Within all of Adult Swim's different animation series, "Ninja Kamui" is DEFINITELY one of their most impressive...! Even though Adult Swim (At least, in America) has done original animations, whether of short spin-offs to OTHER existing properties, OR COMPLETELY ORIGINAL series: Fena: Pirate Princess, Blade Runner, Shenmue: The Animation, etc..
Ninja Kamui definitely stood out as an extreme, brutal, yet grounded, and series story about one lone (Retired) Ninja's path towards VENGANCE, while along the way others attempt to help him in order to dethrone an entire organization. Of which, is somewhere where the order for the man's main cause of pain comes from.
The series initially introduces us to a farming family out in the country…
As they are enjoying their day, the parents get ready to celebrate their son's birthday. (...Already the family is so Innocent that you KNOW there will be the cliche of tragedy to ruin it all. Although, if I may, ruining a happy family is already SO CLICHE that I'd think, and I know it may be boring or nothing may move the story along is tragedy didn't strike, it'd technically be MORE of an interesting twist if the obvious on-coming tragedy DIDN'T involve...) Obviously someone DIES...! Although, only once night falls. NINJAS suddenly appear in stalking around the country-house... and the father takes ACTION! The father shows to be quiet the talented combat-fighter, disarming at least a dozen enemy ninja coming straight at him! But the series begins... when he hears his wife and son scream...!
Spoiler, click to view
In a rush, he quickly attempts to save them, BUT a last-standing enemy shoots tranquilizers right into his throat, rendering him unconscious. After he wakes up, he ___SEES_ the gory massacre that is the remains of his loving family...! THIS is where the story TRULY__ begins...!
From this point forward, our main character: Higan, is shown to be much more reserved, cool, and pained by his losses. Although, ALREADY by episode two he FINDS the killer. And not only captures him, but ties him upside-down and continues to torture him for the pain the sadistic killer mocks about his loved ones' last whimpers.
Here is where we get our first taste of the Ninja "Haikus" that were taught and instilled within each Ninja that graduates into their ranks. These sayings are scattered throughout the series, usually there is one every other episode-or-two. It actually seems pretty alluring and mystifying to hear such phrases that ACTUALLY seem like they HONESTLY COULD exist within the ACTUAL real secret-world of Ninjas to one extent or another. One example that comes to mind is:
"Cold as fire, Hot as ice."By this point, once he is on his we to destroy the corrupt organization that originally tracked his family down, other allies of his join his fight in order to bring down the organization for their OWN nefarious deeds!-With the characters:
- The first character that comes to meet him is an elder black cop named: Mike Moriss, a "Too old for this shit" type cop that attempts to bring and keep everyone together for the duration of the series. He does his role well, complaining, yelling, and talking to everyone to attempt to bring everyone one step closer to the main goal.
Spoiler, click to view
Once about halfway through the series, it is revealed that he lost his own daughter at her young age. And so, you can really sympathize with why he wants to reach common-ground with all of his friends and Co-workers through the series.
2. Next is Emma Samanda, a serious and butch partner to the heroes. Although she initially starts out fighting Higan, but quickly is revealed that she just wanted him alone to "Upgrade" him! She is serious and closed-off, but it is later revealed that she shared a long history with Higan's wife in the past. She basically fights all the battle with the villains before Higan is ready to fight for real. Basically, your usual pre-hype shounen "Round 1!" stuff.
- Finally is Jason Cardenas. He just shows up to help the main characters sparingly whenever they need a hacker. Unlike just about all other main heroes. Jason doesn't physically fight once in the whole series. He's not a bad character for that, but he just doesn't leave any character outside of his initial goals of ALSO wanting to defeat the villains' organization. And unfortunately, that is his character's worst flaw. He just doesn't have a character of his own outside of being the fourth hero so when they're split up, each character could converse with someone else.
- Along with the villains:
First is the "Ninja Boss", who is just a sadistic loud-mouthed brute. As the FIRST villain, he is understandably simple. And Higan deals with him in a very efficient and brutal way.
- Starting with the main villains, we have Lil. A sadistically perverted midget who is a loud-mouth. Not once does he stop talking about his thrills for fighting or perversions. An interesting thing is that even once he is defeated for good, he still talks back and attempts to kill others until the very end. If you want a rude villain in an adult action series, little comes close to how despicable his character acts.
- Next is Big D (Even though his name would make you believe he's in like with Lil...) Big D is a black man with traditional values. Even going so far as to blow-off his own bosses or letting his enemies go to honor more traditional values of fighting in a brutally honest "Fight-to-the-Death". And even when he is faced with death, he is more angered by his BOSS not playing fair and honoring his subordinate's defeat!
