Ninku (Anime)

Ninku is a Japanese anime produced by Fuji TV, Yomiko Advertising and Studio Pierrot, and directed by Noriyuki Abe loosely based on the manga of the same name and would follow after the feature film Tomb of Knives. The first episode aired on January 14th, 1995, and the final episode aired on February 24th, 1996. The show would also spawn a movie that aired on July 15th, 1995.

Plot
Ninku is the most powerful form of martial arts. During a tragic war, a small group of Ninku users have cornered the imperial army into surrender, but suddenly dismissed. Unexpected, they disappeared and were declared to be defeated. Three years after the war, the imperial army have been revered and the Ninku were vilified throughout the land.

Fuusuke, a young and weird looking 12 year old boy and former member of the Ninku unit has been looking for his mother Yamabuki, who was taken away by a mysterious man named Kochin when he was much younger. together with his incredibly strong but flatulent penguin Hiroyuki soon meet other members of the Ninku unit, and set out on their journey. When Fuusuke finds out the reason of his mother's kidnapping, the big conspiracy and the reason of the dismissal of the Ninku unit are revealed!

Differences from the manga
The Ninku anime has a plethora of differences and contrasts from the manga, ranging from character traits and appearances to entire settings and the story itself. However, despite the changes, it maintains events that happen in the manga albeit changed or censored.

Main Story
The anime's main premise focuses on the continued battle with the Ninku unit and the Imperial Army. It also cuts down on the Ninku Wolves arc in the manga with major antagonists such as Jugyou, Koushou and Kurenai having no appearance. Another main focus is with Fuusuke's mother Yamabuki who is alive instead of being dead after the events of Second Stage.

Fuusuke
Fuusuke's appearance is smaller and more rounded. His main attire is drastically changed, given a white collar and white cuffs on his shirt, red shorts, yellow and brown tennis shoes and a blue backpack on his back. He has a harmonica that he plays when he is bored or to lighten the mood around his peers. Fuusuke's motives revolve around rescuing his mother Yamabuki from the Imperial Army.

Hiroyuki
Hiroyuki is given a much larger role in the story compared to the manga. He is a runaway circus penguin that ran into Fuusuke, Touji and Aichou during their training. He is also given the abilities of superhuman strength, capable of bending steel bars and shaking trees, as well as creating massive farts, the latter being a comedic trope from Touji in the manga which in turn removed his comedic trope of defecating. Rihoko Touji Aichou
 * Rihoko is a more recurring character being one of the main characters.
 * Touji does not keep his trait of constantly farting (albeit it is a special attack in the Ninku video games) as the trait had been given to Hiroyuki.
 * His reunion with the others is changed to being undercover with the Imperial Army.
 * Among the main cast of characters, Aichou has received the least amount of changes. However, his personality is more hot blooded and mysoginistic.