Ninja Fireball in Edo: A weird, brief, and scrappy watch

Should you watch this?

Look, if you want a tight, scrappy little movie about a ninja doing ninja things, you’ll probably have a decent time. It’s not going to change your life, and it definitely won't win any awards for acting. If you hate movies that feel like they were made on a shoestring budget, stay far away. This is for the folks who like their action a bit dusty and weird.

The whole thing feels like it was put together over a long weekend. Yoshi Tanaka is fine, I guess, but he mostly just runs around with a very serious look on his face. He’s supposed to be this legendary young ninja, but he mostly just looks confused by the props.

The Fireball Problem

The actual "fireball" looks like it was captured on a potato. It’s just this glowing orange blur that occasionally shows up in the background of shots. It’s honestly hilarious. There’s a scene where it hovers behind a wooden gate, and you can clearly see the fishing line holding it up. I had to rewind it twice because I couldn't stop laughing.

It’s not as atmospheric as The Hound of the Baskervilles, but it has this weird, frantic energy. It’s like the director was running out of film and just started throwing stuff at the camera.

Odd Little Moments

• There is a fight sequence that lasts way too long, and half the extras just stand there waiting for their turn to fall down.
• The dialogue is mostly just people shouting "watch out!" or "behind you!" in a way that feels totally unnatural.
• There’s a cat that appears in three different scenes, and it looks like a completely different cat every single time.

Watching this made me think about The Knight Before Christmas, mostly because both movies have that specific vibe where the actors seem like they’re just happy to be out of the house. No one is trying to win an Oscar here, and honestly, that’s refreshing.

It’s a thin story, really. Just a kid, a fire, and a lot of running through Edo. If you need a movie to keep you awake while you’re folding laundry, this is it. Don't expect to remember much about it by tomorrow, but you might find yourself smiling at the sheer audacity of how cheap the effects are. 🐱🔥