The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Vol. 1: Goemon the Good

This strange anime series offers a weird view of parallel universes that somehow overlap via the computer of a Japanese grade school student named Tsukasa. The plot kicks off when Makuamuuge, the ruler of a video game-inspired universe, decides to expand his territory and sends a quartet of ruffians called the Four Tuskijiri into our realm. Since Tsukasa is too young and too small to save the world, he receives assistance from another parallel universe visitor: Goemon, supposedly a mystical ninja, whose white beard and jolly demeanor suggests Santa Claus rather than Toshiro Mifune. Goemon has his own wacky entourage, including the pint-sized cook Omitsu and the nutty robot inventor Monoshiri. Ironically, Tsukasa's father is a police detective, but the boy would apparently rather enlist the aid of Goemon than his dad to preserve the world. None of this makes the least bit of sense, of course, but the episodes collected here are so packed with chaotic action and absurdist interplay among the oddball characters that the absence of logic is barely missed. Unfortunately, however, the animation in The Legend of the Mystical Ninja is somewhat less than sophisticated by Japanese standards, making this rather forgettable anime entry--rated 15-up and presented in English and Japanese w/English subtitles--a very optional purchase. [Note: The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Vol. 2: The Fight for Justice is also newly available, with The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Vol. 3: A New Villain slated for release on March 23.] Aud: P. (P. Hall)