…?
Why’s he talking like we’re part of the same group…? I mean, sure, I know a bit more about them now, but that’s about it…
Huh!? W-What do you mean by all that…!? Didn’t we talk passionately about it in our school year together!?
That’s ‘cause you always mention it to us after every Sunday… so we just so happened to follow along…?
Yeah, and if we couldn’t watch the episode in time, you’d explain what happened in so much detail that we wouldn’t even need to actually watch it to catch up.
i personally enjoy seeing chiaki having [fun], so…♪
Anyway, we may not be fans of it, but… It’s fun once you get down and watch it, and it gets really intense with its turning points. So all in all, I got more interested in ‘em!
Mhm! I can tell we pick up on things a little differently, but either way, you understand the charm of the shows!
That’s why I’m sure there’s someone out there who shares the same passion as you, Sengoku. There’s no need to fret!
We’ll find a breakthrough together!
Morisawa-dono…
You’re right! There’s no chance for me to save my club if I do nothing…
But the chances will rise if I at least try!
Exactly! That’s the spirit~! ☆
But what should I do then, exactly?
I tried to promote the Ninja Association in as many ways as I could possibly think of… but it seems to always attract the incorrect set of people.
Hmm… Let’s see here…
—Do you like how ninjas look, Sengoku? Or do you like the very being of a ninja?
Huh?
Chapter 2
I’d like to know what ninjas personally mean to you.
Ermm…? Are you asking me if I like a regular person wearing a ninja outfit, or if I like the concept of ninjas who conceal themselves?
Hm…? That’s one way to put it… But yeah, something like that.
Then there’s only one way I’d answer that!
It’s because to me, the very form of ninjas and the weapons that they use are cool! But most of all, I think the way of the ninja is a super cool lifestyle!
They endure any and all hardships, and never reveal themselves in the front lines—They devote their all to their lord and carry out their duty to the very end! That’s what I find so cool about them!
Mhm, then the solution is simple. You’ll just need to show off those charms to the right people, in the right location.
…? What does that mean?
gosh… chiaki expresses things in such a [roundabout] way.
Ahh, sorry, my bad. Basically, I considered where the issue lies…
And I’m wondering if the problem may be that he hasn’t been expressing the charms of a ninja to the right market.
Market…? Umm, so it’s like if you tried advertising vegetables in a butcher’s shop?
Yep. What sort of image do you guys have of ninjas?
Huh? Uhh, I dunno how to answer that on the spot…
Um, I guess I think of historical plays…?
Shinobu-kun is always talking ‘bout ninjas in every single way, so I never really considered it.
But I guess it’d be their history, or like, historical plays… Basically, the old stuff.
That makes sense, considering the historical village in Scroll of the Elements fits the era of ninjas more than, say, downtown or something.
So that was the problem?
I believe so. If I were to use tokusatsu as an example—
Tokusatsu shows go way back, so imagine if the very first tokusatsu show was broadcasted to kids of this generation. How do you think they’d react?
I doubt that it’d be a hit among them. They’d say it’s too old-fashioned, since the current shows are much more high quality with their editing, and the quality standards have risen.
They may call that version of tokusatsu old-fashioned, but they don’t necessarily think tokusatsu itself is.
After all, kids from every generation have watched and enjoyed these shows, right?
That’s because tokusatsu shows have always made sure to adjust the themes and visuals to appeal to the current age.
The current tokusatsu shows are regarded as modern because they used previous heroes as the foundation, and applied the current trends onto their shows.
It’s for this reason that tokusatsu shows have lasted for this long, even if the process and the visuals have changed vastly.
W-Wait a minute, you’re right…!
ohh~ i get what chiaki was trying to [say] now.
so basically, we need to [show off] a [ninja] style that fits the modern [age], yes?
Yep, exactly! Ah—but we still need to make sure we appeal the charm correctly.
That’s how you’ll see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel!