Akai Hayate

Summary: >

While Japan might seem calm and normal on the outside, the truth is that the nation has been controlled by a secret group of ninja for a thousand years. All of this worked like clockwork until the leader of the group was supposedly killed by Hayate Kanuma: his son. Of course this seems to be more like a plot to simply over throw the leader and take control of the group, but for Hayate surviving became his top priority. Unfortunately he was fatally wounded trying to escape, but managed to transfer his soul into his unsuspecting sister Shiori. You know the old, "I'm gonna die so I'll transfer my soul into my sister" ninja trick? I see it every year at the office Christmas party.

Even worse is that every time Hayate's spirit takes over, he runs the risk of destroying Shiori's soul. Can Hayate set things strait and will his sister survive? Only the after the final battle at Mt. Fuji will we know for sure...

Thoughts: >

Picture a guy with a blank expression watching TV while thinking - what in the hell is all this about? Yeah, that's me watching Akai Hayate. I keep saying it: "I'm not going to watch any more super ninja anime", but then I do anyway. At first it sort of seemed okay, but then there is the "shadow armor". Okay, so now we're talking super ninja MECHA anime. Ninja? Mecha? eh...

I'm sure someone thought this would be a good idea, but seriously most of what makes ninja and mecha interesting are pretty much mutually exclusive. But both things considered I really couldn't think of this as a ninja/martial arts anime. And as a mecha anime that now becomes really weird. The plot however does flow like a cheeseball 90's mecha anime, it however doesn't seem to catch the charm of that cheese some other titles are known for.

The story just doesn't flow... at all. I mean there is this plot that is inferred - more so by reading the cover than anything else, but what actually happens in the anime is mainly fighting between shadow armor, with anemic doses of plot glue tossed in occasionally.

While not a terrible title, it leaves a lot to be desired. If you like martial arts action, this title is sort of lacking there too because it's mainly mecha that do the fighting. If you think ninja + mecha is your thing, then I'd still avoid it because there's no real story. My advise is to avoid this title, which shouldn't be hard because it's dated in VHS format and it never even made it to DVD.

Screen Caps: >