Kazé editions invite us to discover Tokyo Shinobi Squad , short series in 3 volumes of two mangakas from the Weekly Shonen Jump: Yuki Tanaka, Kento Matsuura. As a reminder, the Weekly Shonen Jump or Jump is in Japan an institution, a real incubator of talents and series that have become cult. This magazine has a unique operation. He pre-publishes the first chapters of new series every week and analyzes the reactions of his readers. A series lacking popularity will disappear quickly, after 6 months or even earlier. This is what happened to Toyko Shinobi Squad whose editorial career within the Jump was quickly interrupted. Let's thank Kazé Editions for taking the risk of publishing the three volumes in French. At the end of the reading of the 1st, despite reservations about thecontent, the choice of the French publisher remains very consistent.
Tokyo Shinobi Squad : big trouble in neo Tokyo
2029 The Japanese government launches the "Galapagos" reform. The country is fully opening up by connecting to the global hyperloop network. Internally, Japanese norms are fading in favor of the rules of hyperglobalization. 20 years later, the situation is bitter. The country is plagued by gangs. Endogenous and exogenous violence plagues the streets while political power sinks into disavowal. Symbol of this fall, Tokyo bears the inglorious title of "the most dangerous city in the world". In this urban chaos, shinobi have reappeared. Some serve crime, others put their talents at the service of justice. This is the case of Jin and his clan "Narumi" who roam the streets at night. During one of his missions, he comes to the aid of Enh, a young Thai boy with a valuable scroll. Jin decides to take him under his wing and integrate him into his clan because the young refugee has a much sought-after talent: his ability to memorize everything in a short time. Here he is fully a member of the team as missions follow one another against the most dangerous criminals and the most devious of misguided shinobi. 
A story at the crossroads of genres
This first volume lays the foundations for an atmospheric manga. Indeed, the authors are inspired by the codes, the narrative specific to American comics. Tokyo 2049 is Gotham City, a dark city despite the neon lights, a cursed city on the verge of collapse. This opus installs a very original atmosphere: a heaviness, a disillusionment. Two worlds are observed: that of the day when appearances of serenity seem safeguarded; That of the night when the metropolis is delivered to the forces of the shadows. This atmosphere is doubled by a western side. The series is indeed eyeing both Cowboy Bebop and the films of Sergio Leone. The Narumi clan works as bounty hunters, mercenaries or bodyguards like the Bebop team. What differentiates them from the shadow clans is their code of honor that they respect in the image of cowboy bebop heroes. This parallel with Watanabe's series is also found in the characterization of the characters: Jin the daredevil looks like Spike, the sensual Papillon evokes Faye Valentine. And as with Sergio Leone, the heroes have the easy answer, play cynicism and do not shy away from violence. Finally, the story combines two other influences: the ninjas and the City Hunter spirit. Indeed, we are facing ninjas who handle the sword, shurikens but also special abilities (electricity, cold). This further accentuates the link with comics. The author thus borrows the format of City Hunter, with a procedural plot. The narration of this introductory volume presents us with successive missions in the heart of the metropolis (recovering industrial secrets, protecting models). These seemingly unrelated adventures unravel in a few chapters. A choice that fits well with the construction of the story but that perhaps explains the fate of this series.
Tokyo Shinobi Squad: de action and an immersion in Japan's fears
Show lovers will be delighted by this first volume. Indeed, the drawings are a real added value. Very appreciable indeed are the plates describing this neo-Tokyo to the Gothamian verticality. Similarly, the artists chose a neo-futuristic approach to Tokyo: cutting-edge technologies but no flying cars or floating houses. This reinforces the immersion in the narrative when the reader recognizes typical Tokyo neighborhoods plunged into decay. 
The fights effectively punctuate Tokyo Shinobi Squad from the first to the last. The manga is based on very well drawn, dynamic scenes, alternating wide shots and close-ups. The mix between ancestral techniques and "abilities" works perfectly. The same fight transports you to Ghost of Tsushima and then to Naruto. The antagonists are also rapidly ramping up, which bodes well for epic future face-to-faces. One of the interesting elements of this story is its social subtext. If the explanation of political chaos is done in a few boxes and is much too fast or even frustrating, elements arranged in the narrative enrich the discourse. The narrative is based on fears rooted in the Japanese unconscious: the fear of dissolving in globalization, the issue of immigration and decline. The manga also addresses in this introduction the theme of miscegenation and its irruption in Japanese culture. We finally find the fear of the disappearance of Japan imagined here in the form of this urban chaos.
Tokyo Shinobi squad: a manga that arrives too late
An impression emerges at the end of the first act of the series; that of a story that lacks a little something. The universe on the one hand does not mark the reader enough. The elements are there, however: social discourse, the atmosphere, the mystique. But the authors do not delve enough into the plot, the societal explanation or even the origin of the powers. The series also suffers from one of its qualities. She borrows from many registers and finally does not really know what she is. She defines herself as a shonen who explores darker paths while remaining cool and funny. And the division of the narrative into successive missions struggles to give a clearly assumed and defined tone. We can also say that this series suffers from its themes, interesting but very present in the current universe of manga. Power discovery, underground crime, clan integration, ninja. These ideas are already at the heart of the plots of Naruto, My Hero Academia or Mission Yozakura family. Tokyo Shinobi squad is therefore facing strong competition and is not yet able to show its difference. This may explain its stop in Japan: it just deals with many ideas that its competitors have transcended. At the end of this first volume, it is clear that we are entitled to an honest work carried by very beautiful drawings and a desire to cross multiple genres. This introduction augurs a pleasant series if not original in its scenario. Tokyo Shinobi Squad would have met a different fate if it had been released at another time.
