''Shuriken School'' is a French-Spanish

animated series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

that first aired on August 20, 2006. It was produced by

Xilam Animation Xilam (also known as Xilam Animation) is a French animation studio which specializes in making animated television series and feature films. Marc du Pontavice and his wife Alix founded it in 1999 as a replacement for the animation division of ...

and Zinkia Entertainment (known for producing ''

Pocoyo ''Pocoyo'' ( in Spanish and stylised as ''POCOYO'') is an animated interactive preschool comedy television series created by David Cantolla, Luis Gallego, and Guillermo García Carsí, that premiered on 7 January 2005 on La 2. The series was ...

'') in association with

France 3 France 3 () is a French free-to-air Public broadcasting, public television network. The second flagship network of France Télévisions, it broadcasts a wide range of general and specialized programming. France 3 is structured as a Region ...

and

Jetix Europe Jetix Europe N.V. (formerly known as Fox Kids Europe N.V.) was a European television broadcasting company that owned children's television channels and programming blocks across Europe and Asia, such as Jetix and Jetix Play. History Fox Kids Eu ...

Characters

Main

*Eizan Kaburagi (voiced by Nathan Kress) is a 10-year-old ninja student of Shuriken. Eizan is intelligent, hardworking, and eager to learn. His dream since childhood is to become a ninja. It is hinted that he has a crush on Okuni and also has a rivalry with Naginata. His weapon is a green plastic ruler. He is also clumsy as shown in the episode "Phantom of the Kabuki". *Okuni Dohan (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) is a 11-year-old ninja student of Shuriken, and the only female member of the main group, also the most studious of them. She frequently cites examples from important lessons, and possesses great deductive skills and origami talent, and her weapon is a jump rope. She also has quite a short fuse, and has a crush on Eizan. There is a rivalry between Okuni and the Kimura Twins from Katana. *Jimmy B (voiced by

Kimberly Brooks Kimberly Brooks is an American voice actress. Brooks has voiced characters in video games since the mid-1990s. She has played the voice of Luna in the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise as part of The Hex Girls, Ashley Williams in the ''Mass Effect'' s ...

) is an 11-year-old ninja student of Shuriken. Jimmy comes from a comfortable

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

family, but spent his time with his rap gang, developing a real talent for break-dancing. His parents sent him to Tokirohama to stay with his aunt and uncle. Before coming to Shuriken, he went to Katana School, but was expelled after a week. His weapon is a skateboard. *Nobunaga (voiced by Brooks): He comes from a long line of skilled sumo wrestlers, and dresses accordingly. He is fairly well respected among his peers, and his size and strength make him a formidable opponent. He appears as a fat boy with a large belly spilling over his

mawashi In sumo, a is the loincloth that (sumo wrestlers) wear during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a as part of the ring entry ceremony or . ''Mawashi'' ''Sekitori'' During competition For top ranked profess ...

. His girth makes him slow, but he trained to be agile enough to keep up with his peers. He was named after the Sengoku warlord,

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

. *Tetsuo Matsura (voiced by

Charlie Adler Charles Michael Adler (born October 2, 1956) is an American voice actor and voice director. He is known for his roles as Buster Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', the Bigheads on ''Rocko's Modern Life'', Ickis on ''Aaahh!!! Real Monsters'', Doc ...

): A bitter second-year student who looks down on all freshmen with disdain. He is a powerful and skilled ninja, but his anger keeps him from advancing further. This, combined with his great height, may mean that he has been held back for an unspecified amount of time. Constantly following him is his mindless lackey, Yota. He may be named after Tetsuo Shima from '' Akira''. *Yota Sugimura (voiced by Jessica DiCicco): Tetsuo's very short and ever-present lackey, following him about like a

remora The remora (), sometimes called suckerfish or sharksucker, is any of a family (Echeneidae) of ray-finned fish in the order Carangiformes. Depending on species, they grow to long. Their distinctive first dorsal fins take the form of a modified ...

