NJN22

This article is about a/an group in Hero Retold: Kamen Rider Shinobi.

NJN22 Logo

NJN22 is a Japanese idol group in Hero Retold: Kamen Rider Shinobi. This group is notable for Haruka Ashikage, the heir to the Royal Family, being an active member of it. Outside this, the other group members also serve as supporting characters to the series.

History

Past

The NJN22 group was actively known as the national ninja idol group, formed by the Japanese Government during the early years of the Ninja Act. The group was specifically created solely to encourage people to take up Ninjutsu when the country’s natural resources start to decline due to the 2011 Blood Storm. However, there were also agendas concocted behind the scenes, with regards to their formation, as shown in the NJN22 SP, where the trainees where put in rigorous exercises and draconian training sessions prior to their debut. The four first-generation members were recruited solely due to their ninja abilities, where they utilized their skills in their song numbers, routines, and performances, debuting during the Konjo Company’s First Ninjutsu Championship Tournament.

Despite the group’s relative popularity, NJN22 was seen more as a controversial group, due to their government backing, over-exposure during their first few years, and basically promoting Pro-ninja propaganda. The members often suffered from audience backlash and even became the center of severe cases of fan-wars between die-hard supporters and rabid anti-fans. This often lead to a few members leaving and getting replaced each time. After the 5th Ninjutsu Tournament tragedy and the public's shifting views against the Ninja Act, the government pulled their support from the group and the members’ contracts were sold to an international agency, where the group started to mostly promote outside of Japan. Though this helped the group recover with the solid international fan-base that saw their ninja-idol status as unique, this also earned more skepticism from the Japanese who are slowly transitioning out of the ninja society.

Events in Hero Retold

Three years after the said events; the group continued to perform and redefine their image outside of the country. The current iteration of NJN22, now having non-ninja members, returned to Japan as part of the Konjo Group’s newly established entertainment division. The group is mostly managed by Iroha Kagura, who not only helps in changing their public presence but also deals with the members’ personal issues and struggles. However, after still receiving continuous outrage by persistent anti-fans and the risks during the Crimson Year and the Nin-Ju, a few of the group members started doubting their status, especially after being forced into hiatus until the end of the year.

Throughout the events of the Crimson Year, each NJN22 member would be faced with tough ordeals, largely due to their connections with the Shinobi Riders. Upon learning that Haruka was the heir to the Royal Family, the group would momentarily split up, each focusing on their personal endeavors, up until the truth regarding her being a Kagemusha surfaced, and the subsequent destruction of the Konjo Group. At that time, the four other members finally confront Haruka and pretend that they were to disband, before ultimately showing their support and camaraderie toward her and to each other.

After the cancellation of the Crimson Year, and the final defeat of Kamen Rider Kakugane, NJN22 would return to the stage, now as an independent girl-group, and welcomes 2026 with a live performance.

Hero Retold SP: NJN22 - The Origin

Following the events of the main series, the idol group would receive their own four-episode special, focusing on the past of its four original members. In the special, 20 of the original 22 NJN22 trainees were abducted and placed inside a special location called Memento Mori, where they are put in modified death games resembling the gruelling training days. At the same time, Satomi, Haruka, and Amily would work with the MPD-Nin division and Nijika Oozora to help save their other friends.

While the death games ultimately revealed the horrific past of the girls, specifically one trainee in Noa Sarutobi, Memento Mori would later be revealed as a front for JUN to resurrect a Major Gehennos, eventually succeeding in reviving Noir. Still, the operation's front would crumble, while those involved with the past incident ultimately getting punished.

Members

As with most idol groups, NJN22 has a generations system, where members leave and get replaced. The current iteration consists of five members, with two non-ninjas joining their team.

• Yukari Kageyama _{(leader, first-generation)}
• Luna Ohata _{(center, first-generation)}
• Haruka Ashikage _{(vocals, second-generation)}
• Satomi Hiiragi _{(main dancer, third-generation)}
• Amily Komiyama _{(vocals, third-generation)}

Former Members

• Yukiko Matsuda _{(first-generation, deceased)}
• Mio Takagi _{(first-generation)}

Notes from Writer

• The name NJN22 is derived literally as twenty-two twenty-two (nijyuuni22 or 22 22). The four “2s” representing the supposed four members of the group.
  • The group's name can also be translated as 2-2-2-2 (ni-ni-ni-ni), alluding to their ninja idol persona.
  • Despite the current iteration having five members, they are still called NJN22. This is to show how mismanaged the idols were before being acquired by the Konjo Group.
• There's actually a running joke in some episodes about the current idol members' age, as most of them are roughly the same age or even older than Iroha, with minor characters mistaking her as being part of their group.
  • However, the age range of the members actually makes sense, due to the group being active for seven years at this point.
  • Also, the more mature nature of the series also calls for characters being portrayed by older fan-casts, including the idol group.

• The names of the first-generation members come from the real names of the previous Kamen Rider series' female leads.
  • Yukari Kageyama – Yukari Taki / Sawa Takigawa from Kamen Rider Build
  • Luna Ohata – Shieri Ohata / Tsukuyomi from Kamen Rider Zi-O
  • Yukiko Matsuda – Ruka Matsuda / Poppy Pipopapo from Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
  • Mio Takagi – Mio Kudo / Kanon Fukami from Kamen Rider Ghost

• All the members of NJN22 are portrayed by either active or former Japanese idols.