MASKED NINJA AKAKAGE was a colourful kid's TV series made in Japan in the late 1960s. This went for the fantasy approach in which a masked hero and his sidekicks go up against evil wizards, thugs, monsters, and the like. It has the breezy and effortless feel of much Japanese kiddie fare and remains entertaining even now thanks to the colourful, action-packed approach.
I was this under the title of NINJASCOPE, which seems to be an attempt to make a film version of the tale by compiling three episodes. What they've done is basically pasted them together as-is so if you're looking for sense and continuity, you've come to the wrong place. What you're left wish is a series of fun action scenes enlivened by basic special effects work and more than a little kaiju action.
The episodes chosen for NINJASCOPE consist of the introductory opening episode, a middling episode, and then a climax of sorts. Scenes with the giant rubbery lizard creature are a lot of fun, as are the protagonists; the heroic Red Shadow looks more than a little like Robin from the BATMAN TV series, which was clearly a massive influence on this. Like BATMAN, it remains difficult to dislike.
I was this under the title of NINJASCOPE, which seems to be an attempt to make a film version of the tale by compiling three episodes. What they've done is basically pasted them together as-is so if you're looking for sense and continuity, you've come to the wrong place. What you're left wish is a series of fun action scenes enlivened by basic special effects work and more than a little kaiju action.
The episodes chosen for NINJASCOPE consist of the introductory opening episode, a middling episode, and then a climax of sorts. Scenes with the giant rubbery lizard creature are a lot of fun, as are the protagonists; the heroic Red Shadow looks more than a little like Robin from the BATMAN TV series, which was clearly a massive influence on this. Like BATMAN, it remains difficult to dislike.