Under Ninja

Under Ninja is an anime watcher's anime. If you have a lot of exposure to anime and have gotten tired of seeing the same tropes and narratives over and over, this is your anime. It's truly unlikely anything else, and it scratches that novelty-seeking itch.

Something you'll notice about users who give this a low score is that they are newer accounts, and probably joined MAL during COVID.

These newcomers have little exposure to anime, which is practically a prerequisite to be able to appreciate Under Ninja's subversion to anything and everything previously established within the world of anime and manga. Newcomers can't know what's being subverted ... if they don't know what's being subverted.

Under Ninja's boldness in its originality and well-executed absurdism is a monumental achievement that kept me simultaneously impressed and laughing. It's my personal favorite anime of Fall 2023.

This current score (6.6) is reeeeally unfair!

Of course this is seinen and thus less popular, maybe some people see Ninja in the name and assume it's another Naruto spin-off but...

The story is fairly simple but keeps you hooked, dialogues are meaningful (either relevant to the plot/world building or just funny), the artstyle is pretty cool and unique (though I bet many will dislike it at first, given it's not the same style as 99% of what we see in other animes) and the characters seem to have well defined personalities as of episode 6.

May not be a 10, but I definitely recommend it!

Yes this is whacky with some visuals you might need to adjust to and time jumps anime consumers are conditioned to hate, but this show is really good so far (episode 3).

They take their time with story beats in favour of world building and fleshing out the MC and the organization while never explicitly telling the viewer anything. So far they really nailed the whole "show dont tell". And it seems the anime incorporates the depth beyond the first glance well in its setup of characters and i guess the show itself, looking at the score of 6.5 here on MAL at the time ... of writing.

If you have the patience to watch, this show is doing a great job of making you feel smart for following along and trying to guess where it all might end up.

Under Ninja is a weird series within a gritty urban ninja fiction niche that combines semi-realistic character dynamics and setting with absurdist humor and action sequences, bolstered by familiar ninjitsu tricks and advanced technology, like invisibility suits, high-tech shurikens, drones, satellite beam weapons, etc. UN creates its offbeat world with non-linear storytelling, a Samurai Champloo hip-hopish aesthetic, and a conspiratorial hidden society of feuding ninja factions in modern-day Japan that are everywhere and yet nowhere. The series does a superb job of building up the mystique of the ninja organization's limitless potential domestically and internationally.

There was a book about the labyrinthine Japanese underground tunnel systems ... and why the government built them, and that is alluded to here, along with speculation about the bubble economy burst, hidden snuff films on public TV, and numerous other subplots that piggyback off of real-life conspiracies. Incorporated are also light amounts of social commentary, mostly about bullying and cyclical violence, which ties in nicely with the ninja selection process. The series is also more political than is average for an anime in a real-world geopolitical way, as the ninja organization was fractured by Japan's loss during WWII, with one side refusing peace as a result, manipulating Japan and the world from within the shadows. A lot is going on, as you see things from the eyes of the organization from various ranks, as well as foreigners, high school students, and drunks lounging around the apartment building.

More than anything else, it's probably the bizarre humor and heavy doses of vulgarity and crudeness which seal the deal and make the series standout: A Russian wannabe-ninja lopping off wieners because of a presumed hidden message in street graffiti, a guy farting through a tube to launch a dart, plenty of comic relief centered around men stealing bras and putting them on like it's some mystical object, a talking cat riding a motorcycle, etc. Until we got to the school arc, the author wanted to emphasize unappealing facial features, moles, missing teeth, pimples, etc., which is probably not helped by this adaptation being subpar and having mediocre animation and largely hideous art. Yet even the least sordid environment, the school, has the prettiest girl in the class picking her nose in public. The title "Under Ninja" simultaneously alludes to an underground ninja organization and acknowledges the scuzzy, low-brow atmosphere the series goes for.

Then there are the scenes where the fat crosseyed ninja in a filthy wifebeater trots onto a schoolyard, manboobs flopping in the breeze, and offers to pump his breast milk with a hand pump to children, petitioning them to lap it up straight from the source. Creepy and off-putting content like this is the kind of thing you might see on a trashy comedy show at 2 AM during a bout of insomnia, leaving you wondering if you just had a nightmare the next day. No one else around you can confirm or deny what you saw and will think you're a tin-foil-hat schizo for mentioning it. That's my impression of such a revolting scene, but it exists in UN. An unexpected "twist" involving this character decreases the grossness, but the mere presence is among the best examples of the author's bizarre humor.

