Ninja Skooler unveils pilot film, new images and song

Kinema Citrus and BLUE RIGHTS have unveiled an eight-minute pilot film for Ninja Skooler, an original anime project directed by Shunsuke Takarai. The release also introduces new production images and the digital song “Knots”, written and performed by Takashi Iwami.¹

The story follows Rappa, an orphan who idolises fictional ninjas before being rescued by the real ninja Okachimachi and his master. Rappa asks to become an apprentice, and the three build a family life around a traditional Japanese candy shop. As Rappa trains to protect his town, he begins to notice the pain hidden behind his master’s retirement.¹

The team behind Ninja Skooler

Takarai is directing and supervising the project, with Hami handling character designs. Kinema Citrus developed the anime from the concept created by the company, while BLUE RIGHTS is overseeing the planning. The production team includes animators from Kinema Citrus, Studio BUS and Gift-o’-Animation, with Haru Yamada as sound director and mixing engineer.¹

The pilot film gives the project a clearer identity than its original 2024 announcement: it is a family-focused ninja story built around apprenticeship, community and the cost of growing older. No broadcast or streaming date has been announced, and the newly released material does not yet confirm a full series order.¹²

Our opinion

The pilot’s strongest hook is not simply that Ninja Skooler features ninjas; it is the contrast between Rappa’s heroic ambitions and the quieter responsibility of caring for the people who raised him. That gives the project a warmer emotional centre than a standard training story. The short film is still a first look rather than a release commitment, but the combination of a defined creative team, a completed pilot and a new song makes this one worth watching as BLUE RIGHTS decides what comes next.