Set in a typical dystopian future, this anime series centers on quotidian salaryman Kenji Fujikido, who witnesses the murder of his wife and child during a ninja battle. Fujikido's craving for revenge turns lethal after he becomes possessed by the soul known as Naraku Ninja, which transforms him into the eponymous Ninja Slayer. As his new moniker might suggest, Fujikido spends the rest of the series slaying ninjas. In the course of his adventures, he is joined by a teenage girl ninja and followed around by a lady journalist who senses there might be an interesting story here. Ninja Slayer serves up plenty of action and adventure—much of it violent, some of it confusing, but none of it invigorating—and the only genuinely interesting subplot involves Ninja Slayer and his journalist pal getting detoured in a clone manufacturing facility. Unfortunately, none of the characters in Ninja Slayer manage to rise above a one-dimensional level—the good guys are uniformly vapid, and the bad guys are bores—making this an easy miss. Presenting all 26 episodes from 2016 in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated TV-MA, extras include an episode commentary. Not recommended. (P. Hall)
Ninja Slayer
(2016) 4 discs. 358 min. Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $64.98. Funimation (avail. from most distributors). Volume 32, Issue 2
Ninja Slayer
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