Ninja Kamui: Season 1 Episode 13 [Finale] – Review/ Recap
“Ninja Kamui” comes to an end with what, on paper, should have been a notable season, if not series, finale.
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Plot Recap
The Fall of Joseph – Mike, Joseph, Jason
While Auza is being taken over, Joseph believes he still has enough resources to escape, but Mike catches him. He uses his car to keep the plane from taking off, chases Joseph down on foot, and even gets a few hits in when Joseph makes it clear Emma’s death was because of him. Never mind, a few whacks for Joseph trying to blow up a reactor, which, thanks to Jason, he was unable to do.
The Last Chieftain – Yamaji, Higan, Zai
For Yamaji to coerce the United States to heel, as well as other countries, he knows Higan has to be eliminated, and in their first round, it looked like Yamaji would win. Zai interfered, despite his defeat, and ended up playing a major role in the fight.
But, while Zai was originally on Yamaji’s side, he switched to Higan’s and lost an arm for his betrayal. But, fueled by the love of his wife and child, after Yamaji tries to use that love to immobilize him by reliving the horror of their deaths, Higan wins, and the Ninja clan ceases to exist as we know it.
Life Thereafter – Higan, Zai
Well, at least that is the idea. We’re not told what happens to the hundreds, if not thousands, of ninjas who are now effectively without a leader and who just participated in a coup of the grandest scale. Never mind, with Joseph locked up, who knows what happens to all Auza has built up with the help of the Ninja Clan, either.
We just know Zai is alive, and Higan is prepping to live out the rest of his life, maybe this time in peace.
Collected Quote(s)
- Small mistakes are unavoidable on the path to progress. — Joseph
Cast Guide
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Mike | Shawn Hamilton |
| Joseph | Scott Gibbs |
| Jason | Joe Daniels |
| Yamaji | Luis Galindo |
| Higan | Jeremy Gee |
| Zai | James Marler |
Review
On The Fence
It Was Good Enough But Not Spectacular
“Ninja Kamui” provided an ending, but it did not leave an exclamation mark on the show. Yes, Yamaji had a final boss finish, but the fight didn’t feel next level. Zai switching sides was notable but didn’t create a sense of shock or wow factor. If anything, it seemed inevitable since Yamaji was too strong to be defeated one-on-one. But, part of what made the ending of “Ninja Kamui” truly meh was Zai and Higan’s ending.
Zai, who was about to end his life, was stopped by Higan and not given the one thing he desperately needed – purpose. So we’re left to assume, as a senior member of the Ninja Clan, maybe he’ll take over? It isn’t confirmed, but what else can he do in life?
Then, with Higan, him driving off into the sunset would have been more fitting if we got his full story. Unlike Zai, we don’t know anything about Higan’s childhood, and while him losing his wife and son tragically was fuel for the show, it also felt like something that delivered cheap sympathy. Of course, it is sad you lost your wife and son due to murder, but what else is there? Why should we care about them or you? We got to know Mari to a point, but it was all with rose-colored glasses that didn’t allow her to be a three-dimensional person.
Then, with Mike and Joseph? I mean, Mike has been a weak character since this began, and while pairing him up with Emma helped, her death took away the one thing he had going for him. Then, with Joseph as the evil tech bro, his downfall didn’t feel like a comeuppance or justice in a noteworthy way. He was a villain who saw himself as a hero, but he wasn’t fleshed out, and given the complexity needed to excel,
So, while the ending of “Ninja Kamui” was by no means terrible, it continued the issue of not capitalizing on what could have been the series’ strengths.
Background Information
| Release Date | May 4, 2024 |
| Network | Toonami |
| Director(s) | Yui Miura, Sunghoo Park |
| Writer(s) | Shigeru Murakoshi |
| Previous Episode | Season 1/ Episode 12 |
| Series Page | Ninja Kamui |
| Character Guide | Ninja Kamui: Character Guide and Noteworthy Information |
