Within all of Adult Swims different animation series Ninja Kamui is DEFINITELY one of their most impressive... Even though Adult Swim At least in America has done original animations whether of short spinoffs to OTHER existing properties OR COMPLETELY ORIGINAL series: Fena: Pirate Princess Blade Runner Shenmue: The Animation etc.. 220https://toonamifaithful.com/wpcontent/uploads/2021/07/fenavisual.png 220https://www.scifinow.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2021/08/BladeRunnerBlackLotus.png 220https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2022/01/ShenmuetheAnimationKV2x3.jpg Ninja Kamui definitely stood out as an extreme brutal yet grounded and series story about one lone Retired Ninjas path towards VENGANCE while along the way others attempt to help him in order to dethrone an entire organization. Of which is somewhere where the order for the mans main cause of pain comes from. 220https://comicbook.com/wpcontent/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/ecfe41c4c11d4eddbbddfba7640e5e3e.jpg?w=1024 The series initially introduces us to a farming family out in the country. 220https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2024/02/ninjakamui1joekylesaraembrace.jpg As they are enjoying their day the parents get ready to celebrate their sons birthday. ...Already the family is so Innocent that you KNOW there will be the cliche of tragedy to ruin it all. Although if I may ruining a happy family is already SO CLICHE that Id think and I know it may be boring or nothing may move the story along is tragedy didnt strike itd technically be MORE of an interesting twist if the obvious oncoming tragedy DIDNT involve... Obviously someone DIES... Although only once night falls. NINJAS suddenly appear in stalking around the countryhouse... and the father takes ACTION The father shows to be quiet the talented combatfighter disarming at least a dozen enemy ninja coming straight at him But the series begins... when he hears his wife and son scream... After this night he wakes up in a hospital along with being visited by some acquaintances. Ready to investigate his familys... Tragedy. After seeing what is left of them he reveals... the he was wearing a HOLOGRAPHIC FACEMASK With this done. HE SWEARS VENGEANCE FOR HIS LOVED ONES... 220https://www.comingsoon.net/wpcontent/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/JoeLoganNinjaKmauiepisode1.jpg From this point forward our main character: Higan is shown to be much more reserved cool and pained by his losses. Although ALREADY by episode two he FINDS the killer. And not only captures him but ties him upsidedown and continues to torture him for the pain the sadistic killer mocks about his loved ones last whimpers. 220https://i.yt.com/vi/h5CtAq6uS1A/maxresdefault.jpg Here is where we get our first taste of the Ninja Haikus that were taught and instilled within each Ninja that graduates into their ranks. These sayings are scattered throughout the series usually there is one every other episodeortwo. It actually seems pretty alluring and mystifying to hear such phrases that ACTUALLY seem like they HONESTLY COULD exist within the ACTUAL real secretworld of Ninjas to one extent or another. One example that comes to mind is: Cold as fire Hot as ice. By this point once he is on his we to destroy the corrupt organization that originally tracked his family down other allies of his join his fight in order to bring down the organization for their OWN nefarious deeds With the characters: 1. The first character that comes to meet him is an elder black cop named: Mike Moriss a Too old for this shit type cop that attempts to bring and keep everyone together for the duration of the series. He does his role well complaining yelling and talking to everyone to attempt to bring everyone one step closer to the main goal. 2. Next is Emma Samanda a serious and butch partner to the heroes. Although she initially starts out fighting Higan but quickly is revealed that she just wanted him alone to Upgrade him She is serious and closedoff but it is later revealed that she shared a long history with Higans wife in the past. She basically fights all the battle with the villains before Higan is ready to fight for real. Basically your usual prehype shounen Round 1 stuff. 3. Finally is Jason Cardenas. He just shows up to help the main characters sparingly whenever they need a hacker. Unlike just about all other main heroes. Jason doesnt physically fight once in the whole series. Hes not a bad character for that but he just doesnt leave any character outside of his initial goals of ALSO wanting to defeat the villains organization. And unfortunately that is his characters worst flaw. He just doesnt have a character of his own outside of being the fourth hero so when theyre split up each character could converse with someone else. 4. Along with the villains: First is the Ninja Boss who is just a sadistic loudmouthed brute. As the FIRST villain he is understandably simple. And Higan deals with him in a very efficient and brutal way. 5. Starting with the main villains we have Lil. A sadistically perverted midget who is a loudmouth. Not once does he stop talking about his thrills for fighting or perversions. An interesting thing is that even once he is defeated for good he still talks back and attempts to kill others until the very end. If you want a rude villain in an adult action series little comes close to how despicable his character acts. 6. Next is Big D Even though his name would make you believe hes in like with Lil... Big D is a black man with traditional values. Even going so far