Ninja Kamui is an anime sci-fi thriller produced by the Japanese animation studios E&H Production and Sola Entertainment. It aired in the United States on Cartoon Network’s Toonami and Adult Swim.

Higan (Jeremy Gee) and his wife Mari (Christie Guidry) are ninjas who are in hiding with their young son in the United States. The Boss Ninja (Heath Morrow) has them attacked with Mari and the child brutally murdered. FBI Agents Mike Moriss (Shawn Hamilton) and Emma Samanda (Luci Christian) are sent to investigate as it is similar to others they are investigating. During the night, the hospital is attacked and Higan’s true skills are revealed. He vows revenge on his old clan which has allied with tech mogul Joseph Evans (Scott Gibbs) who is building advanced armor for the ninjas. As Higan continues to go after his enemies, the Boss Ninja summons Zai (James Marler), a shiboni who also wants revenge.

The animation was excellent and very cool when it was traditional. The action sequences were amazing, the character designs were unique, and the way the “ninja arts” were drawn were some of the coolest scenes in the show. For some reason, the battle with the high-tech armor was done with CGI. It took you out of the immersion of the story. Fortunately, the scenes that were done in the anime style pulled you back in.

I was not crazy about the music. I think it could have used a slightly better soundtrack because the heavy metal and rap did not work for a lot of the sequences.

Aside from those complaints, I loved this show. I loved the blend of science fiction, ninja action, and suspense. Higan is a tragic hero who just wants revenge for the death of his family but finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy involving corporate sabotage. It was a fascinating anime and one of the best originals that I have seen in a long time. It is smart and focused, but buckle up, it is brutal.

Check out the trailer below:

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Rude humor, Strong foul language, Extreme gore

This review is based on the dub from Sentai Filmworks.

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