The official website for Gekijо̄-ban Nintama Rantaro Dokutake Ninja-tai Saikyо̄ no Gunshi (Nintama Rantaro the Movie: The Dokutake Ninja Team’s Strongest Strategist), the first anime film in the Nintama Rantaro anime franchise in 13 years, began streaming on Friday a collaborative music video with Naniwa Danshi, who perform the long-time Nintama Rantaro anime series theme song “Yūki 100%” (Courage 100%), which will be used in the movie. The music video features footage from the film:

Goro Matsui wrote the lyrics and Kōji Makaino composed the music for the “Yūki 100%” theme song. Matsui and Makaino also wrote the lyrics and composed Naniwa Danshi‘s new song “Arigatō Kokoro kara,” which is specifically created as the theme song for the film.

The film will open in Japan on December 20.

The movie is based on Kazuhisa Sakaguchi‘s 2013 novel of the same name, which centers on Rantaro’s teacher Hansuke Doi losing a battle against Sonnamon and Zatto Konnamon becoming a teacher at Ninjutsu Academy.

The returning cast includes:

Yasuhiro Mamiya voices Happōsai Hieta, replacing the late Shōzō Iizuka, who voiced the character in the anime series.

In addition, Naniwa Danshi members Ryūsei Ōnishi and Jōichirō Fujiwara appear in the film as guest voice actors.

Masaya Fujimori (Doraemon movies) is returning from the previous film to direct the new one at Ajia-do, the same animation studio for the television series. Original novel writer Sakaguchi is writing the screenplay.

The franchise‘s previous film Gekijō-ban Anime Nintama Rantaro Ninjutsu Gakuen Zenin Shutsudō! no Dan opened in March 2011.

The 31st series in the Nintama Rantaro anime franchise debuted in April 2023. The 32nd series premiered in April 2024.

Soubee Amako‘s original Rakudai Ninja Rantarō ninja gag manga centers around Rantarō, a ninja apprentice at an elite ninjutsu academy in historical Japan. As elementary students, Rantarō and his ninja-in-training friends are called “Nintama” — a contraction of the words “ninja” and “tamago” (“egg”).

The manga inspired the Nintama Rantaro television anime in 1993, and the NHK-E channel is still airing the 10-minute anime every weekday. The manga also inspired two anime films and two live-action films. Takashi Miike directed the first live-action film.

Sources: Gekijо̄-ban Nintama Rantaro Dokutake Ninja-tai Saikyо̄ no Gunshi film’s website, Comic Natalie