follows a

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

. He has little personality of his own, often inheriting the personality of the person he is with. He is extremely clumsy, but ironically is good at sneaking. *Ami Saeki (voiced by Jessica DiCicco): A blonde young girl with long hair who wears a sailor fuku-type uniform and a red bow on the back of her head. She is very vain, constantly obsessing over her appearance. However, her pampered looks conceal a great aptitude for disguise and deception. She has a crush on Jimmy B. which is implied in the episode, "Flip Flops of Fury". Daisuke seems to like her quite a lot; however, she does not return the feeling (though she did kiss him once in "Phantom of the Kabuki"). She was initially one of the students selected to go to the cheerleading school, but she gave her ticket to Okuni. She bears a resemblance to Minako Aino, and her first name may derive from Ami Mizuno, both from the ''

Sailor Moon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's Shōjo manga, ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 60 individual chapters (later reorganized into ...

'' franchise. *Marcos Gonzalez (voiced by Nathan Kress): A Latin-American student who came to Shuriken School to hide from a vicious group, called the 3-Saints Gang, from

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. It turned out that he ran to Shuriken because he saw them with their masks off. Thinking they were after him, he hid in the aforementioned school. It was revealed in the episode "An XXL Lie" that they abandoned their masks to become Midwestern singers, making his whole escape humorously pointless. He is very sly and mysterious, and he wears sunglasses in order to hide his face. He excels in covert strikes, and possesses all-around good skills in other fields as well. *Jacques Morimura (voiced by Nathan Kress): A rather confused young, French man who believes Shuriken School is a diving school, due to the similarities between the uniforms. He dresses in a black scuba suit, reminiscent of

Jacques Cousteau Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful open-circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), called the ...

, whom he may be named after. His specialty is underwater combat. *Choki (voiced by Kress): A

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

an monk who possesses the powers of

telepathy Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...

and

psychokinesis Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...

. He spends most of his time asleep or meditating, and has a very easy-going personality. Most of the time, he prefers floating over walking. *Daisuke Togakame (voiced by

Maurice LaMarche Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor. Across a career spanning more than four decades he has voiced Chief Quimby on Inspector Gadget, Egon Spengler on ''The Real Ghostbusters'', The Brain on ''Animaniacs'' and its spi ...

): An arrogant student who cares more about his hair than his studies, Daisuke is a known coward, and is quick to run from a fight. However, he is not ''completely'' useless; his nimble fingers make him a very good tailor. He has a crush on Ami, constantly hitting on her and trying to randomly kiss her in almost every episode he appears in. In the episode "An XXL Lie", it is shown that he genuinely likes Ami. In the episode "Eizan's Shadow", Daisuke is seen not washing his hands after using the bathroom, suggesting poor hygiene habits. *Pork: Pork is, perhaps, the most mysterious of all the Shuriken School students. He appears to be an

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

, and is apparently mute (except for a small grunt in "An XXL Lie"). He communicates via musical instruments, which he is proficient in using. He is also very good at detecting the purpose and personality of disguised and supernatural enemies such as in the episodes "Funny Chick" and "The Demon and Mrs. Clean" respectively, where he detects that the Chick has foul purposes and tries to get the group to stop it, and that the demon messing up the place is really a possessed Mrs. Clean; thus he is not afraid of it unlike the others, but rather enjoys the actions of the former. These actions imply that in place of speech, he has been granted clairvoyance. He is shown to have mind control powers in one episode. He seems to have an interest in art. *Principal of Shuriken (voiced by

): Also called "Principal-sama", the principal is always worried about the school's funding and is also money-obsessed to the point that in the episode "Eizan's Shadow", he actually asked Kazumi's parents to put the withdrawn check on the phone so he could talk to it. However, he does have exceedingly good ninjitsu skills that made him the principal. He usually has a positive thinking in many situation. He has an allergy to animals. *Vladmir Keitawa (voiced by

