“Shin Chan and the mystery of the Tenkasu Academy”: fascinating investigative game

If there is a film saga that has proven to be fireproof, it is “Shin Chan”. The irreverent 5-year-old created by Yoshito Usui is experiencing a new golden age when it comes to his films. Ever since screenwriter Kimiko Ueno became one of the lead writers of both the veteran animated series, its films and spin-off ‘Crayon Shin-Chan Gaiden’, the franchise has experienced a real renaissance, which has allowed us to see a fascinating evolution of the Nohara family both on the small and on the big screen. This is the case of ‘Shin Chan and the mystery of the Tenkasu Academy’, the 29th film in the saga.

Slowly, “Shin Chan” is regaining its place in Spanish cinemas, as it is the second film to hit commercial theaters after “Shin Chan in Australia”, which had the handicap of launching on the big screen in the middle of the year 2020, that of the pandemic. Following in the footsteps of “One Piece”, “Doraemon” or “Detective Conan”, it’s nice to see that the habit of seeing Nohara on the big screen is making a comeback. On this occasion, Little Shinnosuke’s family gives way to the boy’s irreverent friends, Kazama, Masao, Nené and Bo-chan, members of the Kasukabe army.

The premise seems to be simple, the five children are chosen to spend a week of testing at the Tenkasu Academy, an institution that seeks to train the elites of the new generations and that has an artificial intelligence that qualifies, controls and classifies students. . What seems like a week of testing at a site that appears to be ideal turns into a nightmare for two reasons. First, the school has a discriminatory system of points that transforms the center into a true Big Brother, of which students are prisoners of Otsmun, the AI ​​that sees all (worthy successor to the HAL 9000). Second, there is a series of attacks on brilliant students. A vampire sucks their blood, leaving marks on their buttocks and reducing the intelligence of the victims to that of the kindergarten children.

‘Shin Chan’ triumphs again with a great cinematic episode

Under this premise, Ueno sets up a story that hides several layers, leaving a harsh criticism of the Japanese school system, which leads his students to exhaustion and provoking an overly competitive spirit, in which bullying and classism prevail. From this point of view, the film proposes to make children and young people live, allowing them to enjoy a vital phase, essential for the personal development of the future adult (we must not stop looking to the future, but this does not mean that it must grasp the present). Here, the tape does a magnificent exercise. Add to this a good dose of mystery linked to the attacks of a villain who evokes the iconic Nosferatu.

It’s that detective plot that hooks and keeps the audience in suspense, enjoying a very well managed story of mystery and adventure that seems to have as its main reference the aforementioned “Detective Conan” saga, as there are several scenes of deductions. Sure, here the work is choral, which allows Shin-Chan’s friends to show off. The way the Kasukabe army tries to find out who is behind the crimes pays off “The Tenkasu Academy Mystery” is on par with other noteworthy propositions in the franchise such as “Operation Rescue” or “Lost in the jungle”. Furthermore, his social message in favor of breaking down barriers is reminiscent of his premise of that of the wonderful “The secret is in the sauce.”

If we add the aspect of secondary characters with a background and very well managed, in this Dazzles the character of Chishio, former athlete and president of the school council who lives a process of empowerment in which we see the strength of female roles. The result is another stunning cinematic interpretation of “Shin Chan”. Directed by Wataru Takahashi, who was behind “Papá Robot”, a complex proposition that delved into the dangers of toxic masculinity, ‘The Mystery of Tenkasu Academy’ proves once again that Nohara’s cinematic stories are completely meant to be enjoyed on the big screen, very different from the traditional humor of television series. A new opportunity to enjoy a title that already aspires to be one of the best animation releases of the year.

Note: 8

The best: The harsh criticism of the education system that drives elitism. Your message for the enjoyment of the present. Chishio’s charisma.

Worse: A greater presence of Misae, Hiroshi, Himawari and Nevado would have been appreciated.