The characters are quirkier than usual, and it's an improvement over watching the same colorless archetypes so common to anime. You have one ninja who is a ventriloquist using a teddy bear, but his lines, acting, and the contrast between his normal voice and the "bear's" are hilarious. The MC is one of the better examples I can think of when it comes to deadpan liars and bullshitters. Suzuki has an old man complex; her sadistic glee as an editor is also priceless. The talking cat is a regular support character and a sassy, chatty motorcycle! While these are some of the most notable characters, even the most minor or "normal" characters are intriguing due to the character dynamics and non-linear presentation.

UN seems charmless and crass at first, and it often is the latter, but if you can get past the initial disgust, there's a unique grimy charm. Some of the banter has an SoL feel, and the non-linear plot adds to that because the importance or meaning of many scenes seems uncertain until we connect them with later events. The stitch job keeps things interesting, but a few parts can be confusing, and it took me a while to figure out who is who with a couple of characters. Paying close attention helps, as I've occasionally heard that the anime adaptation takes the non-linear nature of the manga and chops it up even more than the Russian ninja-wannabe chops up wieners.

WOW, i try not to judge a book by its cover, and usually i get what i expect. First impressions were not hopeful, with sketchy CGI right out of the gate. HOWEVER, VERY quickly does the animation transform into what i would call more than passable, great even in a lot of shots. Immediately i have to point out how refreshing it is not to be bombarded with tropes, from any series. We have our archetypes and so forth but often characters and story-lines tend to be a tad bit cookie cutter, not this one. Story is about modern ninja blah blah blah but great ... characters, writing, setting, motivations, etc. Just an all around banger. Be there or be square weebs, this one will go down as a classic

Under Ninja does not pull any punches and is quite creative in its direction.

The approach taken is quite comedic and does a great job of building up the suspense, always making you return for another episode.

All characters are distinct and stray away from the usual anime tropes.

In one moment, you will see an individual trying to cut di*ks to draw out ninjas, and in another, you will see a person going around selling breastmilk to children.

What shines here is the main character Kuro, who seems to be a complete mystery and is not your usual protagonist. It always leaves you with questions "Is he ... even a ninja?", "Is this guy pretending?". It seems as though he got into the ninja scene and can no longer escape from it.

The animation will not blow your mind, however, it does a marvelous job of showing fluid movements and great camera perspective.

Under Ninja is not your usual show and is a breath of fresh from your usual sort. It is a great combination of bizarre coming together and piquing your curiosity for more.

Under Ninja - Nin nin? Want some ninja vs. ninja action? You've got it!

It's weird, it's frenetic, it's whacky — a full-on ninja war for both active and inactive people, who are unassuming people living amongst us...Among Us, Ninja Edition. And to think that this show would turn many heads into thinking that this is quite the fanfare, it definitely has its quirks that'll make it all the more absurd. And this show, coming from the author best known for his action-horror and psychological thriller hit manga series I Am a Hero, Under Ninja, is the prized mangaka Kengo Hanazawa's latest work to follow in ... the same trend as its famed predecessor.

Under Ninja's world comprises a fictional world where typical wars erupt like the Pacific War, but what remains are people known as the shinobi, a.k.a ninja, who, as the name suggests, conduct the usual assassinations in covert missions. However, as time passes after the war, there still exist ninjas in Japan; they're just hiding in plain sight, with their numbers racking in at 200,000, working in the dark in the public and private sectors and in all kinds of organizations. While some of the elite ninja work behind the scenes in national-level conflicts, the ninja at the end of the line is often unable to find work. And one of those ninjas happens to be a NEET by the name of Kuro Kumogakure. The 17-year-old high school dropout, sucking up to life's miseries, gets an assignment from his superiors, which calls for him to infiltrate a high school where ninjas are present. Together with his fellow ninja folks, Kuro sets out on a mission that would change his life forever from being a Genin to a capable ninja.

