Shinobi no Ittoki

Episodes 1-3

Shinobi no Ittoki makes a strong first impression. The premise is simple enough – Ittoki thinks he is an average, if busy, middle-schooler. He spends a lot of time at school, then at cram school, then at gymnastics and other activities, to the point where he never gets to spend much time with his friends. He certainly does not have time for a girlfriend or romantic entanglements, and he is constantly being monitored by Kousetsu, a girl tasked by his mother with keeping an eye on him. But the constant grind is starting to wear on him, and he wants to try out new things – enter a new potential love interest. The only problem is that on their first date, she tries to kill him (as do a bunch of random ninjas), and it turns out that all the people in his life are rushing to protect him because he is secretly a successor to the Iga ninja clan.

The setup is nothing necessarily ground-breaking, but it is very well-executed. This sort of secretive shadow war setup wherein various factions vie for power in hidden places away from the mundane world is always an evocative pitch. Ninja clans that exist in the modern day by tying themselves to businesses or governments? Sure, let's see where this goes.

I think what sells Shinobi no Ittoki is a combination of relatability and quality production. While obviously not everyone has been the carefully micro-managed scion of a centuries-old shinobi dynasty, I think the rest of Ittoki's struggles are probably quite familiar to the audience. “I'm so busy with school that I never get to see my friends, my parents are too controlling, and I just want to start living my life how I want to” is perhaps a universal teenage feeling. And twisting the very heavy wish-fulfillment scenario of a girl liking Ittoki out of nowhere into an assassination attempt is just good ninja work.

The action sequences are quite dynamic to boot. There are lots of slick acrobatics, sick flips, and polished-looking effects here that sell the kind of action-movie world Ittoki is living in. It's a solid pitch and a strong start, so I'm curious to see what more the show has in store.

Rating:

A slightly weaker entry in episode two compared to the strong initial showing.

The emotional dimension is definitely the best part of this episode. Ittoki is upset (understandably so) by his entire life being turned upside down and having to suddenly come to grips with the world being full of ninjas. It's a lot for a teenage boy to take in, but it's great that he ultimately decides to stay not only to be closer to his mom, but also because she has undergone a similar struggle.

Ittoki's reactions in general seem reasonable given the situation. He is far outclassed by everyone else and has no overt skill nor secret natural talent (at least thus far), so it's only natural that he is terrified and awkward and feels like he is flailing just trying to keep up with all these changes. He is clearly out of his depth during the trial, and while he has a good heart, that will likely be a hindrance to him in the ruthless world of the shinobi.

The less appealing part of this episode for me is the ninja school conceit. I know we are trading one tropey backdrop (secretive shadow war) for another (magical school), so technically there's not much difference, but I personally feel like the former is much more interesting. I'm hoping the ninja school is only a temporary change of pace and we get back to (what I thought) the show was originally going to be.

The final scene with the NSC and the Koga village, while short, is exactly the kind of stuff I was hoping to see from Shinobi no Ittoki. Factions vying for power, deniable assets being used and discarded, manipulations and counter-plays – it's all the stuff I enjoy about these stories. I'm hoping we get more of this in future installments.

Rating:

Episode three is a great encapsulation of both the strengths and weaknesses of Shinobi no Ittoki so far.

First, the negatives. We go to magical school via a long magical train ride (stop me if this sounds familiar) and get into magical school hijinks, like going to class on time, finding a table at lunch, and dealing with social cliques. I think this is at the core of why I do not enjoy the school-based storytelling, especially when the school is so very obviously a modern-day school – the tropes bleed through in such obvious ways that it all starts to become indistinguishable from other school media. It is relatable and understandable for the audience, so I get why this trope is so often used, but it has become so ubiquitous that it all just becomes the same big blob after a while. Sure, Ittoki's bully doesn't like him because of the assassination of the head of his ninja clan, but the specifics kind of fall away and just become “his bully doesn't like him for no good reason” and “a nice girl helps him avoid the bully” and so on. Your mileage may vary of course, but I am already checking out during these scenes.

Which is a shame, because the rest of what happens in the episode is actually quite good and specific. The ninja suits and cores are a fun gimmick, especially the idea that if the fit isn't just right it messes up the user's control. Kirei and Ryoko are both fun new additions to the cast with lots of personality (Kousetsu is cool too, but she's more limited due to the silent and deadly vibe she has going on) and their voice actors both deliver energetic and fun performances, with some truly hilarious line reads. Ittoki being a total flop but making sure to get the manju during the fight and helping Kirei was a also sweet moment that makes him easy to root for.

Rating:

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

Shinobi no Ittoki is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.