 This article is about a monster in Shuriken Sentai Ninninger.
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- ""It's the ultimate Youkai, me, Nekomata!""
- ―Youkai Nekomata's first words upon his creation.[src]
- ""Forget dying twice, some Youkai die four times...!""
- ―Nekomata's final words before his initial defeat.[src]
- ""And the cat came back the very next day!""
- ―Nekomata when enlarged.[src]
- ""Even when I'm gone, the Youkai will always exist!""
- ―Youkai Nekomata's final words before his death.[src]
Yokai Nekomata (妖怪ネコマタ Yōkai Nekomata) is a Yokai that appeared in Shuriken Sentai Ninninger. Hius introductory credit also calls him "Fox-Tailed Cat Nekomata."
Character History
Yokai Nekomata was created from a watch by a corrupted Sealing Shuriken. Nekomata first create a minor mischief by reversing a delivery van before Kyuemon Izayoi requested him to get Yoshitaka Igasaki's End Shuriken. As he face the Ninningers (minus AkaNinger) and their teachers Ninja Red and HurricaneRed. As he about to go to the past, Takaharu arrives and leapt into the same portal he went.
In 2005, Nekomata incapacitated every available ninja to get the Shuriken until NinjaRed and HurricaneRed face him. AkaNinger arrives to aid them and tried to hold Nekomata off but instead getting himself seemingly killed before retreating to the present with the Shuriken. After handed the Shuriken to a Hitokarage, AkaNinger kicks him, revealing that he had survived and that his "death" was only a clone that take his place. Together, the Ninningers and their teachers fought Nekomata and destroy him, receiving his Sealing Shuriken in the end. The Shuriken of the End he retrieved as well was revealed to be NinjaRed's precious shuriken, having mixed them up with Yoshitaka's. 
TV STORY-Shinobi 7: Spring Ninja Festival!
Nekomata however revives himself again even without his Sealing Shuriken. He caused several mayhems and the Ninningers finished him until he revived again. In his second destruction, Takaharu brought his watch's remain and accidentally left it in the Igasaki Ninjutsu dojo, which caused the awakened Nekomata to endanger Fuuka's friends. Nekomata leapt 10 years into the past again while bringing Fuuka's schoolmates along, forcing her and Takaharu to tail him into the past as well. With help of young Fuuka, Nekomata was tricked into revealing himself as AkaNinger and ShiroNinger fight him and they were brought back to the present. The other Ninningers regroup as ShiroNinger destroys his clock, after getting him to inadvertently tell them his weakness, and along with AkaNinger finished him.
He was however enlarged by Kyuemon, where the Ninningers summoned their Otomo Nin into the fight before killing Nekomata for real with Shurikenjin Paon Boomerang. TV STORY-Shinobi 8: The Nekomata Who Leapt Through Time!
Post-mortem
Nekomata was followed by a little brother, Yokai Mataneko, who lacked his ability to travel through time. He attempted to get revenge against the Ninningers but was ultimately foiled and destroyed by them. TV STORY-Shinobi 26: It's Summer! Last Ninja Race Intermediate Announcement!
Through Yakumo Katou's magic, Tsumuji Igasaki was temporarily disguised as "Yokai Meganekomata", introducing himself as Nekomata's cousin's underclassman's second cousin to the Kibaoni Army Corps whom he infiltrated. TV STORY-Shinobi 42: OtomoNin Wars! Nekomata Strikes Back
Video Game appearances
Super Sentai Battle Base
Yokai Nekomata is among the vast pantheon of villains which appear in the mobile game Super Sentai Battle Base.
Personality
Yokai Nekomata is loyal to Kyuemon despite his failures. He also has a huge pride as a Yokai, trying to prove himself the greatest. He also has a habit of saying "Gera gera gera gera", further noted to his motif as a cat, since certain tales stated Nekomata to be the ghosts of died cats. Even if he fails, at the very least, he comes up with multifaceted plans, such as reviving himself and brought some power of fear to Kyuemon when he is incapable of bringing the End Shuriken.
