Ninja Slayer
Ninja Slayer: Machine of Vengeance

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If you're like me and were disappointed by the ninja slayer anime, please read the manga by yogo Yuuki. This amazing adaptation perfectly captures the essence of ninja slayer while removing its main flaws.

The most important detail to note about the manga is that the art is absolutely outstanding, in harsh contrast to the anime. No lazy cutouts sliding across the screen for the sake of an unfunny joke. Yogo Yuuki went all ut to make each panel pop out with lavishly detailed backgrounds, effects, and charming character designs. The world feels alive and dynamic in a way the anime completely failed to do. ... All the fight scenes presented were badassery personified and left me wanting more.

Another flaw that desperately needed fixing was the tone. Ninja slayer from animation presented itself as a tongue in cheek parody of ninja media but would have moments genuinely meant to be taken seriously. The drama was unfortunately hindered by the lousy animation. Tabata Yoshiaki, the writer of the manga solves this by having a more consistent campy tone and having a clear distinction between the comedic and serious moments. This made the plot and characters far more enjoyable because their entire existence isn't a joke anymore.

Ninja Slayer's manga is a badass tale filled with explosive action, eccentric characters, and wacky ninja hijinks. Volume 4 was the pinnacle of the series for its focus on a yakuza boss and a gang of wannabe ninjas. Their interactions were comedic gold and had good enough chemistry to deserve a spin-off series. Sadly, said characters were more than likely one-shot characters.

Unfortunately, it seems that Vertical has dropped the series since they haven't published anything past volume 8. With the novel series also being dropped, it seems that Americans might never see a conclusion to this incredible saga.