- Ninja Kamui debuted exclusively on Adult Swim earlier in 2024, but it has gone under the radar with anime like Solo Leveling and Frieren coming out.
- This anime series has a traditional revenge theme but with a modern twist, paired with exceptional animation quality and emotional depth.
- Ninja Kamui is worth a watch if you are looking for an anime with some intense and action-packed fighting sequences.
Directed by Sunghoo Park, the South Korean anime director and animator who is renowned for his work in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 and The God of High School, Ninja Kamui debuted on Adult Swim‘s Toonami programming block on February 11, 2024. Despite not getting a place in Netflix and Crunchyroll’s library, the action-packed series has been in the talks lately. Here, I have shed light on every reason that makes Ninja Kamui worth a watch for anime fanatics.
Ninja Kamui Has a Traditional Theme with a Modern Touch
Ninja Kamui is an original anime series that follows a former Ninja named Higan, who vows to take revenge on the people who murdered his wife and son. The story sounds familiar, isn’t it? Well, there are so many revenge-themed shonen anime series that feature a similar plotline. However, not every revenge-focused anime is worth watching; in fact, most fans have been ignoring the anime series that play around the traditional themes like revenge.
That being said, Ninja Kamui offers so much more than simply a guy running around to kill some powerful people. The show features intriguing character designs, incredible world-building, and engaging backstories, making the anime show worth every praise.
Besides that, the revenge story leaves no stone unturned to impress you with its modern settings. It might also make you forget that you are watching the same old story you’ve come across numerous times.
Ninja Kamui’s Animation Quality Makes It a Feast for the Eyes
A popular anime like Demon Slayer (returning with Season 4) wouldn’t have become a sensation if it didn’t have the top-notch animation by Ufotable. Honestly, the story of Demon Slayer isn’t exactly the selling point for the anime; it’s the incredible animation that made it a masterpiece.
Similarly, even though Ninja Kamui’s story isn’t one of a kind, it does come with incredibly impressive animation. As it is directed by the one who tackled the directorial responsibilities of the first season of Jujutsu Kaisen, no wonder we can spot several action scenes resembling that of JJK.
Solo Leveling’s anime adaptation (review) recently received worldwide appreciation for its top-tier animation quality. Well, let’s just say that Ninja Kamui’s animation and fight choreography are even better than that of Solo Leveling. So, if you have a hunger for good animation, you shouldn’t delay adding Ninja Kamui to your watchlist.
Backstories in Ninja Kamui Come with an Emotional Depth
Ninja Kamui revolves around a person who has nothing more to lose after losing his family. So, we see him going after his family’s murderers without thinking twice about the circumstances.
If you are a fan of the John Wick franchise, you must be familiar with seeing a character who had hit rock bottom after losing the one thing that was the reason for their survival. The story of this show’s protagonist, Joe Logan (Higan’s hidden identity), is the same. With the story moving forward, we often get to see flashbacks of Higan’s life that make our eyes go all watery.
Besides him, the original anime also focuses on the other characters’ backstories, making us appreciate even the smallest elements that could make a person keep working to achieve his aim.
The Anime Series Has Incredible Fight Sequences
Ninja Kamui’s insane action sequences are certainly the best among every other recent anime in the industry. Except for Naruto, there are a handful of anime whose combat scenes motivate you to give it a try in real life, and fortunately, Adult Swim’s Ninja Kamui is one such project.
Anime like Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and My Hero Academia wouldn’t be so popular if they didn’t boast amazing fight choreographies. Well, Ninja Kamui is in the same boat in terms of fight sequences, but sadly, not in terms of popularity.
In addition to everything else, it’s worth noting that in an interview, the director revealed that the fight scenes of Ninja Kamui are heavily based on live-action fighting styles. This makes it a unique reason to watch the anime.
Why Ninja Kamui Anime Isn’t Getting the Love It Deserves
Anime streaming service Crunchyroll has been a go-to destination for every anime fan, and recently, Netflix has become one, too, as it has expanded the anime category significantly over time. So, it’s a drawback for Ninja Kamui not to get a spot in the aforementioned streaming services and debuting on Adult Swim instead.
Adult Swim is an amazing streaming platform that hosted some of the greatest shows, including the final season of Samurai Jack. However, the streaming service is still not available in several regions, making it harder for worldwide audiences to access the shows hosted in its library.
Apart from that, a lack of marketing and promotions held Ninja Kamui back from grabbing global anime fans’ attention. Honestly, the marketing of the show was done poorly, and it’s not that fans who watched Ninja Kamui didn’t love it; it’s just that most fans don’t even know that a great show like Ninja Kamui exists.
