Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke

by Shigeru Sugiura, Ryan Holmberg (Introduction)

A classic character of Japanese literature is reimagined as a mischievous, shapeshifting adventurer in this zany, Pop Art–esque gag manga by a titan of the genre.

In the early 1960s, the Japanese manga artist Shigeru Sugiura took the well-loved literary character Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke and made him his own.

In this legendary gag manga, Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke , Shigeru sends the famous Ninja on a wild, eye-popping Sarutobi encounters cowboys and aliens, spaceships and sailing ships, mid-60s celebrity cameos, mushroom clouds, detectives with squirt guns, and more in a delightful and ever-surprising world.

Available for the first time in English and with a new essay by Ryan Holmberg, Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke is a must-read of trippy visuals and silly storytelling.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Japan, Japanese Literature

264 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2024

About the author

Shigeru SUGIURA (in Japanese: 杉浦茂, 1908–2000) was one of the most popular manga artists of the mid-twentieth century and a pioneer of Pop Art in Japan. Originally trained as a painter, he debuted as a cartoonist in 1932 under the tutelage of Tagawa Suihō, a leading author of children’s manga in the prewar period. In the 1950s, Sugiura himself became a star for his zany, slapstick children’s adventure comics featuring ninja, samurai, cowboys, aliens, and other fantastical characters culled from Japanese popular fiction, Hollywood movies, and American comic books. In the late 1960s and 1970s, he experienced a second boom in popularity, this time for absurdist, surrealistic comics drawn for an adult audience. Due to his inclusion in seminal art comics publications such as Raw and The Ganzfeld, he is also recognized as a progenitor of avant-garde comics globally.

Reviews

[Xavier Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this video because it was very funny and wacky

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit...I am at a loss for words as far as how to describe this book! Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke (NSS) is TRULY surreal! Reality 'shifts' as ninja fight each other; 'fighting' being focused on the ability to cast magic spells over opponents and by shape shifting into any number of pop culture references (in 1969). It really makes no sense...but I find that I enjoyed reading it!

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically, what if Bugs Bunny were a ninja in feudal Japan and his enemies were an array of peak Chester Gould Dick Tracy rogues gallery rejects. And fights among ninja is decided by who can out-surreal the other. A bit stream of conscious storytelling read all at once, but I would have loved this in weekly or monthly installments.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

New York Review Comics and Ryan Holmberg present Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke, the long-awaited English translation of the famous gag manga from Shigeru Sugiura. Though intended for younger readers, Sugiura's eclectic art style found traction in a larger audience who really took to his surreal, nonsensical style of cartooning. I personally own a few untranslated Sugiura works simply because his whimsical visual storytelling transcends language barriers and finds ways to capture my imagination beyond the comprehension of the actual storytelling. Still, I'm very grateful to have another English language edition of a Sugiura work following the 2013 release of The Last of the Mohicans by PictureBox. Though despite it being translated work, I'll admit the storytelling is so absurdly nonsensical that I'm not sure actually reading the words made that much of a difference. I'm not doubting Holmberg's translating by any means, but it can be reasoned that some aspects of comedy don't translate quite as well. It doesn't make much of a difference to me though since Sugiura's grasp on comedic storytelling can be achieved almost entirely through imagery alone.

The story follows Sarutobi Sasuke, a fictional character that arose through the cultural norm of oral storytelling that could serve as an amalgam of many other folklore and real life personas to form an array of meta-fictional pastiches rolled into one singular character. A popular folk hero that inspired numerous ninja-related literature and media in the early 20th century, Sugiura's take on the character crafts a highly stylized caricature on the ninja mythos. Sarutobi wanders the land in service of the Toyotomi clan and works actively against the growing strength of the rival Tokugawa clan, where his physical prowess and knack for trickery helps him get ahead of the various Tokugawa spies he encounters. But there isn't really a linear narrative to the story as Sarutobi soon breaks free of the setting and genre and soon finds himself taking on U.F.O.s, cowboys in the American West and dinosaurs. Consistently, Sarutobi Sasuke is able to outmaneuver his foes with his legendary agility and unending mischievous plotting. The absurdity in the storytelling is only heightened by Sugiura's artwork which uses a predominantly simplistic and cartoonish style for Sarutobi and his Tokugawa foes, but then renders some of the otherworldly aspects with a gritty sense of realism. The contrast between the minimalistic and expressionistic artwork of the Sarutobi Sasuke portions with the textured shading and cross-hatching found in the other sequences can have a bit of a whiplash effect at first, but soon becomes very alluring and creatively rendered. The compositions are truly bizarre and illogical though it somehow looks incredibly well thought out.

