Ninja Kamui: Season 1 Episode 12 – Review/ Recap
In the penultimate episode of the season, we finally get some background on what happened to the Ninja Clan leadership as Mike triggers the beginning of the end for Auza.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Plot Recap
Goodbye Dilly – Dilly, Yamaji, Joseph
Despite her efforts, Dilly is no match for Yamaji, as to be expected. Even without his Mikado – Gusoku Gear. But, at the very least, like Higan and others, she found joy and faith outside the Ninja Code before death. For with being not only Joseph’s bodyguard but also secretary, she understood part of his work and him making it seem her opinion mattered; it made her realize she mattered beyond the Ninja Clan.
Which only made eliminating her easier for Yamaji.
You Left Me With No Choice – Mike, FBI Branch Director, Joseph
Mike and his former partner are in a room, trying to hash things out, but to no avail. Mike wants Joseph to go down and with becoming a cog in the machine, his former partner is hesitant to try to disrupt the system. But then leaks of Auza’s files, from their association with Ninjas to list of names of who were bought, leak, putting Mike and his old friend at a crossroads.
So, being at a standstill, they do as they previously did and physically fight, with the winner being considered right, and Mike wins. It may look like a draw, considering the bruising and lumps, but his old partner joins him in trying to take Joseph down with the might of the US Government backing him. This leads to Joseph threatening to have all his reactors destroy the world if they continue to pursue him.
Course Correction – Higan, Old Chieftain, Yamaji
The old man we haven’t seen since the early episodes of “Ninja Kamui” is actually the former Chieftain. Yes, he was killed by Yamaji, as Yamaji forced the Ninja Clan to a more conservative take of the Ninja Code, as the Chieftain was imagining a more liberal future, but the idea is pushed that Yamaji felt this was needed.
Why? Well, with the Japanese government distancing itself from the Ninja Clan, so came the need to think about the future of the Clan. The Chieftain was more focused on the clan’s culture and shifting away from the heartless soldiers that allowed them to dominate the underworld. This was deemed unacceptable, so Yamaji killed him, focused on doubling down the Ninja Code and international expansion, as we saw, so they are no longer what creates peace and order just in Japan but the world.
But, with all of that potentially being something Higan can undo, for Yamaji to complete his plan, he must eliminate the last person who could stand in his way.
Cast Guide
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Dilly | Elissa Cuellar |
| Yamaji | Luis Galindo |
| Joseph | Scott Gibbs |
| Mike | Shawn Hamilton |
| FBI Branch Manager | Rob Mungle |
| Higan | Jeremy Gee |
| Old Chieftain | David Harbold |
Review
Highlights
The Push That There Are No Villains, Just Leaders Focusing On The Ends To A Means
It’s easy to push Yamaji and Joseph as evil because they fit the description. Joseph is young, arrogant, and is a tech bro who thinks only he could revolutionize the world. Some could argue that with his advances in energy and other sectors, while his attitude may not be appreciated, the tech might be worth it. Then, with Yamaji, he is trying to save his people’s way of life, and while we don’t know the story of every last ninja, taking note of Emma and Zai’s, we could assume most ninja have been discarded, abandoned, and taking in and trained to have a purpose.
Dilly, for example, is ex-military, and it could be that when she got out, doing a civilian job wasn’t for her. Maybe it didn’t provide the money, importance, or skillset? Who knows? So, to work with the Ninja Clan, protect someone like Joseph, and protect him from various attacks, maybe that gave her what the outside world didn’t?
Admittedly, I’m filling in the gaps here, but considering “Ninja Kamui” is adding what we long needed at the tail end, I feel like we should have enough to make assumptions.
Background Information
| Episode Title | Episode 12 |
| Release Date | April 27, 2024 |
| Network | Toonami |
| Director(s) | Yui Miura, Sunghoo Park |
| Writer(s) | Shigeru Murakoshi |
| Previous Episode | Season 1/ Episode 11 |
| Series Page | Ninja Kamui |
| Character Guide | Ninja Kamui Cast and Character Guide |
