Once believed to be extinct, ninjas have reappeared in contemporary Japan following the Pacific War. With a headcount rumored to be two hundred thousand, these deadly assassins are now tasked with covert operations, infiltrating a significant portion of the nation's public and private institutions in the process.
Among these ninjas is Kurou Kumogakure, who often spends his days in a run-down apartment with no motivation to do much of anything. Some might consider him a useless vagrant who does nothing but steal beer from his neighbor. Nevertheless, the 17-year-old loser might actually be more dangerous than his demeanor suggests. Kurou's hidden potential is put to the test when he is given a new mission to infiltrate a local high school, but there is more to this assignment than he could ever predict.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Nenhum episódio encontrado.
Comentários
Need_for_Steed
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 subvertedif 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.
Gsarthotegga
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 systemsand 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.
KANLen09
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 inthe 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.
knd944
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!!!
Actonmoy
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 explainand 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.
whoppler
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 consistentlycool music throughout the anime. Lastly, I'd like to extend my utmost respect to Hanazawa Kengo sensei and earnestly request more chapters soon.
maxbraketorque
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 usedfor 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.
PixelB
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 futuredon'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.
glitterstar3333
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 hasto 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.)
XanWasting
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, noneof 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.
fh1478
Ninja and perversion go hand in hand The action is some real crazy ninja stuff. humor is so perverted that it's hard not to have a smile on your face. But the characters are so quirky that Dynamics just never get boring. How the most insane stuff happened, but they are so deadpan about it, it makes it so funny. The character design feels like caricature of real Japanese people, it looks really distinct and rough, but in the best way. the main character is fun to watch, I never really get tired of the tired main character, that doesn't really want to do anything but lay aroundbut is forced to do so much. It's just one of the main character type that I never get tired of.
The anime is so horny and it used so well in the jokes. it's surprising how much of the plot horniness is involved.
Interesting fun corporate backstepping in highest caliber. fun anime but one that has that eternal problem that it's not a finished story it has an Ending but I want a conclusion, so yeah read the manga ending.
Blyatan
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.
glhfbruno
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)
denkisoda
A rather peculiar anime that left me momentarily uncertain about how to classify it, and its reception is bound to be polarized. For those seeking complex story and high quality production, the anime would be a disappointment. However, for those looking for something a bit eccentric and keep you hooked, it might be worth a shot. Despite starting off with tense war scenes and some intriguing element, the story took a sudden turn when we entered the life of our protagonist, Kurou, a jobless *genin* (a lower-ranked ninja) who lived a rather unpromising life. The show was filled with Japanese-style dry humor; it's easy to mistakeas a datsuryoku-kei comedy at first glance. The nonsensical comedic situations persisted even as we reached the middle of the series (for example, the entrance exam in ep.5).
As the narrative gradually unfolded, the truth and conflicts slowly came to light. Audiences were naturally drawn to the plot itself, and started to connect the dots on the "laughable" details. Absurdity remained, arising from the disconnect between the content and the narrative tone: the story frequently featured technology and abilities that seem unrealistic and comical, yet all the characters were really taking them seriously. The misalignment created the feeling of "absurd in a serious way", which was one of the pleasures of watching this anime.
In the first few episodes, the story presented itself in a nonlinear way. Viewers were forced to jump among plotlines and characters of different time and places, until they eventually converged into one coherent narrative. While it is a commonly used approach, the presentation in this anime was a bit messy given the weekly release schedule. Watching the show in one go would likely enhance viewer experience and highlight the story's compactness.
The animation of battle scenes left much to be desired. Most of the time character movements lacked fluidity, and their poses failed to convey the sense of action. To cover up these shortcomings, static frames and black screens were frequently employed. However, it's worth noting that the anime's selling point isn't the quality of its battles scenes; it was rather unimportant. Therefore, these issues won't significantly impact the viewing experience.
The last episode added a touch of melancholy to the anime. It played with viewers' expectations, but the viewers would still find it easy to relate with reality. Hope to see more of such wacky works!
