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Ninja Slayer From Animation
Episode 3

by Mike Toole,

Finally, after twenty-four sizzling minutes of ninja dudes with attitude, we're introduced to Ninja Slayer From Animation's first kunoichi in the show's third episode. “Kunoichi” is Japanese for “female ninja,” wryly referred to here as a “shi ninja,” you know, instead of merely a “she ninja.” I have to assume that the “shi” stands for “death,” since everything else in this series basically stands for death.

Or maybe it stands for Pray for Death, the 1985 ninja movie released in American theatres by the long-dead Trans-World Entertainment (no relation to the video store chain). The influence of fine ninja cinema was waning by '85, but these guys took a gamble on one last Sho Kosugi film. Here, he plays a retired ninja (he's always a retired ninja. Do you suppose his clan pays him a pension?) who has to get revenge after his family are attacked and injured; this episode opens with much the same setup, as shi ninja Koki Yamoto must pick herself up off the mat and save her friend Asari from a pack of lecherous thugs.

Even as Yamoto is filled with the spirit of ninja and steels herself for battle (which likely happens next episode, since this one is explicitly the front half a two-parter), the resident badass of Atabaque Bushido High School, a shades-wearing, afro-sporting delinquent named Shogo, is pulled into a fight with a vicious biker gang. In one single glorious frame of animation, he uses his ninja skills to flip half a dozen motorbikes and their riders upside down. Powered by the soul of a deceased punk rock ninja, Shogo seems unbeatable—until the nefarious ninja Sonic Boom recruits him, and gives him his first task—he must slay a ninja! A ninja named Yamoto.

This is a story episode rather than an action episode. Interestingly, while this episode doesn't indulge in any particularly noteworthy action scenes aside from the opening moments, it also uses the dumb paper-cutout style sparingly too. Motion is still minimal, but there are a lot of cool, close-up shots of these new characters, which we must assume are pivotal to the narrative. I'd enjoyed reading the online Ninja Slayer chapters as sort of a read-a-long exercise (“turn the page when you hear the YEEART!”), but the show takes a left turn away from those first few chapters here. Despite the lack of action, I still found the story pleasingly alacritous.

Once again, I think my favorite part of this episode involves small details. We notice that Yamoto and Shogo attend a high school named after a Brazilian drum, which makes me wonder if there's another nearby school called Berimbau Bushido High School, and also if this means there's going to be capoeira somewhere in the mix. You can tell that there are ninjas at the school, because there's a gigantic tanto sword on top of the building, just like the one that previous episode's limousine had. Yamoto and Asari seal their friendship over origami, and when Shogo is inducted at bad guy ninja HQ, he's presented with a calligraphy sheet with his new name—Suicide.

Most of all, I'm intrigued by Yamoto and what she might get up to next episode. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking of ninja entertainment as a boys' club, but this episode proves that there's room for equal opportunity “Yeeart!”ing. The show does an admirable job keeping the mood fresh by dialing down the action and introducing a bunch of new characters. Episode 3 once again sports a unique ending theme, this time a hard-driving rock song called “Theater Manager's Theme” by THE PINBALLS. It just might be my favorite yet. I'm hoping for a return to action next week—because remember, in the land of Neo-Saitama, one single ninja soul is not enough to prevail!

Grade: B

Ninja Slayer From Animation is currently streaming on Funimation.


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