Summary
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Ninja Kamui, Episode 10, now streaming onMax.
Episode Air Date
19-06-2025
For 10 weeks,Ninja Kamuihas gone back and forth between the action series it was marketed as and a character drama with neat ideas, but not always the execution to meet expectations. Of course, these aren’t mutually exclusive ambitions, but the dip in quality in recent weeks has made the road to the conclusion less exciting, or at least that was the case until perhaps this week.
Last time, Emma and Jason commenced a cyberattack on Auza to steal confidential data about their schemes while Higan and Mike fought Big D and the corp’s mercenaries. Despite Higan winning the fight, Emma tragically died, even whenit seemed like she’d escaped death for goodfollowing Episode 7, leaving the show considerably emptier without her charisma.
Zai Enters the Arena
As is to be expected fromthe aftermath of a major character’s death, there was a lot of planning the next steps and confronting new complications, but the main event was the story of Zai. Ever since the beginning, Higan, Mari, and Zai have been regarded as a once-legendary trio that was divided after the former two eloped into exile.
He’s been standing in the background waiting for his chance to fight Higan for the whole season and has finally been let off his leash now that every other main boss save for Yamaji has died. But “standing” is the operative term, because a stronger word like “lurking” would suggest that his presence was a particularly imposing threat.
How Zai’s Arrival Lacks Hype
Zai has the look, butapart from the exile he killed in Episode 3, he hasn’t done much to solidify why he is a threat to Higan. The mosthedid was step in to finish the job after the others roughed him up in Gusoku Gears. While it’s clear that he’s meant to be a taciturn character, barely any personality has slipped through the cracks to hint as to why he loathes his former comrade.
MaybeCowboy Bebopjust ruined this kind of backstory forever, becauseBebopwas smart enough to just… not have it. Everything the audience needed to know about Vicious was reinforced through performance, subtle writing, and vibes, with the rest left up to interpretation thanks to scant but potent imagery. Among the many reasons the live-actionBebopwas criticized was that it tried to explore a backstory that didn’t need exploring.
But obviously,not every show can beCowboy Bebop, and it would be unfair to holdNinja Kamuito such a standard. It’s just that - perhaps as a consequence of this series straying from its roots - it didn’t develop Zai as much as it could have. Truthfully, it’s only such a shame in retrospect because - bizarrely - he might inadvertently become the best thing to happen to the show.
Ninja Kamui Has a Pulse Once Again
Zai lived a tormented life until he was saved by Yamaji, who recognized the young boy’s anger and willingness to cling to life, seeing in him the makings of a great ninja. From the very beginning of the flashback, it becomes clear that he was always predisposed to Yamaji’s philosophy on the makings/responsibilities of one of his kind.
But unlike Yamaji, he was young enough to not be stuck in that way of thinking, at least not entirely. Higan and Marishowed him what it is to rely on otherswithout it being a sign of weakness by saving him from an unexpected ambush that Yamaji orchestrated to test them. While not quite reaching the same standard of quality as the first few episodes, this is the first fight in a while to truly feel like a Sunghoo Park production, and it’s not hard forthatto be cool.
Slick, acrobatic choreography with a good helping of bloody decapitation for good measure.It feels like a show about ninjas again, which is exciting if unfortunately telling. The show has a pulse again, but at what cost? At least in the aftermath of the battle, Zai’s confession that he previously only felt a kinship with crows and that he didn’t know how to put faith in others, feels sweet for what it’s worth.
This Episode Didn’t Need to Be an Episode
As an episode, it’s pretty solid, but it might have been far better had this collection of moments been separate, isolated anecdotes sprinkled throughout the season up to this point. Not only would it have made the fight between Higan and Zai something to be excited about, but it would have improved Higan as a character.
Through Zai’s memories,there’s a version of Higan that knew howto rely on others; a version that hadn’t yet lost hope. Had that man been contrasted against the somewhat shallow protagonist audiences have been lumped with, it might have presented such qualities as an intentional flaw to be unpacked and overcome. Instead, it’s just another fight on his path to vengeance, but that leads to another pleasant surprise.
Is the CGI Going Away?
If it wasn’t already clear, the CGI inNinja Kamuihas been a major point of contention, not only forhowit has been utilized, but how greatly the action philosophy has changed from the start. Yet, between the hand-drawn animation early on in the episode and the final moment before it ends, it’s almost as if the show is saying goodbye to it, judging by the next episode preview above.
Back in our review of Episode 8, I discussed how the best way to conclude the story would be for Higan and Yamaji to face each other as true ninjas, without all the sci-fi gimmicks. Well, the opponent might not be Yamaji, but it certainly seems like next week’s main event will be a no-holds-barred battle between Higan and Zai without the Gusoku Gear.
One can’t deny this would be a welcome course of action, but it would also be tantamount to admitting that the CGI went against the series' best interests, so it would be a bit strange. However, the funniest thing about that possibility is that the CGI in this particular fight was surprisingly good - so much so that it’s a wonder the others weren’t of this quality.
Or… Is Ninja Kamui CGI Getting Better?
For one thing, the camera work feels a lotmore consistent with Sunghoo Park’s style, as does the choreography. The action is a little slower, but the shots are longer and there’s less cutting, which makes each movement easier to read. At one point, Zai gets Higan in a grapple, his blade poised at the other’s throat, and it’s one of the dynamic shots in the whole series. Not everyone will be won over by it, but it’s appreciably better than what’s come before.
That’s what’s so puzzling aboutNinja Kamui. It feels like it’s been holding back on us. For four episodes, it’s seen a noticeable decline, only saved by the novelty of its wilder ideas - ideas that only earn so much goodwill on a conceptual level. And then an episode like this comes along, and it’s certainly not good enough, but the next two episodes might be, and that’s what’s most telling.
