Quote Originally Posted by Fußball
I know I have read somewhere about ninja using a type of cane-blade where the blade is concealed in a hollow half of the cane. Erich
Cane-sabres, known as shikomizue, were most definitely a common thing used by samurai and peasants alike (during Meiji at least, but I'm pretty sure they weren't unknown before the sword ban), but they certainly weren't switchblades . The most famous of those naturally being Zatoichi's weapon.

The lantern... well, to me it was just ridiculous. Not only the mere idea of it, but I mean come on, like a guard working there 24/7 wouldn't notice an extra garden fixture on his usual beat ?

And yeah, I know the cart thing would have been feasible, but I find it a bit... well, unlikely. Why use such an elaborate device when a simple thrown knife (or an uncouth wild lunge to the face ) would have been just as, if not more practical ? I'm convinced it was meant to be a reference/nod to the Lone Wolf & Cub (Baby Cart) line of movies, which is why it irked me somewhat.

I would have loved at least one ninja movie to make use of the infamous smokebombs, or even the egg "grenades" (a hollowed eggshell filled with oil, pepper and other irritating stuff meant to be thrown in someone's face to blind him) though. They're such a staple of ninja myth, who cares if they're 100%ahistorical ?