Ninja Kamui’s Leading Man Is Its Biggest Problem

A big battle ends in a familiar tragedy, but one that exemplifies a key problem with Ninja Kamui’s narrative: its leading man.

Highlights

• Higan’s lack of character development and depth becomes painfully obvious as another, more interesting character dies in Episode 9.
• Emma’s death serves as fuel for Higan’s revenge narrative, highlighting the issue of lackluster character growth in the series.
• The story fails to explore meaningful connections and motivations for Higan, making him the least captivating part of Ninja Kamui.

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Ninja Kamui, Episode 9, now streaming on Max.

This week’s Ninja Kamui wasn’t so much a revelation as it was the universe tapping a sign so that audiences would remember something they likely already came to understand a few episodes ago. Higan, the leading man at the supposed center of this tale of bloody vengeance, is not a good protagonist, and that’s never been as obvious as when another, better character, has died.

In the last episode, things got interesting in an amusing way when Yamaji’s plan was revealed to be a buyout of America’s energy infrastructure all for the sake of taking over the country from within. After that, Higan and Emma reunited with Mike and Jason, leading to a heart-to-heart between Mike and Emma over the latter’s secret life, revealing the weight of their friendship over the years.\

Related

6 Best Anime To Watch If You Love Ninja Kamui

Episode 1 of Ninja Kamui has taken the anime world by storm. For those who can’t wait for more, here are similar anime to watch in the meantime.

This Week’s Death Is Giving Us Déjà Vu

When Emma narrowly escaped death through the power of poor editing back in the interim between episodes 6 and 7, it was cause for rejoicing. She had an interesting connection to our leading man through his tragically slain wife, Mari, and her recount of that relationship ended up deepening both of these women as characters. It was exciting to see where Emma and Higan would go next as a ninja duo.

Furthermore, her connection to both Higan and Mike had the potential to build a bridge between the three of them, evolving the dynamics in meaningful ways before the climax. And while some of this potential was met regarding Mike and Emma, the same cannot be said about Higan and… well, anyone for that matter. And by the end of Episode 9, some three weeks later, it doesn’t seem like that’s likely to happen.

Back to the Fridge

When a character has already narrowly escaped a death that felt very “final” in its presentation, one naturally assumes that their plot armor is tough enough to last until at least the end. Unfortunately, Emma’s ran out pretty fast, and it’s a disheartening development, given that, by this point, she is the most interesting character in the story. Now her death serves as unceremonious fuel to the piddling fuel that is Higan’s revenge quest.

The stuffed-in-the-fridge trope is a ubiquitous one in which a character is killed off solely to advance the story or give another character angst. For the record, the act of killing off characters in this way isn’t the issue in itself, but rather the aforementioned ubiquity of this trope, which can make the death feel cheap and lazy if no attempt is made to add some nuance. This is where Ninja Kamui toes the line because there are some interesting aspects to how this plays out.

What the Episode Gets Right

Auza’s CEO, Joseph, has gone mask-off the closer the story has come to its conclusion, and his planting a virus to make Big D’s Gusoku Gear explode was a neat bit of trickery, even if it was telegraphed beforehand. Even better, Big D uses his last moment to defend Higan, an act of respect to the warrior who bested him, which is an admittedly cool character moment. Curiously though, this is a courtesy he didn’t extend to Emma.

Maybe he only had time to save one, or maybe he saw fit to let her die as punishment for the betrayal. Alternatively, maybe it was an oversight on behalf of the writers. Whatever the reason, the issue with Emma’s demise isn’t the demise itself, but the immediate realization of how much less interesting Higan has become by comparison the longer the series has gone on.

The Higan Problem

Funnily enough, the first time that Emma’s death flag was raised, this didn’t feel like as big of an issue. This would be the moment that Higan became the titular “Ninja Kamui” and would be even more vicious and brutal than ever before. After seeing what he was capable of in the first six episodes, the prospect was honestly exciting. Unfortunately, in the episodes since acquiring the suit, Higan has felt more shallow than ever in comparison to the supporting cast.

When this series began, there wasn’t a lot of depth to this story and some would argue there still isn’t, but at the very least, the aim was straightforward. One man goes on a rampage to slaughter the organization that took away the only thing that made him happy after a life full of bloodshed. Audiences tossed around comparisons to John Wick given the simple premise combined with the prowess of its creative staff, but such comparisons are surface-level at best.

Higan ≠ John Wick

See, John Wick is actually a pretty interesting character, and not just because of all the cool things he does and what a force of nature he is within the world he inhabits. It’s also because the narrative treats him as this Sisyphean modern folk hero whose will and reason to live on is constantly being tested in as mythic a perception of the real world as can be imagined.

He’s not a character who speaks a lot, but when he does, the weight of his words lingers even if they aren’t the most eloquent poetry. More often than not, he speaks through action, and even though he has a reputation as an unstoppable force, one can feel the struggle as he fights on. It’s never easy for John Wick, even if he wins in the end.

In contrast, Higan has barely ever struggled in a fight, save for when it was most essential to the plot for the sake of his transformation. Funnily enough, Higan feels more vulnerable in the Gusoku Gear than he did without it, but only because the suits are given Evangelion-esque operational time limits, which is how he lost against Big D in Episode 8. And if one isn’t captivated by the action scenes or especially the CGI, there’s very little outside the fights to give Higan depth either.

The Most Basic Motivation

Close

It’s obvious that he is a tough nut to crack, personality-wise, but the extent to which every opportunity for even basic character development has been eschewed is a bit baffling. There’s no effort for Higan and Mike to connect over their shared trauma as mourning parents, nor any introspection about his motives after learning more about his own wife through Emma.

There is a moment at Emma’s funeral when Higan declares, once again, that he will burn the organization to the ground. Immediately afterward, he recalls Emma telling him that Mari always fought as an act of defending others, and it’s as if the story is trying to suggest that he’s learned something, but he hasn’t. His lack of interest in anything other than revenge is a flaw that goes unobserved by the story.

If Higan has learned somehow the importance of protecting life, it’s buried beneath the convenient incentive of further vengeance in the name of another life that he couldn’t save. Ultimately, that’s the worst part of Emma’s death – how pointless it is, even as a tool to further the plot. Higan is the least interesting part of Ninja Kamui, and it’s not new information, but this episode was an unfortunate reminder.

Ninja Kamui

More

Spring 2024 Anime Lineup: Where To Watch Every Series

The Spring 2024 anime schedule is packed with great shows, and here are the lineups for Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Hulu, and more.

Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Anime