Did Ninja Kamui Fall Off? The Decline in Popularity Explored

Despite its strong start with its first episode, Ninja Kamui, which aired from January to May 2024, was unable to maintain its greatness as the series progressed into its second half.

It was unexpected, but the director of the series, who had previously worked with MAPPA studio, became its main selling point. The director had gained recognition for their work on popular anime series such as Jujutsu Kaisen and The God of High School. Interestingly, the direction of the series could have been the cause of its downfall as it lacked consistency in the second half.

Following episode 5, the show began utilizing CGI as its primary method for animating fight sequences. As has been demonstrated before, CGI can be either successful or unsuccessful, with some examples being executed flawlessly while others fall short, such as the case with Ninja Kamui.

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Exploring the fall of the Ninja Kamui anime series

Higan as seen in Ninja Kamui (Image via E&H Production)

E&H Production is an animation studio known for producing the popular original anime series, Ninja Kamui. The studio’s founder, Sunghoo Park, was previously a director at MAPPA. However, he left the studio to pursue his own vision and established E&H Production.

The debut episode of the series was broadcasted on February 11, 2024, leaving fans in awe with its remarkable animation and well-executed scenes. As a result, the series quickly gained recognition as one of the top anime shows of the Winter 2024 Anime Season.

The first episode of this anime showcased one of the most impressive fight scenes, where Higan, the lead character, battled against ninjas from his previous clan. The intense scene was packed with heart-pumping action, highlighting Higan’s every move as he ruthlessly took down each ninja with his bare hands.

The anime was known for its exceptional animation, which became its signature. Fans had high expectations for the series to consistently deliver impressive animation scenes, which it did until episode 6.

In episode 6 of Ninja Kamui, Emma meets with Higan. As an undercover FBI agent, Emma advises Higan that using his fists in battle would not pose a threat to the organization. Instead, she suggests he utilize Kamui, an advanced robotic suit, which would greatly enhance his strength compared to his natural abilities.

Higan's Kamui body suit (Image via E&H Production) — Higan’s Kamui body suit (Image via E&H Production)

Despite Emma’s attempt to hold him back, Lil was able to find the location of Higan and Kamui and attacked them while they were synchronizing their bodies to use the robotic suit in battle. Although Emma was ultimately defeated, the time she bought was enough for Higan to successfully wear Kamui.

Despite fighting Lil, the protagonist’s battle was a combination of 2D and 3D animation unlike the previous fights in the series. As a result, the show’s popularity declined.

Despite the inclusion of 3D animation, an anime series does not necessarily become bad. In fact, many anime series successfully incorporate 3D animation alongside their traditional 2D animation, seamlessly blending the two styles. This helps to prevent the animation from looking too robotic and allows fans to fully enjoy the series. However, Ninja Kamui chose not to utilize this technique and instead opted to present a combination of 3D and 2D animation to their audience.

Undoubtedly, Sunghoo Park is one of the most talented directors in the series. However, to reach perfection, he must find the right balance between 3D and 2D animation. If he is able to achieve this, his studio will prosper and be on par with other renowned animation studios in Japan.