I like it when a film title lets you know
exactly what you’re in for, and when it comes to punchy nomenclature no
one does it better than the Japanese. Mutant Girl Squad, Horny House
of Horror, Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl, Sexy Angel vs.
Train Man: there’s not a shred of moody monosyllabic nonsense on
display here, nor indulgence in that other recent Hollywood fetish for
turning adjectives into nouns, as in The International, The Uninvited,
and so on. No sir, I like it when a movie lays its cards on the line
from the get go, and in this regard and several others Sexy Timetrip
Ninjas doesn’t disappoint.
A recent entrant into both the above canon
and the hallowed San Francisco ‘Another Hole in the Head’ Film Festival,
this straight-to-video outing from director Yojiro Takita had been
languishing in limbo for over a quarter century before garnering a DVD
release from the folks at Pink Eiga, and though it’s difficult to
imagine that the winner of the 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film
could also have produced such fare as Groper Train, Molester’s
Delivery Service and, yes, Sexy Timetrip Ninjas, the film
proves upon watching to be the Schindler’s List of
time-travelling ninja sex romps.
The storyline is quite simple – charged
with finding a hidden treasure which will restore their respective
clans, warring 17th century ninjas Sasuke (Yukijiro Hotaru,
Cure) and Kagero (AV Idol and pink eiga stalwart Yuka Takemura)
are, thanks to an unexplained anomaly and some low budget special
effects, transported to the year 1984. After some more fearsome
swordplay, including an amazing on-location sequence shot at Shinjuku
Station, the pair sensibly take advantage of 20th century
sexual mores, which in Sasuke’s case means groping a succession of women
on Tokyo trains and in Kagero’s being molested by a stranger and his
vibrator. The treasure map momentarily forgotten, Kagero then finds
gainful employment in a brothel whilst Sasuke shacks up with a nubile
Tokyo hottie. The pair being ninjas however, and sexy ninjas at that,
mayhem is never very far away.
Also known as Molester Train: Ninja Time
Slip, which would explain the lengthy sequences in which its two
mediaeval protagonists get frisky on public transport, this retro pinky
outing proves a heady blend of farce, flesh and fantasy. The
presentation from worldwide distributor Pink Eiga is of a typically high
calibre, and in addition to a respectable transfer a number of
worthwhile bonus features are on offer. The microbudget effects might
raise the odd titter, but both the action sequences and the film’s
kinkier elements are handled with suitable panache, and with its first
rate performances and deft comedic touch this sweetly silly curio has
much to recommend it.
Audio & Video
This early outing from Takita was shot on
video and picture quality is, as one might imagine, variable
throughout. For the most part interior scenes are sharp and well-lit,
though a number of outdoor sequences appear rather dark and grainy in
comparison. A Dolby Digital Japanese 2.0 is the sole audio option on
offer, though it proves crisp and surprisingly resonant, and the
subtitles are also error free.
Special Features
The History Behind Sexy Timetrip Ninjas
(12 minute featurette)
Photo Gallery
Bios
Censored and Uncensored Trailers
Pink Eiga Sneak Peeks for Sexy Battle
Girls, Groper Train: Search for the Black Pearl, Sora Aoi is Tsumugi,
Whore Angels and many more
