Big trouble in little China: Shin-chan and his friends take on a comically evil ramen chain restaurant.

The fated final battle between the forces of good and evil is not won by brute force or cunning strategy, but by forcing into submission one’s opponent through twerking.

Japan’s naughtiest 5-year-old Shinnosuke “Shin-chan” Nohara has returned to Indonesian screens in Crayon Shin-chan: Baku Mori! Kung Fu Boys – Ramen Chaos.

The 26th film in the long-running franchise sees Shin-chan and his group of kindergarten friends take on capitalism in the form of a comically evil chain restaurant named Black Panda Ramen, set against the backdrop of the Aiya Town.

The story starts off when Masao, a member of Shin-chan’s posse, starts exhibiting strange behavior. Shin-chan and his friends decide to follow Masao and find him training in kung fu under a nameless old master and his disciple Ran, a young lady with a strong sense of justice.

Circumstances surrounding Black Panda Ramen’s amoral boss Don Panpan force the children to learn the secret art of Punipuni Ken, a pacifistic form of martial arts that originates from Chinese folklore.

As the “kung fu” in the movie’s title suggests, Crayon Shin-chan is a love letter to the many Chinese martial arts movies throughout the ages.

There are tropes that one might see in a classic wuxia (martial heroes) film: an old shi fu holding the secret to a preposterously named ancient technique, an energetic action girl left on the doorsteps as a baby and combatants who are paralyzed when their pressure points are hit.

Balancing act: The group of 5-year-olds train in kung fu under a nameless master and his disciple.

Of course, it would not be a Shin-chan movie without raunchy humor. Many of the film’s gags come from the kindergartener exhibiting ridiculous behavior such as insulting his mother over her age, exposing his buttocks to perform his signature dance and making audacious remarks that one would not expect from a 5-year-old.

However, past the cheap laughs, the movie does tackle some slightly more serious themes. Black Panda Ramen meals are apparently good enough to turn customers into noodle-craving pseudo-zombies, a social critique similar to ones made in early Hollywood zombie films.

One scene in particular attracts attention. Ran, dismayed by Shin-chan’s indifference over the powers of Punipuni Ken, decides to absorb the powers herself and dispense her own brand of justice. Ran’s power allows her to remove all malice from an individual, at the cost of their ability to think for themselves.

While viewers might get some visceral satisfaction when Ran uses her powers on someone who farts on a train or spoils the ending of a movie, the implications are quite striking for a series built on crude jokes.

Some of the jokes themselves might be lost in translation, and several gags hinge on trivia and references that someone not familiar with the Japanese language and pop culture might miss, even with the dual subtitles taking up a quarter of the screen.

All in all, the movie is an enjoyable flick for adults and children. No prior knowledge of the series is needed, although longtime fans can enjoy a bit of nostalgia for the series, which has been a staple of comic book aisles since the 1990s.

However, parents should heed the movie’s 13+ rating and keep their young ones informed, lest mom and dad get stuck explaining why deciding to drop trou and wave your buttocks around will not put a stop to the forces of evil. (jlm)

Crazed by noodles: Black Panda Ramen meals are so good they put customers into a zombie-like state.

— Photos courtesy of Shin-Ei Animation

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Crayon Shin-chan: Baku Mori! Kung Fu Boys – Ramen Chaos

(Shin-Ei Animation, 104 minutes)
Director: Wataru Takahashi
Screenwriter: Kimiko Ueno
Cast: Akiko Yajima, Teiyū Ichiryūsai, Tamao Hayashi, Mari Mashiba, Chie Satō, Megumi Han