First off, even though the world is full of ninjas, you NEED to understand that their serving organizations are actually very different. Kuro is part of the ninja organization NIN (National Intelligence of NINJA) that's not controlled by the government, with its elite members performing assassinations and sabotage in secret. Their enemy is the UN (Under Ninja), which aims to eradicate the remnants of NIN by way of competing against their advancement in Ninja gear. You got that? OK. It's characters, however, are quite over the top with their existentialism and way of operating, which gives them quite the pose that they are as ninjas: Kuro is comedic and low-ball with his replies and duties; Miracle Hibi is exactly what it says in the pseudonym name: a weirdo who can give electric shocks due to his "Thunder" moniker; Suzuki is the classic ninja warrior assassin, with their ninja chief Kato being their mobile HQ; and more. You also have the usual landlord of Oono trying to sniff his way through alcoholism with the landlady Kawado, a Russian foreigner on the verge of seeing dicks like wieners cut off, as well as the UN girls like Mako-chan and Mitsuki Yamada, who are just a force to be reckoned with in the high school that Kuro is assigned to. Furthermore, the acclaimed fatso of Sasama, talking cat, and motorbike that's almost like Blade Runner's Mustang? This series is unhinged by its many possibilities while still keeping its story plot interesting in every nook and cranny. And this is the strength of Kengo Hanazawa as a creative author, and with so many diverging plotlines, he has managed to keep the overall storytelling consistent and back to the point.

Throughout its world and the many cast of characters, you will definitely be poised to identify who is who in this ninja vs. ninja world, because for one, Tezuka Productions' in-house director Satoshi Kuwabara opted for a "show, don't tell" approach, meaning that all of the flashbacks and plot-thickening are definitely as intentional as they are, scraping off the manga's adaptation in a better order of storytelling that is plastered all over the anime. It's definitely jarring if you're expecting to refer back to the manga over the many interchanging sequences of events, but trust me, while the manga's original pacing gives the story a tone that fits it the most in a visual and readable form, the anime has a charm of its own that can be taken as its own remix of the original source material.

That said, if I ever have to fault the anime for one aspect, it will have to be the production values. For a story like this, Tezuka Productions gave this show a rather low level of importance, which it really shows, especially in the action scenes that in this show have quite a fair amount of it that don't look quite as polished. Still though, if they nailed one thing from the manga, it would have to be its grittiness, unapologetic of the vulgarity of its world, and eccentric characters, which is a nice compliment to the unkempt comedy that the series has going for.

The music is definitely a whole 'nother area of unhinged expression, and it definitely is the aspect best used to complement its gargantuan, complex world that is just the ongoing war between ninjas of different corporations. The OP and ED songs are quite the bop as well: Kroi's Hyper is the perfect combination of grimy, funky, off-putting, soulful, and lively vibe, while KOTOKI's ED is the nostalgic 90s throwback that's aided by the rather unique animation of Kuro traversing through the real world through his lens.

Trust me when I say that Under Ninja as a show has a vibe that is uniquely one-of-a-kind, though it requires you to pay attention most of the time as it glosses through the frames of time to piece more than just the ninja vs. ninja story that it wants you to know. And that it rewards you over time when you finally understand its underlying plot and characters involved, which is always the usual big affair.

Seriously, we need more shows like Under Ninja. I'm always surprised, as an information-aware person, that there hasn't been a show like this in quite some time that always keeps me on my toes about what to expect next. Guess the expression "expect the unexpected" fits the show to a T, and I'm all here for it.

Under Ninja shows teenage characters drinking alcohol, making it the most innovative television experience airing right now. Just watch episodes 1 and 2 and you'll definitely know if you'll like it. It has a nihilistic outlook that's gripping rather than pointlessly edgy. Most of the non-ninja characters are scum of the earth in completely banal ways rather than being cartoonishly annoying or mean. It's a breath of fresh air. And again, this isn't the type of show that "gets so good after episode 8", you'll know pretty fast if you'll like it.

mal-mandated useless guff below:

The art matches the air of the show beautifully. Characters ... are ugly, but not inhumanly or unrealistically so. The flat, as-it-really is look of them contrasts wonderfully with the bizarre ninja-themed hyperviolence. Beyond the fact that the idea that hundreds of thousands of random civilians are duty-driven murderers in the employ of the government is intrinsically funny, the script does a great job of delivering jokes without anyone breaking character.