as to blowoff his own bosses or letting his enemies go to honor more traditional values of fighting in a brutally honest FighttotheDeath. And even when he is faced with death he is more angered by his BOSS not playing fair and honoring his subordinates defeat 7. Finally the main and Should be anyway last villain the stern and vengeful Zai... Zai is in a sort of way the ACTUAL villain of the series Yes this gets debunked once after he is defeated... but he still feels the most developed as the kind of Sasuke of the series. Having the most relation with the main character and knowing how to impact him and what not. Zai is a strong and silent ninja from the same clan that Higan and his soontobe wife are from. He has a dangerous past and allowed himself to be close personally to those two first before he was to anyone else. But once Higan and his wife: Mari had broken their Ninja Code not only would anyone relate with how Zai felt betrayed by the two of their cause but Im pretty sure it DEFINITELY shows how he became much more series and devoted to kill his rival for so long after what in the Ninja World probably is a true betrayal. 8. Once Zai is defeated the last few villains attempt to makeup for it but ultimately it starts to feel a little forced as each episode just continuously tries to OneUp itself. First is Dilly. A huge black woman that is the main servant of the C.E.O. of the Syndicate Corporation. The villains. Honestly all she does is be the servant/assistant/Righthand Woman to him and though she does fight at one point. Its pretty much just to waste an episode before the God villains after the King Zai is defeated. Next is Joseph who is the C.E.O.. He manipulates everything from behind the scenes in this Technological ninja show. While he is in complete control as far as can see he doesnt do any physical fighting like literally ALL of the other enemies do. This isnt the worst thing as Jason also never fights physically but it just somewhat feels a little lackluster is all... Finally in the last two episodes is the God villain: Yamaji. The commander of the Ninja Corps that was back in the past when all the characters were connected. Allinall the characters arent bad or anything but it isnt like there ISNT an admittable stinker amongst all the actionpacked series and intelligent vicious people playing at each other in the series. Especially for a 13episode adult animation. The animation is stunning for a 13episode adult series. Normally an adult animation would be very cheap and crude BUT I guess since its for an ACTION ANIME I suppose they had the extra dollar to spend and making sure everything LOOKED perfect. The animation for the Fight Scenes looks REALLY GOOD as even in CGI everything is easy to see and really powerfully actionpacked. If you want Ninja action in HighTech. suits this series is great for looking this way. ESPECIALLY the Swordfights The sound of the series is REALLY DAMN spoton. Except for Mike whom I personally thought shouldve sounded a tab more old than black Just a tad. All the voices sound perfect for the actors characters. The bloodsplatters are nice brutal and gory. and the acrobatic moves all have an appropriate Fwoof or Fwip to them. Although I WILL say an interesting thing throughout the series is how in order to explain a characters motivation we go back in time to view what happened years ago in the ACTUAL Ninjatraining of these characters. This isnt NESSASERILLY a bad thing it may even be interesting to explain the story. But THIS PART really just depends on if the viewer is fine with this Scattered storytelling method. I could honestly identify with someone if they said they didnt like this NolanMethod of Storytelling.... link https://filmlifestyle.com/christophernolanwritingprocess/::text=To20achieve20these20complex20narrative20structures2C20Nolan20andthe20script20to20polish20pacing20and20thematic20resonance. Opening and Closing The opening: Vengeance is a very raw kind of OP. First showing the beginning and how everything SHOULDVE been quiet and peaceful with the main characters loved ones but once it shows the room where everything is destroyed it burns away... Then everything gets harsh as it shows all of the distortion and troubles oncoming to our heroes. The one thing I dont like is the flashy transitionwipes that show from one image to another. They just seem a little fuzzy and harsh to me is all. Although I DO like the fights that it shows in it. Op.2 also shows the fights against all the major villains in their suits that Higan fights. Meanwhile the ending: Eye Openers Is the complete opposite. It really just does nothing but shows stills and maybe oneortwo motions stills of the characters just living their daily lives amongst the normal civilians in the world. Nothing but calm paintings and simplism. SideNote: One thing that kind of peeves me is the specifics of the suits themselves... Nothing against them except that it looks like they dont cover their wearers toes The feet are finely covered but I thought for seconds that I could actually see the warriors toes and in COMBAT THAT is a weakspot for opponents to take advantage of For an attempted 13episode Action Animation Made for a global audience but by the Japanese anyways probably. Aside from one or two nitpicks it really does do its job for delivering a harsh and realistic series about the brutal world of Ninja and how once you betray a lifelong code it can easily stab you in the back still years later and how the last survivor quests for redemption by destroying everything that was vile and vicious about the system to begin with...