, also known as ''Samurai Kid'', is a Japanese

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

series produced by

Toei Animation is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...

. 65 episodes aired from 7 June 1964 until 31 August 1965. It tells the story of a

ninja A , or was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as ear ...

's pupil that controlled the wind. It was based on the

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

Sanpei Shirato , known by the pen name , was a Japanese manga artist and essayist known for his social criticism as well as the realism of his drawing style and the characters in his scenarios. He is considered a pioneer of the controversial ''gekiga'' genre o ...

and was animated by

Yasuji Mori was an animator who worked with Toei Animation, while it was still known as Toei Doga. He was also a famous illustrator of children's books. Mori was responsible for one of the major animation styles within Toei Animation. In '' The Little Prince ...

and

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli and serves as honorary chairman. Throughout his career, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Anime, Japanese ani ...

. The anime was renamed "Kaze no Fujimaru" in order to associate it with its sponsor, Fujisawa Pharmaceuticals. The opening theme, 'Shōnen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru' and the closing theme, 'Tatakau Shōnen Ninja', were both performed by the . The series originally ended with a repeat of the opening; the separate ending song came later.

Plot summary

The story begins when Fujimaru is a little baby. His mother puts him in a basket while she works in the country. Suddenly, the baby is kidnapped by an eagle, but Sasuke, a

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

, recovers the baby and takes him as a disciple. Fujimaru grows until he becomes a gifted young man who can control the wind by learning

ninjutsu , and are terms for the techniques and skills used by spies and scouts in pre-modern Japan known as ninja. Some of these techniques are recorded in ninja scrolls, some which have been published and translated. The study of these scrolls have c ...

. He knows two strong techniques: 'multiplication' (which allows him to confuse his enemies by creating

illusion An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may ...

s of himself) and 'leaves' (which helps him to run away behind a wind swirl). Fujimaru has two goals: to see his mother again and to find the 'Ryuen Book', a handwritten

parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared Tanning (leather), untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves and goats. It has been used as a writing medium in West Asia and Europe for more than two millennia. By AD 400 ...

that contains great but dangerous techniques. Fujimaru's main enemy is Japusai, a master of fire techniques who is also searching for the parchment. In the end, Fujimaru attains both goals: he runs into his mother and finds the parchment, but he decides to destroy it because it would be too dangerous in Japusai's hands.

External links

*
Toei website about ''Fujimaru of the Wind''
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shonen Ninja Kaze No Fujimaru 1964 anime television series debuts 1965 Japanese television series endings Ninja in anime and manga Samurai in anime and manga Fictional Japanese people Shōnen manga Toei Animation television