Probably the most unique show airing this season. Sleeper hit with an interesting premise, good execution, the comedy lands very consistently, and in the couple moments thus far where it's taken its setting more seriously it works shockingly well. It's a breath of fresh air, especially for comedy anime, which even when done well rarely try something different stylistically. I'd liken this to a ninja What We Do In The Shadows - dry, understated comedy that lets the fking hilarious situations stand on their own.

Did I mention the surprisingly good fight choreography? The fight choreography is surprisingly good.

I'm not going to spoil anything, this show ... is definitely worth giving a shot. It's good enough and unique enough that I'm going to look up what else the author has made.

If you're worried about the CGI, don't be. It's only there for one scene and it's fucking hilarious.

I really did love this Ninja anime. It was so good and gripping until the end. And even at the end, it's gripping! It has gore in it. One of the best things that this anime does in my opinion.

The story is fantastic! I was looking forward to the weeks to come to watch the next episode! It was so good.

The characters are great too. I loved them. The development of SOME might need to be fleshed out a bit. I hope we get a season 2 so they can!

The art and animation are good too.

Soundtrack? Peak!

Really can't recommend this anime enough!!!

Why is this t so low? This was my 2nd pick after frieren for best anime to watch this season. Very interesting story, the plot was very confusing at first becaue of it's slow pace. But this was probably the most accurate representation of historically accurate ninjas and if Ninjas were in this modern era.
The comedy was not really forced and it will make you laugh unintentionallty. Characters were very unique as well and would love to watch more of them. ALso why does MAL require me to write up a very long review I just want to recommend this anime to ... anyone who is intereseted pls I havent done any reviews at all. So in short watch the anime it is worth givibg the attention if you used to pretend to be a ninja as achild.

Man sure for series so good why did they use CGI US Army like that .
Many people dropped it because of that . Also storyline is slow in the beginning.
But everything start making sense after 3 episodes.
This anime have many situation comedy moments so, slow pacing made it more effective.

Most unique anime Action-Comedy i ever seen.
Viewership of this anime is super low. So, S2 is just a dream.
But after completing anime with the shock i read manga Few days ago.

Anime take a interesting angel by mixing matching timeline that make this anime more enjoyable after 3-4 Episode. Because more plot points got explain ... and Other interesting factor Added to make us want more. Just like the ending ending was shocking but introduced 3 new character that makes us more curious about the series

But In Manga Every Event Happening Chronological But Art Style Is Super Realistic And Character Expression, Suspension, Thrill , Comedy And Weird Event Make It A More Then Worthy Read.

Firstly, I'd like to express that I'm an inherently cynical individual, and I find this anime particularly appealing to fellow cynics. What makes "Under Ninja" so enthralling is its plot, characters, and the plausible nature of the events depicted, which could feasibly unfold in our own reality under the guise of normalcy. The characters and clandestine organizations in this anime carefully conceal a trove of information, leaving me consumed by curiosity. I eagerly anticipate the release of the second season, and I must commend the impeccable art style, the commendable performances of the voice actors, the infectious energy of the opening song, and the consistently ... cool music throughout the anime. Lastly, I'd like to extend my utmost respect to Hanazawa Kengo sensei and earnestly request more chapters soon.

Out of the ordinary artstyle compared to the other stuff that's airing nowadays (reminds me a bit of darker than black), interesting characters that don't follow the usual tropes, hard to predict what's going to happen next, very fitting voice acting, great humor and a so far decently interesting story.

I think the main draws to this show are the whacky characters, the absolute randomness of every event that unfolds and the characters reactions to it.

It's a weird mix of brutality and dead pan humor. I guess that combination isn't many peoples cup of tea, hence the shitty score here on MAL. Pity, great show ... in my eyes.

Amazingly underrated anime. The plot/story are refreshing compared to the reincarnation, harem, and RPG stuff that's been most common in the last few years. Kind of a mix of ninja and old school military stories that were popular years ago. And add a few dashes of various types of humor. It is of course a totally unrealistic story which is the intent, and in fact, it is patently absurd, but so what. Nothing except a few slice-of-life anime have any realism.

I can't understand why people are saying the animation quality is poor. The styling is similar to that used ... for a few other recent anime. I'll agree that the quality is basic compared to many new anime, but overall I'd say that styling and quality are fine for what this series is.

The first six episodes were the best. The final outcome is somewhat unexpected, but it appears that the framework for a season 2. One thing I liked a lot about this series is that there was very little opening summation of the previous episode. I find that stuff a waste of time.