): One of the three teachers at Shuriken School. He has a comically long middle name. He comes from Russia, has great physical strength and has a weakness for attractive women. Vlad once pretended to be a foreign exchange student named "Ed" in the episode "Vlad's Past", as it is revealed that although he teaches at Shuriken School, he is not a certified teacher because – due to his massive fear of tests – he did not pass the stealth and evasion course. Eizan and the gang disguise him as an exchange student and help him hide from the inspector, who is after Vlad to expose him. After conquering his fear and fooling Kubo and the inspector, it is proven that he has passed the course, making him a certified "Ninja Teacher". *Kubo Utamaro (voiced by

): One of the three teachers at Shuriken School. Kubo teaches boring theory lessons and has a crush on Kita. He also dreams of being principal one day. *Kita Shunai (voiced by Jessica DiCicco): One of the three teachers at Shuriken School. She has masterful skills with ninja weapons, contrasted with her fiery temper. She used to be a teacher at Katana School. She is also the only female teacher of Shuriken School. *Zumichito (voiced by

): Shuriken School's groundskeeper. He used to be a student there; thus he knows all of the secrets of the school, and knows a lot of stories about it as well. *Mrs. Clean (voiced by

): Real name Michiyo, Mrs. Clean is the Shuriken School's cleaning lady. She has spent her whole life around Shuriken School and knows some ninja moves as well. She takes great pride in her work, and if her cleaning is disrupted, she transforms into a terrifying demon.

Katana School

*Naginata (voiced by

): An 11-year-old student of Shuriken's rivaling school, Katana. He is selfish, evil, and a twisted loner, who masters the art of trickery like no other, only using his ninjutsu for the cause of others' misfortune. He and his group sucks up to Katana's principal and usually cheats in battles where he's losing. He is also the only one of his gang that is not afraid of the principal. He has an intense rivalry with Eizan, having lost against him in the episode, "The Winning Ninja". *Bruce Chang (voiced by

): A 10-year-old ninja student of katana and is one of Naginata's loyal followers, Bruce likes getting into fights. He has a bad temper and also a loud mouth, which coincidentally, gets the group into trouble. He has a rivalry with Jimmy B. He is a brave fighter but is very reckless, usually jumping into a battle without a 2nd thought. He sleeps with a teddy bear. *The Kimura Twins (voiced by Jessica DiCicco): 10-year-old ninja students of katana and are followers of Naginata, they are sneaky and will usually gather information for Naginata. They act tough when they are together but when apart, they weaken. They are also dependent on each other. They are sexist as well, hating Okuni the most. *Doku: Another one of Naginata's followers, Doku is big and easily outwitted. His mother still brings him lunch every day. *Principal of Katana (voiced by

): Everyone seems to fear this man. He owns a cute ninja chick that he always keeps by his side named Chirpy Chick, and his face is always covered by an ominous shadow. Naginata and his group suck up to him to earn his favor, and he clearly despises Shuriken and its students. His hairstyle is similar to that of

Heihachi Mishima is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists of Bandai Namco Entertainment, Bandai Namco's ''Tekken'' series. Introduced as a boss character in the first ''Tekken (video game), Tekken'' game from 1994, Heihachi is depicted as the Chi ...

from the ''

Tekken is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations. The main games in the series follow the events ...

'' fighting games.

