Shinobi no Ittoki

Episode 12

Shinobi no Ittoki episode 12 manages to end the season on a high note, but I can't help but have very mixed feelings about its execution.

First of all, there is at least some attempt at addressing the issues I had pointed out in prior weeks. We get an idea of the ninja core's abilities, some insight into why Ittoki tried to venture into the Koga headquarters alone, and a few resolutions thrown in at the end that wrap up most of the loose ends while leaving a few tantalizing hooks dangling for potential future seasons. Nothing here feels random or poorly-considered.

My main issue with this finale is the pacing. Unlike prior emotional high water marks (such as the death of Ittoki's mother), the pacing of the big scenes in this episode seem terribly unbalanced. A lot of the episode is spent dealing with the low-level fighting in a way that honestly makes it all seem rushed; the battle to get into the tower should have been its own episode altogether. It also immediately sapped any tension from the ending of the last episode since it just confirmed that, yeah, Ittoki can't do the big hero thing he was planning on.

Most egregious is the discussion with the Koga chief, which just… drags. The conversation is not all that revelatory; it's mostly Ittoki and the villain trading barbs without much substance, and it takes up way more of the episode than felt necessary. There was a chance here at doing something interesting, but the end result is “we have to have a big fight” and the stakes don't feel altered in any way.

The fight itself is quite impressive, one of the best the show has served up thus far. Lots of explosive effects, interesting weapons, and good hand-to-hand choreography. But then the final resolution is suddenly crammed into the final few minutes; it's not outrageous, but some of these ideas definitely could have benefited from having more room to breathe. The more I watched, the more I felt the burden of those early ninja school episodes and how little they added while sapping time from the final resolution here.

Shinobi no Ittoki ends on a “Hm, okay” note and that's both its greatest flaw and strength. It is a simply okay series with a few moments of note, but is rather forgettable. There was potential here and it's not entirely wasted, but I can't say I will think about it after the season wraps.

Rating:

Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

Shinobi no Ittoki is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.