Under Ninja's time jumps and cuts are pretty indicative of the show as a whole: a collective --almost surreal-- jumble of nonsense and garbage that to have a cohesive story would seem nearly impossible. Yet, that's exactly what Under Ninja does.

Now, as you might have guessed, the time jumps are pretty worthless. It's (I'm like 80% sure, will do a read-through of the manga very soon), a complete anime original filler. Chapter 1 of the manga doesn't do a time jump, so that's about how much it contributes to the story. In reality, the clips that you get to see in the future ... don't matter at all, and it doesn't spoil or influence the story in any major way or form. It's like if you were spoiled that in a certain episode, the main character eats an apple for breakfast. It's essentially flavor text and nothing much more.

However, it does set a pretty consistent theme for the show: that it's damn inconsistent. Plot points just bounce off the walls and the author desperately, and successfully, might I add, piece them together.

No, you're not going to be looking at a realistic story. The author kind of just does what he wants and has world-building surrounding it. I could name so many plot holes because the author just doesn't care.

You're going to have such high levels of technology that full and complete invisibility suits exist, and people are still fighting each other with shurikens and blades like it's the 1500s. You have interstellar space lasers, but there's no way to tack a GPS tracker on someone for it to lock onto. There are going to be AI-controlled vehicles, robots, brain transplants, and so many more high-tech gadgets yet you're stuck with no guns and hand-to-hand combat.

Worldbuilding is similarly done after the fact. Ninjas are just assigned random missions with no clear goal in mind while they go to points of interest. There's a ton of random bits of politicking and history that don't really matter.

But really, who cares? It's truly a type of story in which the author purposefully writes the most BS stuff in order to create a fun show for the viewers and readers.

Under Ninja jumps from random small talk, beating up bullies, to firing off and killing people at the drop of a hat. You'll be going from one scene where people are calmly talking about the history of some random event, and the other will be two people desperately fighting it out. There are people who are desperate to find ninjas and randomly believe a road sign to be a secret communication channel for ninjas. The weird thing is that they actually show up. There's just a lot of surreal humor that goes on. There will be random drops of worldbuilding regarding the TV shows that NIN sponsors, to near-useless high-tech gadgets that don't impact the story at all. Then you just have random civilian characters uninvolved with ninjas just talking to them on a daily basis. And they take any bad news real well. Did someone they knew die? Oh well. Students whose entire sphere of influence dies out? Just a bad day. There's a lack of brevity or seriousness to all of the side civilian characters despite the macabre and politicking that they are exposed to behind the scenes. And this extends to the main characters where there will be people waiting patiently in line to fight to the death with each other.

But that's what is so charming about this show. Nothing is compartmentalized. Shounen shows like Boku no Hero Academia where there are clear arcs and development are so cringe-filled with predictable tropes. You have the main character having dreams of becoming strong, going to school to hone his skills, making friends, fluffy slice of life, and fighting the bad guys. Oh no! My friend got kidnapped, gotta save him!!

Under Ninja just does everything at the same time. People make small talk, people kill each other, people have sex and make friends, and you're still on the same episode. Under Ninja is unpredictably funny despite the random hodgepodge of plot points that come together. The show isn't random for the sake of randomness. It's random because it heightens the core of the show: characters.

Each character is fun. They're fun to watch. Whether it be in conversation dragging on for minutes, talking about taking tests, fighting other people, backdoor scheming, or whatever is going on, the characters are interactive. Some are stuck in their situation. Some revel in it. Each has their own motivations which eventually get explored, but finding out parts of each character, even the side characters is fun. When seemingly filler conversations talking about alcohol with no real comedy mixed in still entices me, you're doing something right. What I love about the show is that you're not constrained to a certain narrative. The show goes in a round-robin order of showing off different characters in different situations that tie up to the actual overarching plot that's happening.

Finally, we get to the actual plot itself. It goes without saying that it's kind of BS, but there are some good things about the general directions. First of all, is the theme of corruption and greed. Kuro's organization is not the "good guys." Neither is their rival organization, the UN, "the baddies." They both are shit. Top brass is corrupt like hell. People defect from both sides to benefit their own interests. There are factions, withholding information in their own organization to gain personal advantages, and there doesn't seem to be much of any sort of cohesiveness on both sides. Kuro's just in the quagmire, "boots on the ground" where he follows orders or else he gets hunted down and dies. There's no "holier than thou" narrative where there are the good guys and bad guys. No one is out there to protect lives and save civilians.