In the end, the story is pretty winding to the point of incomprehension, but the narrative as a whole rarely matters. Sugiura's goal is solely to entertain the reader and in that regard the constant zig-zagging from one story beat to the next can only be compared to that of an exhilarating thrill ride. It's an overall light affair as befitting a manga geared for children but the sheer absurdity in the panels makes this something that almost anyone can enjoy. There is denseness to the comic simply from the fact that Sugiura pours so much detail throughout that it begs for some re-reads to just soak in the surreal quality of the artwork even more.

[Chris Mello · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s sort of like Nancy but if Nancy were Naruto if Naruto were drawn by a surrealist who likes crazy monsters and hyper realistic cowboys. Do you get what I’m saying?

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ninja Sarutobi finds trouble wherever he goes, officials for his enemy, Tokugawa, after him for stealing their battle plans. From page to page over the course of this book depicting Sarutobi’s adventures, the cartoon style varies from highly stylized and simplified manga to realistic depictions (in the manner of The Classics Illustrated series) of dinosaurs and the American Old West, as seen in Hollywood films from the ‘50s and ‘60s. These changes in styles follow in accord with Sarutobi’s Ninja skills, which allow him to turn invisible, change shape, and change the historical time and location he and his adversaries are in. The slapstick action consists mainly of fight scenes drawn as gags, its violence along the lines of that found in, say, old Bugs Bunny cartoons and the principles of physics as they play out in such worlds.

Episodic, picaresque adventures involving magical transformations into different creatures of varying sizes and time zones—usually the Wild West. Although Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke eventually makes his way back to his dojo and friends, the manga’s last page shows that the fighting never stops. Fortunately, Sarutobi’s good spirits are never foiled, for his ninja magic is supreme.

Ryan Holmberg, Ninja’s translator and all-around manga expert, provides an essay that places Sugiura’s work in the larger context of popular Japanese entertainment of the time, which commonly embedded or quoted Western pop-culture influences, usually Hollywood action films. The original version of Ninja Sarutobi was created in the 1950s. In the late ‘60s, Sugiura was asked to re-draw the original, which Sugiura did, adding new material along the way. The sudden changes in place, time, and drawing style the occur throughout the book result from the magic powers ninjas have—a trait not boasted of by ninjas during the period they wielded power, but that accrued to them over the centuries as they transformed from historical fact to legend and myth, much as have stories in the U.S. surrounding the lives of Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill.

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[Annabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarutobi Sasuke seems to find trouble everywhere he goes. Whether he’s tangling with spies from the Tokugawa clan or simply out for a bit of mischief, Sasuke’s playful and devious antics are what keep the story rolling!! At the heart of Sasuke's adventures is a mix of lightheartedness and absurdity, where he uses his ninja skills not just to fight, but to transform the world around him and confuse everyone in his path. From turning invisible to shape shifting, Sasuke’s abilities allow him to jump through different historical periods - from feudal Japan to the America's Wild West and beyond (with many underwater adventures, fighting monsters and going into outer space!!).

The real charm of this manga lies in its ability to shift between styles, which perfectly mirror Sasuke’s ability to warp reality. One moment, you’re immersed in classic, simplified manga art, and the next, it’s realistic and extremely detailed!! Even the manga’s final page makes one thing clear: the fighting never truly stops. It’s a subtle yet powerful ending, reinforcing the manga's cyclical nature and the eternal struggles of a ninja.

If I had to sum up this manga in three words, they’d definitely be: funny, wacky, and unexpected. The story can divert from a serious tone to the absolute bizarre, making it a unique blend of action, adventure, and pure comic absurdity.

Sasuke’s misadventures provide a humourous take on the ninja genre, and his ability to adapt to any situation keeps things fresh and engaging throughout. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get the same attention as modern classics, but it’s definitely a time capsule and a hidden gem in the world of manga!!

[Tyler Spragg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book. Alternative art sort of Garo vibes, a lot of weird trippy art styles clashing with slapstick humor, at times it feels like if Dalí or Bosch collaborated on panels for Dororo, or a concept like classic Dragon Ball, it might look something like this. It seems any time Ryan Holmberg is involved, whether just editing/translating, or an accompanying essay, you can count on a solid read.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think this will appeal to everyone, because it's use of absurdity mixed with 1960s pop art makes it a little abstruse. But if you're a manga historian, you definitely ought to check it out regardless.

[Al Capwned · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so surreal and psychedelic that the fact that the phrase "don't do drugs" appears twice in this book makes everything even funnier.

[Michael Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5