- Finally, the main and (Should be, anyway) last villain, the stern and vengeful Zai...! Zai is in a sort of way the ACTUAL villain of the series (Yes, this gets debunked once after he is defeated... but he still feels the most developed as the kind of "Sasuke" of the series. Having the most relation with the main character and knowing how to impact him and what not.) Zai is a strong and silent ninja from the same clan that Higan and his soon-to-be wife are from. He has a dangerous past and allowed himself to be close personally to those two first before he was to anyone else. But once Higan and his wife: Mari, had broken their "Ninja Code", not only would anyone relate with how Zai felt betrayed by the two of their cause, but I'm pretty sure it DEFINITELY shows how he became much more series and devoted to kill his rival for so long after what, in the Ninja World, probably is a true betrayal.
- Once Zai is defeated, the last few villains attempt to make-up for it, but ultimately it starts to feel a little forced as each episode just continuously tries to "One-Up" itself. First is Dilly. A huge black woman that is the main servant of the C.E.O. of the Syndicate Corporation. The villains. Honestly all she does is be the servant/assistant/Right-hand Woman to him and though she does fight at one point. It's pretty much just to waste an episode before the "God" villains, after the "King" - Zai, is defeated. Next is Joseph, who is the C.E.O.. He manipulates everything from behind the scenes in this Technological ninja show. While he is in complete control as far as can see, he doesn't do any physical fighting like literally ALL of the other enemies do. This isn't the worst thing as Jason also never fights physically but it just somewhat feels a little lack-luster is all... Finally in the last two episodes is the "God" villain: Yamaji. The commander of the Ninja Corps that was back in the past when all the characters were connected.
Spoiler, click to view
(He also has the ability to shape-shift into different likenesses to manipulate Higan into beginning his journey by disguising himself as the old wiseman that is seen in episode two.)
He also, to prove how "God-like" he is in this world, has psychic abilities to control and move people against their will. He even takes control of the army of Ninja-bots built-up in the last few episode to threaten an invasion on the world!- The sound of the series is REALLY DAMN spot-on. Except for Mike, whom I personally thought should've sounded a tab more "old" than "black", Just a tad. All the voices sound perfect for the actors' characters. The blood-splatters are nice, brutal, and gory. and the acrobatic moves all have an appropriate "Fwoof" or "Fwip!" to them.
- The animation is stunning for a 13-episode adult series. Normally an adult animation would be very cheap and crude, BUT I guess since it's for an "ACTION ANIME" I suppose they had the extra dollar to spend and making sure everything LOOKED perfect. The animation for the "Fight Scenes" looks REALLY GOOD as even in CGI, everything is easy to see and really powerfully action-packed. If you want Ninja action in High-Tech. suits, this series is great for looking this way. (ESPECIALLY the Sword-fights!)
Although, I WILL say an interesting thing throughout the series is how, in order to explain a character's motivation, we go back in time to view what happened years ago in the ACTUAL Ninja-training of these characters. This isn't NESSASERILLY a bad thing, it may even be interesting to explain the story. But THIS PART really just depends on if the viewer is fine with this "Scattered" story-telling method. I could honestly identify with someone if they said they didn't like this "Nolan-Method" of Storytelling....
link Opening and Closing
- The opening: Vengeance, is a very raw kind of OP. First showing the beginning and how everything SHOULD'VE been quiet and peaceful with the main character's loved ones, but once it shows the room where everything is destroyed it burns away...! Then everything gets harsh as it shows all of the distortion and troubles oncoming to our heroes. The one thing I don't like is the flashy transition-wipes that show from one image to another. They just seem a little fuzzy and harsh to me is all. Although I DO like the fights that it shows in it. Op.2 also shows the fights against all the major villains in their suits that Higan fights.
- Meanwhile, the ending: Eye Openers, Is the complete opposite. It really just does nothing but shows stills and maybe one-or-two motions stills of the characters just living their daily lives amongst the normal civilians in the world. Nothing but calm paintings and simplism.
Side-Note:
- One thing that kind of peeves me is the specifics of the suits, themselves...! Nothing against them except that it looks like they don't cover their wearers' toes! The feet are finely covered, but I thought for seconds that I could actually see the warriors' toes and in COMBAT, THAT is a weak-spot for opponents to take advantage of!
For an attempted 13-episode Action Animation (Made for a global audience but by the Japanese anyways, probably.) Aside from one or two nitpicks, it really does do its job for delivering a harsh and realistic series about the brutal world of Ninja and how once you betray a life-long code, it can easily stab you in the back, still years later, and how the last survivor quests for redemption by destroying everything that was vile and vicious about the system to begin with...! 