Voice cast

* Nathan Kress - Eizan, Jacques, Choki, Marcos *

- Vladimir, Principal of Shuriken, Tetsuo, Principal of Katana, Cleaning Lady * Jessica DiCicco - Okuni, Ami, Kita, Kimura Twins, Yota *

- Daisuke, Naginata, Kubo, Zumichito *

- Jimmy, Nobunaga, Bruce Chang

Episodes

Broadcast

The series made its worldwide debut on ITV's

CITV CITV is a British children's morning programming block on ITV2 and formerly a free-to-air channel owned by ITV plc. CITV, then Children's ITV, launched on 3 January 1983 as a late afternoon programming block on the ITV network for children aged ...

block in January 2006. The series premiered in France in July on

and was soon expanded to

Jetix Jetix (stylized in all caps) was a children's entertainment brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The brand was for a slate of action and adventure-related programming blocks and television channels. Jetix programming mainly originated fr ...

networks across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, alongside

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

. Other broadcasters that had acquired the series included

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

and Nicktoons Network in the United States as well as in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Mediaset Mediaset S.p.A. is an Italian mass media and television production and distribution company that is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country. The company is controlled by the holding company MFE – MediaForEurope (the original ...

in Italy, TV2 in Denmark and

Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...

in Asia.https://www.awn.com/news/shuriken-school-proves-grade-licensing-property-xilam-zinkia

Home video

In the United States, the entire series was released onto DVD on August 12, 2014, from Cinedigm.

Movie

animated film Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

, entitled ''Shuriken School: The Ninja's Secret'' (also known as ''The Ninja's Secret: A Shuriken School Adventure''), has been produced by

Xilam Xilam (also known as Xilam Animation) is a French animation studio which specializes in making animated television series and feature films. Marc du Pontavice and his wife Alix founded it in 1999 as a replacement for the animation division of ...

. It aired on 21 December 2007 on

Disney Channel Asia Disney Channel is an American pay television channel. Disney Channel may also refer to the following subsidiary channels: * Disney Channel (Australia & New Zealand) * Disney Channel (Belgium) * Disney Channel (Brazil) * Disney Channel (Bulgaria) * ...

. In the US, it was released onto DVD on April 15, 2014, from

Cinedigm Cineverse Corp. (originally Access IT Digital Media, Inc., and later, Cinedigm) is an American entertainment company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Cineverse’s businesses encompass digital cinema, streaming channels, content marketi ...

Plot

"The plot of Shuriken: the Movie follows lead protagonists Eizan, Jimmy and Okuni during the summer holidays. The three friends soon engage an interesting albeit dangerous struggle for reputation, family, and a whole lot more when Eizan's dad is kidnapped by professional ninjas. Upon setting out to find and rescue Eizan's father, the kids must employ the skills and techniques they studied so fervently during their first year of ninja training. Things are difficult however, when they learn that the Jade

Shuriken A is a Japanese concealed weapon used by samurai or ninja or in martial arts as a hidden dagger or '' metsubushi'' to distract or misdirect. History The origins of the ''bo-shuriken'' in Japan are still unclear, despite continuing researc ...

, an ancient symbol of extreme ninja power, threatens Eizan's dreams and potential to become a true ninja. A series of events unravel as Eizan strives to clear his name, realize his dreams and secure his place at Shuriken School."

Voice cast

* Nathan Kress - Eizan *

- Vladimir, Principal of Shuriken, Tetsuo, Principal of Katana, Eizan's Father * Jessica DiCicco - Okuni, Ami *

- Jimmy, Nobunaga, Bruce Chang, Eizan's mother *

- Daisuke, Naginata, Kubo, Zumichito *

Billy West William Richard Werstine (born 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor, comedian, radio personality, impressionist and musician. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'', the title characte ...

(uncredited) - additional voices

References

External links

Xilam Shuriken School website

Zinkia Shuriken School website
* * {{Jetix French flash animated television series Spanish flash animated television series Jetix original programming Xilam YTV (Canadian TV channel) original programming Ninja television series French anime-influenced animated television series Spanish anime-influenced animated television series 2000s French animated television series 2006 French television series debuts 2007 French television series endings French children's animated action television series French children's animated adventure television series French children's animated comedy television series Spanish children's animated action television series Spanish children's animated adventure television series Spanish children's animated comedy television series 2006 Spanish television series debuts 2007 Spanish television series endings Animated television series about children