I don't tend to write reviews on this website, because taste is so subjective. But I really enjoyed this anime and it seems to have a pretty small audience that paid attention to it, so if additional praise gets one or two more people to watch this then great.
Story:9
The general plot is that there is a hidden world of ninjas in modern Japan that were cultivated as a result of WWII. The reality though is that at some point there was schism in the ninja organization leading to factions who are in conflict with one another, how this conflict unfolds is the main drive
...
of the whole show. Because this show is narratively unique, the first half is spent introducing you to most of the main characters (as well as some red herrings) while revealing their motivations, and their skills as ninjas.
The show chooses to do this with a non-linear narrative. It made the first two episodes a bit of a confusing slog, but once you understand what is happening it works really well to propel the action as you focus on a conflict occurring that will cut back to actions taken in prior days or weeks that led to the predicament the characters now find themselves in, or to foreshadow how a conflict will likely end based on previously unseen actions. However, after the stakes have mostly been set, the non-linear storytelling is replaced with a mostly normal linear style that still winks at the previous non-linear style from time to time when needed.
I don't want to spoil all the twists and turns that occur, but I will state that this show purposefully obscures the "good" guys and the "bad" guys. It seems the goal is for each character to be a mix of good and bad, with messy sides and motivations that have you questioning who is working with whom. It kept me at the edge of my seat as I tried to puzzle out the possible implications of the choices that everyone was making, and the very dire consequences that resulted from some decisions (people definitely die in this show).
While the plot is unfolding the tone of the show flips back and forth between a very dry absurdist humor and drama. Terrible things will happen and be immediately undercut with humor. So many ridiculous moments are played straight by characters, including hand waving away a ninja who has been body-swapped into a cat that people seem to sometimes understand??. That last sentence sounds ridiculous, but it actually becomes an important plot point that makes the motivations of the mostly unseen leaders of ninja society murkier. The story is by far the strongest part of this anime for me, the only let down is the way it ends. So many new questions are created in the final five minutes, and it is unclear whether this show will get a second season to answer them.
Characters:8
The characters in this show are not the most complex, but they are clear and well thought out. Their behavior makes sense for how they are portrayed, and they don't make decisions simply because the plot needs them to. However, they are not that multi-faceted, and we get very little back story on what makes them tick. There are flashbacks to pieces of some characters' past, but those mostly occur to explain a character's current motivation, not to flesh out who they truly are.
Kurou is a standout as the protagonist, and I loved all of his interactions especially with his neighbors, who are mostly loveable simpletons. He comes across as apathetic and lethargic, but it becomes clear very quickly that he is a pretty clever fighter. He isn't too flashy or overly powerful, but he is good at playing to his strengths and using whatever the situation gives him to his advantage.
This is an ensemble cast so the story jumps around to follow the many ninjas and civilians caught up in the central conflict of the schism, but for the most part I was just rooting for Kurou.
Art:5
As much as I loved this show the art is the weakest part, there is some really trash CG in the beginning that nearly had me turning the show off, but it's a 2-minute segment and then it goes away, so aside from that moment nothing else was as egregious. Even so, it was clear that there was not endless money put into animating the many fight scenes in this show, meaning there are a lot of cuts and still images. However, I would say that they manage to mostly be clever in how they depict action regardless of the lower production value of the show, it did not end up ruining my enjoyment of the fight scenes.
Sound:7
I loved the opening for this show. It was a banger so I never skipped it. The ending was fine, but not as loved. The music in the show was appropriate for the scenes it was in, but it didn't stand much otherwise which I think is fine for a show like this.
Overall:8
This was one of my favorite watches from the fall season, I started it, watched one episode, then put it on the shelf for months only to circle back and love it. I watched the 11 episodes in one sitting, once the plot got going, I just had to keep watching to see what would happen next. This is a show for people who need a plot to keep them invested, but who don't mind eccentric humor and some mildly unconventional storytelling at the same time. Definitely an underrated gem.
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Jan 5, 2024
Under Ninja
(Anime)
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I don't tend to write reviews on this website, because taste is so subjective. But I really enjoyed this anime and it seems to have a pretty small audience that paid attention to it, so if additional praise gets one or two more people to watch this then great.
Story:9 The general plot is that there is a hidden world of ninjas in modern Japan that were cultivated as a result of WWII. The reality though is that at some point there was schism in the ninja organization leading to factions who are in conflict with one another, how this conflict unfolds is the main drive ... 
May 13, 2009
Zettai Shounen
(Anime)
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I don't write reviews, but this show only has one short review so I feel inclined to do my part.
Zettai Shonen is an anime that stays away from a lot of the normal conventions found in anime with the label of supernatural. The pace is much slower and more heavily focuses on the characters than the supernatural event itself. Ultimately I would say that the focus is on how each character internalizes and acts on the odd things that are going on around them. The story is broken down into two arcs. The first arc is the summer arc and the main character is a ... |