In the end, the way the story is structured reminds me of Chainsaw Man, another show that breaks traditional tropes and introduces chaotic elements in order for characters to have fun.

And to be honest, I probably enjoyed this show more when it comes to core components. It's just that the show itself lacks too much budget. The voice acting kind of sucks. Kuro is good, but no...delivery of lines is just kind of garbage sometimes. The animation is beyond horrendous. Have fun watching bad CGI, single-frame animation slideshows, and overall uninspired storyboards, lacking facial expressions, and simple coloring. The only reason this show ranks a 7 out of 10 and nothing higher is due to this. Plus, the show adapts 70 chapters of the manga. The pacing could have been a lot better. Off to the manga I go.

Okay, so originally, I was going to put this under "mixed feelings" or even "not recommended," because the anime is flat out weird, and the multiple plots points it tries to tackle in the first few episodes destroy the pacing. Fortunately! I can say with quite proudness that I would recommend this to someone. Once you get over the hurdle which is the beginning, the show becomes really engaging. I mean, it's ninjas fighting ninjas, what's not to love?

This anime is definitely a fever dream. As someone who plays Kingdom Hearts, Under Ninja is likewise hard to follow along, and is something one has ... to be paying attention to if they want to understand the story. (Of course, one could also not, I think its enjoyable enough even if you didn't understand it at all. The gags are frequent and silly enough to keep a viewer engaged.)

I have a couple of bonus thoughts if you care to read them:

-So, the English voice acting in the sub is actually pretty good. Whoever was responsible for writing the dialogue made it sound janky, but I applaud the voice actors for barely having an accent.
-There are weird, perverted scenes in the anime? Not quite fanservice, but definitely ones that would make one uncomfortable if they didn't like seeing that stuff. (like stealing underwear)
-It's probably better to watch the anime (at least the first few eps) all at once. The beginning tries to start the series a month after Kuro takes on his ninja job, and it keeps flashing back to him starting the job to return to what he was doing in the present. (Its janky, but it does do a good job introducing all of the characters, I just wish they did it in some other fashion that wouldn't confuse the viewer.)

The story pacing is messed up. Several first episodes have numerous time jumps, that differ in occurence by HOURS, and the exact timeline isn't presented clearly. It would be much easier to watch if a clear time stamps were provided. You can shove those 1:34PM 24 September 20XX, I can't even finish reading it before the action resumes.
The overarching story, or should I say world situation is similiarly very complex. It is quite compelling actually.
And this story is THE Protagonist. In this anime singular characters don't matter, what matters is painting the ongoing, and escalating conflict between ninja factions. The main cast, secondary cast, none ... of them matter if they're not contributing to this storytelling through either comedic relief or direct involvement (the scale of which goes way over the head of any of them that we get to know, even in passing), and after they're done, they can go fuck right off.

I admit I've never seen game of thrones, but from what tidbits were forced into my throat by people who did watch it, I think it's quite similiar in it's stance to storytelling.
For me it was a good watch, but I'm almost certainly not rewatching this.

It's like The Room, except it's done on purpose, and an edgy ninja show. That's it. There is no comedic timing, or witty lines to indicate when you're expected to laugh. Under Ninja just throws the most absurd concepts and cliches at you, while remaining dead serious for the entire runtime. And the worst part is that all of it starts to make sense the longer you watch.

I saw another review call it "an anime watcher's anime" and that might be the best way to describe it. Someone without extensive background knowledge would have a difficult time seeing the irony in this show.

Really funny, Really gruesome, REALLY UNIQUE but a masterpiece at that

Has alot of dark and deadpan/weird humor

Enjoyed everything except the ending has a cliffhanger...

Its a Mind twisting end, i will leave it at that

Good for a teen friends group for late night shows

... -


I liked it alot 9/10 for sure
Just dont like the cliffhanger

Art style is Good and fits greatly

Character development, Really good - And alot of surprises Main character seeming to be a genious in secret like ayonakonji-kun

Panic was about realistic

Others will for sure enjoy this if they like dark humor and gruesome scenes (K16)