Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof

Episode 10

It feels a bit crazy to write this, but this episode of A Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof is the worst episode of the series so far. However, that's more a statement of how good the series has been rather than a condemnation of this episode specifically. In fact, I don't think this even qualifies as a “bad” episode on it's own.

On the positive side of things, we have another episode that is heavy on continuity and gives us a greater understanding of what makes our heroines tick—Marin in this case. We learn not only what led her to the assassins life but also why she has her unusual combination of an off putting personality and a big heart. Deep down, she longs for a relationship like she had with her sister but is scared of getting close and being betrayed again. Moreover, with someone as ditzy as Satoko, she has the ability to play the big sister role—to do things over how she wishes they could have been. Honestly, it's some great character work—and keeping Marin's sister alive for upcoming episodes allows for all kinds of fun interactions as she gets to know the rest of the extended cast.

Likewise, Satoko get some character work this episode as well by having her start to realize that her greatest weakness is also her greatest asset. The other side of not thinking things through is that she is a woman of action. By acting when others don't expect it, she gains an advantage. We also see her continue the research on her powers, learning exactly how long it takes to turn an object into leaves based on its size—and exploiting that fact to win her first solo battle. Through this, Satoko learns that she is not nearly as helpless as she fears along—even without her allies backing her up. It's a solid step on Satoko's character journey.

Where this episode fails is in social commentary and philosophical musings department. To put it another way, this episode touches on some interesting ideas but never really explores them. There are a few minor jokes about Satoko being a young mother largely unsupported by her spouse (in this case, Marin). This is a real problem here in Japan as many fathers still act as if we live in the age of single income families and expect the mother to handle all the childcare—despite her working a full-time job too. However, the episode never really gets into this beyond showing that Satoko is overworked and under prepared for raising the de-aged Konoha.

The other aspect touched upon but not explored is the moral dilemma of a “Tuvix” situation. Basically, rather than being an adult in a baby's body, the new Konoha is a completely new person. She lacks the memories of the original one. When she's just a baby and non-verbal, transforming her back into her young adult self poses little problem. However, once she has a personality of her own, we are left with an ethical dilemma as restoring the old Konoha would kill this new one.

Of course, the episode sidesteps this issue—first by not having Satoko and Robotko muse too deeply on the moral implications of “killing” child Konoha for the sake of getting their friend back and second by having Konoha retain her baby memories even when returned to her normal self. It feels like a lost opportunity for dark comedy drama—one that past episodes would have gladly exploited.

So, all in all, while I feel a bit disappointed when it comes to this episode, it's only because it feels full of wasted opportunities.

Rating 3.5

Random Thoughts:

• Best joke of the episode? Marin's sister standing “over” her father's corpse—as in she's literally standing on top of it.

• I am actually shocked that Marin's sister actually survived this episode—I was expecting young Konoha to stab her with those safety scissors.

• It's gotta be weird for Konoha now as she remembers Satoko as both her friend and mother.

• I wonder what's going to happen now that Robotko is back in the picture. While she still has all the memories of her original model, her loyalty is now firmly set to Marin rather than Konoha.

Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof is currently streaming on Crunchyroll on Thursdays.

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Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.