Bluefire3714
It's really refreshing to see and lives up to the seinen catagory because of the amount of literal engagement with the audience. The show was formatted well and feels watching a certain period in history but diggs deep into the characters and events that tells you what you really need to know in order to understand the story to the point where its willing to cut in-between the story. And without doing this there would be plot holes that would leave the audience confused and unsatisfied. Overall the show was great but had choppy animation that lead me to rate this a 8.75/10!
Biisoo
Do you like Ninjas? Then you will probably like this. This one was a rather sudden watch on my end when I decided to pick this up in the fall 2023 season but it managed to pique my curiosity a bit, atleast the first episode did. This anime was a jumbled bag of sorts. While at one hand it portrays a sort of a modern Ninja group who are living day to day lives and are hiding in plain sight doing what needs to be done but the execution left much to be desired. The premise was interesting no doubt but the execution is where Ihave issues with this.
Let's start with the main issue I have with this anime, I really think this anime should not have opted for the piece by piece storytelling style. I don't know if this was in the manga or this is just the Director's personal flair but it definitely can get really confusing really fast. Things are shown from the past and present perspective, events shown out of order to later be assembled for the wow factor (Something like Baccano you can say). But this does not work in the favour of the anime at all. In fact, at one point I thought stuff was happening in the present but it was infact the last. I have no issue with the pacing or animation and think those were done really well. The only thing detracting from my enjoyment of this kind of weirdly unique anime was the out of order storytelling which Iam not a fan of. Don't get me wrong, it works in several other shows where mystery is the driving force or in supernatural shows but in a realism dipped show like this it actually doesn't work in my opinion. It's something done for the shock value and wow factor but it has no impact.
Now let's talk about the characters, The MC is one of the most bland characters I've had the displeasure of seeing lol. Like he seriously cannot be bothered to do something. His lack of enthusiasm or even remotely any interest in stuff really makes me not like his character at all. Character wise, I don't think there was even one standout character here. They are all wacky and do wacky stuff and that's about it. Nothing to write home about.
Now let's start with the positives of this show aswell
The animation and artstyle is oozing style, definitely think it's perfect for this sort of anime and atmosphere.
The opening and ending are absolute bangers aswell. Soundtrack was good and nicely placed.
The ending for this was generally one of the most out of nowhere stuff I've seen recently and that increased my overall thoughts about this anime. The ending is such a big plottwist.
All in all, definitely one of the most unheard of anime of the fall 2023 season and it definitely was interesting and tried to do something different which is appreciated. It did some bold stuff and the author used really unconventional ideas. It definitely deserves another season since it was enjoyable and I would love to watch more of it.
I'll rate this an honest to goodness 7/10. Thanks for reading!
Domefort
Underninja is an unusual spectacle of violence and political intrigue; it was like the plot itself was obscured from the viewer, as a ninja would. To some, this could be an obtuse and arbitrary series of events, but with a different outlook the story becomes a sort of puzzle box. The characters are both wacky and mysterious in ways that are not often seen, but it can be difficult to appreciate them while trying to decipher who is betraying who. Since this story is only beginning, the payoff may feel a little unfulfilled, but is not without satisfaction. The show certainly offers quality, but it maynot land with all viewers - this is more geared toward experienced watchers.
Halo_s_Maze
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 driveof 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.
Reviewholic
Under Ninja would be my best anime this season (Sorry, Ragna Crimson). There were many points where I was caught off guard by its storytelling and comedy, even though I'm aware that it is one of those wacky Seinen genre manga/anime. Unlike Naruto and other ninja shows, Under Ninja depicts its ninja as human being just as vulnerable to cuts and bullets just as we are, and rather than magic, they rely on scifi gadgets in combat. In fight scenes, the ninjas' analysis on their opponents and situation are heavily monologued, and often laced with the emotions of caution or fear as their odds ofsurviving are never in their favor. There are also a lot of deranged characters in this anime, some just mildly absurd, some creepily funny.
Unfortunately, Under Ninja did not do well. I believe it's because of the lack of sexual appeal in the character designs. The character designs are mostly "ugly", they're not too realistic either. The main character isn't all that interesting either and a lot of the mysteries remain shrouded to the end of the anime.
Still, I'm a fan of wacky titles from the Seinen genre. It's been a while since I've watched one too so 10/10. I laughed pretty hard one certain scene.
