Kyatto Ninden Teyandee
| Company type | Anime television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation |
| Founded | February 1, 1990 |
| Founder | Tatsunoko Production, Sotsu Agency |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Anime television series, video games, soundtrack albums, toys, manga |
is a Japanese anime production created by Tatsunoko Production in collaboration with Sotsu Agency. The show was broadcast on TV Tokyo from February 1, 1990, until February 12, 1991, comprising a total of 54 episodes. In 1991, the North American rights were secured by Saban Entertainment, which developed an English adaptation known as Samurai Pizza Cats. Additionally, the original creators intended to launch a spin-off series titled . This anime is distinguished by its culturally rich humor, incorporating Japanese wordplay, numerous pop culture nods, and regular breaking of the fourth wall.
Plot
Set in the mechanical metropolis of Edoropolis—a fusion of feudal Japanese traditions and contemporary technology—the story revolves around cybernetic anthropomorphic "animaloids." Although the city is officially governed by shōgun Iei-Iei Tokugawa, actual control rests with his anxious daughter Tokugawa Usako and a governing council. Among them, the ambitious prime minister Kitsunezuka Koon-no-Kami, a cunning fox, conspires to usurp the Shogun’s authority with assistance from his aide Karasu Gennari-sai and Karamaru, leader of the ninja crow faction.
Council member Inuyama Wanko-no-Kami, who commands the Palace Guard, remains unaware of Koon-no-Kami’s treacherous designs and is unable to take legal action due to lack of evidence. Consequently, Inuyama recruits the Nyankī—cat ninjas Yattarou, Pururun, Sukashii, along with their operator Otama—who are employed at a pizza parlor and tasked with thwarting the prime minister’s coup attempts.
English dub
Upon acquiring rights to Samurai Pizza Cats, Saban discovered that Tatsunoko had not retained original production materials owing to the series’ limited success in Japan. The localization team received incomplete or poorly translated scripts, allowing them considerable creative latitude. This freedom resulted in a humorous English dub filled with modern pop culture allusions, meta-humor, and frequent breaking of the fourth wall. Voice actor and writer Michael McConnohie remarked that they were encouraged to improvise without constraints.
The English adaptation covered 52 episodes but excluded two clip shows. It first aired on Canada's YTV between 1992 and 1993 and later entered U.S. syndication from 1996 to 1997. The YTV broadcast omitted four episodes, while the U.S. syndication left out twelve different ones.
Video games
In 1991, Tecmo (currently Koei Tecmo) released a video game based on the anime for the Family Computer, which was exclusive to Japan but later bootlegged overseas under the title Ninja Cat. An English fan translation patch adapting character names to those used in the Samurai Pizza Cats dub is available for this ROM. Additionally, a standalone handheld LSI game resembling Nintendo's Game & Watch series was produced.
Players assume control over the three principal cats as well as other Otasuke team members, each possessing distinct skills. The game features nearly all characters from the series alongside an original antagonist named Dr. Purple, who forms an alliance with Koon-no-Kami.
The lead characters were considered for inclusion in the Wii fighting game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, but licensing complications prevented their appearance despite significant fan interest, according to producer Ryota Niitsuma.
An action-platformer titled Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast from the Past! is currently under development with a planned release in 2026 for Windows and various home consoles.
Soundtrack
The first soundtrack album, entitled Kyatto Ninden Teyandee: The Cats' First Performance, was issued on September 21, 1990. It features music composed by Kenji Kawai and includes performances by artists such as Reina Yazawa and Ai Orikasa. This release was produced by Starchild Records, a division of King Records in Japan.
Following this, a second soundtrack called Kyatto Ninden Teyandee: The Cats' Final Performance Day became available on December 21, 1990. Also produced by Kenji Kawai under the Starchild label, this album contains additional vocal contributions from performers including Maria Kawamura and Koichi Yamadera.
Music
The background score was crafted by Kenji Kawai, known for his work on titles like Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, Ranma ½, Fate/Stay Night, and Mobile Suit Gundam 00. The opening theme () and ending song ("To Be Yourself") were composed by Etsuko Yamakawa, Takeshi Ike, and Anju Mana, with vocal performances by Reina Yazawa and Ai Orikasa. Insert songs were performed by Ami Itabashi, recognized for singing the ending theme of the Macross OVA.
Home video release
Although select episodes were initially distributed on video in Japan, disappointing sales postponed a comprehensive release. Contrary to some reports, the original masters remained intact. To commemorate Tatsunoko Pro's 50th anniversary, Starchild Records issued the entire series on DVD in Japan on August 8, 2012. This limited edition set achieved notable success, ranking second in national animation DVD sales during its debut week.
In North America, Discotek Media acquired home video rights on March 12, 2012. They planned to issue separate collections featuring the original Japanese audio with English subtitles and Saban’s English dub. The Japanese audio box set was released on April 30, 2013, followed by the English dub collection on July 30, 2013.
Starting May 16, 2016, Crunchyroll began streaming the series under license from Discotek, offering enhanced subtitles for certain episodes. By May 23, 2016, all 54 episodes were accessible to users without subscription.
Toys
Bandai released a range of toys and model kits in both Japan and Europe. European versions typically consisted of repackaged Japanese originals. The action figure lineup included characters such as Nyanki and Otasuke; while Japanese editions were model kits requiring assembly, European versions came pre-assembled. The product assortment featured various sizes—from small rubbery Gachapon-style figures to larger playsets like the Nyago King and the pizza parlor.
Manga
A companion manga created by Yoshimi Hamada was serialized in Comic Bom Bom during 1990. Subsequently, a sequel manga set after the conclusion of the television series was published in 1994, authored by Tatsuya Souma.
Other appearances
- In episode four of Tatsunoko’s magical girl parody Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R, Komugi Nakahara visits a ninja-themed festival that includes a Nyankee promotional standee.
- Yattarou is featured as a playable character in the video game Jitsu Squad, with Pururun and Sukashii appearing as support characters.