How to describe an anime like 2x2=Shinobuden (a.k.a. Ninin Ga Shinobu Den)? Well, for starters, it's kind of like Excel Saga, except that it's slightly slower-paced, has no story, and has a lot more fan service. Oh, and it has ninjas. Now that I think about it, it actually bears almost no similarities to Excel Saga whatsoever, so please just forget this whole paragraph even exists.

Each episode of 2x2=Shinobuden features a premise so mind-bogglingly simple, it both shocks and amazes me that it actually manages to stay funny: Onsokumaru wants to do something perverted to the unnaturally breasted Kaede and Shinobu, and crazy hijinks ensue. Now, take a step back and think about this concept for a bit. Still not sold on it? Well, I was exactly the same, so maybe this review can help settle things once and for all.

I went into 2x2=Shinobuden expecting nothing more than a fan service romp that I was going to regret watching, thinking that each episode was going to be an exercise in my own patience. Thankfully, I was only partially right: it contains fan service, and surprisingly very little at that considering what this anime revolves around. If anything, there is more male fan service in this show than female, as the male ninjas in this show are regularly half-naked. Of course, that's not to say the female service isn't anything major. Though rather infrequent, the female service can be downright raunchy, and a large portion of it is actually made up of fantasies of the male ninjas.

Another positive aspect of 2x2=Shinobuden is the audio of the show. From the terrific voice actors to the nonsensical music, all of the sounds are just fantastic. I especially liked the ending theme, which was done in clay-animation, and the background music, which fitted the ninja setting of the show particularly well. The video aspect of the show was also rather well done, with crystal clear artwork in the beginning and ending episodes. Of course, the characters in the show themselves notice that the artwork isn't quite as good in the middle of the series, and get into a lecture in the middle of one of the episodes about how lame it is. The character designs are also wonderful in the show, though the juxtaposition of super-cuteness with lesbian fantasies sometimes sent a chill down my spine. The animation is also fairly fluid, but, like the artwork, it tended to become a little worse in the middle of the series.

As far as story goes, there is none whatsoever. Each episode is completely disconnected from the previous one, and the only semblance of a story in the series is relegated entirely to the second half of the final episode. Speaking of which, I wasn't particularly happy with the way the episodes were split up. Much like what was featured in Cosmopolitan Prayers, each episode is split into two halves which feature completely separate stories, further eliminating any chance of a story to occur. I mean, really, how much story can you get done if even the very sections of an individual episode are completely unrelated?

There is, of course, a fairly good reason for this: if 2x2=Shinobuden featured one long, continuous episode, the jokes would become old extremely quickly. The creators would have been forced to draw each improbable storyline out for as long as possible, which probably would have made this show unbearable to watch. Fortunately, several good things did result from this format: the hot springs episode is only ten minutes long, each joke stays fresh and only rarely becomes boring, and new jokes are constantly thrown at the viewer due to there being a completely different topic after the commercial break. Unfortunately, occasionally the commercial break just doesn't come quickly enough, and I found an occasional joke just lingering around for far too long and eventually falling flat on its face. One particular aspect I found hilarious in the series was keeping track of how many euphemisms the creators came up for a certain part of the male anatomy. My favorite of them all was "pervert-pistol," but I couldn't resist cracking up over "fairytale box." Thankfully for some viewers who would rather do without thinking of "that part" too often, such references occur less frequently than even the fan service.

So are you convinced yet? If you enjoy other hyperactive comedies like Di Gi Charat, Excel Saga, and Sakigake!! Cromartie High, then 2x2=Shinobuden is definitely another anime series to add to your collection. If not, I only have the two most powerful words in the English language to say to you: come on. Coooome oooon!