Profile
- Infection object: Watch
- Favourite things: 7:30 am
- Favourite place: Igasaki Ninjutsu Dojo
- Attack power: 3/5
- Mysterious trick: 4/5
- Reverse: 5/5
Powers and Abilities
- Time Manipulation (時間 Jikan Makimodoshi): Nekomata can manipulate the time of a target's movements either by rewinding or fast forward.
- Self-Time Reversal (セルフタイムリバーサル Serufutaimuribāsaru): Even if Nekomata was destroyed and his Sealing Shuriken retrieved, however, his essence which dominated the watch he infected would rewind the time of his destruction and countlessly revives him. Since his revived state lacks the Sealing Shuriken, he is undetectable from being scanned by the Ninningers' Gamagama-ju.
- Claws (爪 Tsume): Nekomata possess claws on his hands which durable enough to slash his opponents. These claws were shaped like a buckle tongue of a watch.
- Time Door (時の扉 Toki no tobira): Nekomata can travel itself through time by creating a portal. During this, the date on his clock-like chest lights up to reveal his destination.
- Paw-print Bomber (肉球ボンバー Nikukyū Bonbā): Nekomata can fire a charged energy blast, as well as a stronger version, the Super Paw-print Bomber (超肉球ボンバー Chō Nikukyū Bonbā) and the Super Super Paw-print Bomber (超超肉球ボンバー Chō Chō Nikukyū Bonbā).
- Eyebeams (ビーム Umegara Bīmu): Nekomata can fire a small beam from his eyes.
- Elastic tail (輪ゴム尻尾 Wagomu Shippo): Nekomata's tail can be elongated to grab an object or his target.
Weakness
The revived Nekomata's ability can be removed if his clock-like feature on his chest is destroyed.
Behind the Scenes
Portrayal
Yokai Nekomata's suit actor is Hiroyuki Muraoka.
Notes
Concept art
- "Nekomata" in Japan is originally and traditionally written in "猫また", with the kanji "neko" (猫) means cat and hiragana word "mata" (また) literally has no meaning. Later on, the hiragana was given the form of "Mata" (又), which means "in addition", referring to the fact that nekomata gain an additional tail if it transformed from a regular house cat when it reached a certain age.
- Nekomata is a reference to Yo-Kai Watch due to the watch on his chest as well as the Nekomata motif being shared with the franchise's mascot, Jibanyan
- Tomokazu Seki is the voice actor of Whisper, another prominent yokai in the Yo-Kai Watch anime. Nekomata even uttered "Whis...", which Whisper always made when ending his sentences.
- Nekomata's quote may had been driven from the show's songs, with among them, "Gerageragera Pon" being tribute to "Geragerapō no Uta", the show's first opening song. Similarly, the dancing steps for the Ninningers' ending theme, Nan ja Mon ja! Ninja Matsuri! ending were created by Lucky Ikeda, better known for the steps of the immensely popular anime Yokai Watch's first ending theme "Yokai Exercise No. 1".
- The time on Nekomata's clock chest, Sunday 7:30 am, was the time for Super Sentai Series airing slot until October of 2017, when it moved to a 9:30 AM timeslot.
- Yokai Nekomata shares several tributes to Volt Roidmude
from Kamen Rider Drive. As shown, they were monsters empowered by important items to them (Sealing Shurikens and Roidmude Core) but unlike their kind, they were able to "revive" and operate on their own even without said items, due to their essence inhabiting something else. Although it seemed that they died and failed in their objectives, at the very least they come up with multifaceted plans. - Sometime before the Yokai Nekomata's birth, the Ninningers had once fought Clock Shadow, a clock-themed Shadow Monster in order to assist their predecessors in their fights. Here, Clock Shadow was mistaken by AkaNinger for a Yokai, ironically foreshadowing Nekomata.
- Nekomata reappears in a Ninninger stage show, where he is once again defeated by the three Ninja Super Sentais.
from 
Appearances
See Also
- Cat O'Clock - Power Rangers counterpart in Ninja Steel. See comparison page.