English Dub Review: Ninja Kamui “Episode 10”

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Higan and Mike mourn Emma before getting back to the mission, but it turns out that Emma encrypted the info they were able to swipe, making it impossible to access. Mike goes to a former partner about this, but is ratted out. Meanwhile, Higan gets a special invite by Zai to settle their differences in a duel, and the two engage in what will be their final battle.

OUR TAKE

After the big turns and twists of last week, along with the elimination of another one of the big ninja threats, now turn to…I guess an interlude of sorts? Team Higan has the data now, but it’s encrypted, so they’ll need to unlock that by the finale in two weeks. But we still need to have some action happening in the meantime, so we’ll settle that whole thing with Zai before the big final battle with (checks notes) Joseph. Which honestly feels like a mistake, considering that Joseph is easily the least interesting character in this series, all the scenes that cut back to him make me want to shove a kunai in my eyeball, and I am very much not looking forward to seeing him in a giant Kosugi armor that will immediately get destroyed by Higan. Speaking of armor, so nice of Zai to get his own custom armor just to have it destroyed in the very next episode before the credits roll! Can’t have a cool progression in the battle where pieces come flying off with each blow, no way, gotta get rid of it all at once, I guess because the armor is a 3d Model for whatever reason.

Zai is also, to be completely frank, not even that interesting a character on his own. This episode gives us, I think, the most insight into his backstory and motivations, and it pretty much just boils down to “i had a bad childhood and then my only friends left to be parents”. Look, I don’t envy being in the position of being the third wheel when the only two people you like decide to leave you to focus on each other. Especially not when you’re also in the position where you are obligated to find and kill them because you’re part of a secret ninja clan. But that also doesn’t necessarily make for a very compelling character. Even so, he’s still the most compelling villain that’s left, and they’re knocking his ass out early, so that sucks ninja dong, but I also will not find it worth EVEN ONE DISAPPROVING SIGH once he is killed next week. Or maybe he won’t be killed, he’ll get over his insecurities and decide to join Higan. All is possible within the final two episodes of Ninja Kamui, so we’ll see you next week, at midnight exactly, for the penultimate installment.