Ninja Kamui’s Second Half Will Either Make or Break the Series

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Ninja Kamui, Episode 6, now streaming on Max.

Episode 6 of Ninja Kamui reaches a pivotal milestone - one that answers long-standing questions, confirms last week's theories, and gives our hero a full transformation worthy of the series title. Unfortunately, the excitement garnered through this chapter of the story is undercut by the implication of how the animation might change for the worse to accommodate this shift in the story.

Last week, Higan covered a staggering amount of ground in a single episode, carving his way from the tunnels beneath Auza City to the top of its highest tower, only to be utterly bested. Meanwhile, Mike pursued a former Auza employee for information and ended up discovering a link between the corporation and Emma, just as, elsewhere, a female ninja saved Higan from certain death.

Related

6 Best Anime To Watch If You Love Ninja Kamui

Episode 1 of Ninja Kamui has taken the anime world by storm. For those who can't wait for more, here are similar anime to watch in the meantime.

Posts

By  Fatima Naeem

The Twist That Seemed Obvious in Retrospect

Episode 5 made it pretty clear that Emma wasn't who she said she was, but perhaps it was giving the writing too much credit in the last review to expect anything other than the obvious outcome for this twist. Turns out, Emma was not only the ninja who saved Higan but the benefactor leading him through the city as well. It's not as though any other character had been adequately set up for this twist anyhow unless it was going to pull an X-Men Origins and have Mari somehow be alive.

Regardless, the way Ninja Kamui pulls back the curtain on Emma is pretty creative and has significance to more than mere plot progression. The fact that she had not only been helping Higan but that she felt a responsibility to help him based on her relationship with his wife was a good choice. Furthermore, it was her secret art that kept Higan alive, answering a mystery that has prevailed since the premiere.

The End of Emma Samanda?

All of this serves to make her an extremely important character in retrospect, which is why it's a shame that this episode simultaneously writes Emma out of the story. The silver lining, of course, is that while she's absent, her influence will likely still be felt. Firstly, because Mike and Jason are going to retrieve her mobile hacking terminal (and likely drive it to Auza City), and because of her parting gift to Higan, which is both a blessing and a (potential) curse on the story.

Ninja Kamui (Now in 3D)

After six episodes, Higan has acquired the Gusoku Gear, designated "Kamui," and whether on a computer screen or standing up in the corner of the room, it looks pretty cool. Depending on the viewer, though, whether this makes one excited or terrified depends on how quickly it registers that being in an advanced suit means Higan will likely be animated like the other antagonists. That means a lot of CGI action from this point on.

It needs to be stated up front that the following is not a condemnation of CGI in anime. On the contrary, the advancement of CGI in the medium has been incredibly exciting to see unfold as Japanese studios become more comfortable with it and find ways to create breathtaking stories. The issue is that no matter the strides made by studios like Orange, SANZIGAN, or Polygon Pictures, there will always be an uphill battle with convincing audiences to give it a chance.

Why The CGI Doesn't Work in Ninja Kamui

With Ninja Kamui, the implementation has simply struggled to be as cool as the action that is in 2D. Having the antagonists fully animated in 3D most of the time gets the viewer to start associating the impending climax of the story with art direction that isn't up to par. In recent years, animators have found ways to mask 3D by painting over it in such a way that it can blend with the rest of the artwork, but Ninja Kamui has no such tricks at its disposal.

Putting 3D enemies in scenes with a 2D Higan just presents two opposing styles that clash. Likewise, having still shots of these suits in 2D will only make the viewer wish they were hand-drawn all the time. If it's a conscious creative choice, it's an unwise one because it is a drastic departure from the style of action that drew people to this series. If it's a cost-saving measure, then whatever problems were abated have been made so at the cost of this series' beating heart.

Why This Matters

It would be a disservice to pretend that E&H Production would have had an easy go at it even if it weren't a matter of cost-saving. Drawing robots, be they mecha or just human-sized suits, isn't just a specialized skillset - it's an increasingly rare one, especially in 2D, save for big franchises like Gundam. Part of what makes this season's Metallic Rouge from Studio Bones so noteworthy despite its shortcomings is that the robots are all hand-drawn the majority of the time.

Granted, all of this is said having not seen what will follow in the coming weeks. Perhaps the latter half of the season will feature far more hand-drawn action between these mech suits or at least a good balance of 2D and 3D. But that's just conjecture looking at the glass half full as opposed to half empty. Plenty of viewers might not even care and think it looks cool, but it's a safe bet that there are plenty that do.

Ninja Kamui was pretty enjoyable this week, but unlike past weeks that invited feelings of anticipation for what is to come next, Episode 6 inspires more trepidation. Once again, the narrative has proven engaging, but increasingly, the animation, while not outright dissatisfying, doesn't deliver the visceral satisfaction found in the early episodes. With all that said, there's ample time to be proven wrong, and the show hasn't squandered its potential just yet.

More

Best Kick Ass Anime That Are Non-Stop Action

These anime deliver a ceaseless barrage of action, and they are all the more awesome for it.

Posts 2

By  Mark Sammut