The ninjas rule the corrupt city and standing in their way is the Ninja Slayer! Exciting, violent and gritty…Recommended!
© 2012 by NINJ@ Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.
MANGA TITLE: Ninja Slayer ~Last Girl Standing (Ichi) vol. 1
ORIGINAL WORK BY: Bradley Bond and Philip Ninj@ Morzez
STORY AND ART BY: Story by Yuki Yogo and Art by Yoshiaki Tabata
FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Kadokawa Corp.
PUBLISHED IN USA BY: Vertical Comics
RATED: Ages 16+
RELEASE DATE: October 20, 2015
The Neo Saitama of the future is a sprawling urban landscape constantly flooded by neon light. And in its shadows lurks a vast criminal world filled with all sorts of shady characters. Among them are the deadliest force known to humanity…ninjas! These merciless warriors lord over the cityscape with their overwhelming karate, influencing the private and public sectors equally. But their time is about to come to an end. A force known as Ninja Slayer is determined to rid this world of Ninjas, and he’s willing to go through heaven or hell to do so.
Neo-Saitama, the futuristic city in which an army of cybernetic-clad ninjas controlled by the Soukai Syndicate, run the streets.
The story begins with the Yokohama Ropeway Clan led by Kingpin Smith meeting up with a mysterious group. Out comes four yakuza clones created by Yoroshisan Pharmaceuticals but following them is a ninja, Arson.
After Smith and his group try to scare Arson, Arson decapitates and kills nearly everyone that came along with Smith.
As Arson and the clones are about to leave, they realize their car is going in a different direction. It’s because the person who is driving the car is the Ninja Slayer.
Meanwhile, the Maguro Zeppelin flying above the city reveals itself to be something else than just a normal blimp.
Find out what happens in vol. 1 of “Ninja Slayer ~Machine of Vengeance~”.
What is “Ninja Slayer” about?
“Ninja Slayer” purportedly is the product of American authors Bradley Bond and Phillip “Ninj@” Morzez. Posted originally on Twitter and translated in Japanese by Honda Yu and Sugi Leika, it would become popular and would be released in 2012 in a volume titled “Ninja Slayer: Neo-Saitama in Flames” by Enterbrain.
In Japan, there have been five tankobon volumes. In 2013, a second manga adaptation titled “Ninja Slayer: Glamorous Killers” with art by Ageha Saotome was featured on Enterbrain’s “B’s-Log Comic”. A third manga adaptation titled “Ninja Slayer Kills” was serialized in Kodansha’s “Suiyobi no Sirius”.
A manga adaptation was released in 2015 on Niconico and a planned TV broadcast set for 2016. The anime series simulcast in North America courtesy of FUNimation.
The series is set in a gritty, futuristic city of Neo-Saitama and many people are getting killed, monsters roam the streets but the most deadly are the menacing army of cybernetic-clad ninjas under the rule of the Soukai syndicate.
But as many citizens are getting killed in the ninja turf war, one heroic ninja known as Ninja Slayer plans to make sure that all ninja are slaughtered by his own hands.
“Ninja Slayer” is a fascinating manga storyline that is violent, dark and action-packed.
In some ways, it reminds me a little of “Hokuto no Ken” (Fist of the Northstar) and how a city is overrun by madmen and sick monster-like beings. In this case, Neo-Saitama is run by ninja who operate under the rules of the Soukai Syndicate. But one ninja, known as the Ninja Slayer, will do anything to make sure all ninja are killed.
And he takes on Arson, a killer ninja, meanwhile also taking on a killer blimp hovering over the city.
The storyline of “Ninja Slayer” has been action-packed, full of excitement but also a lot of violence. In this volume, there is also a decapitation, dismemberment and whole lot of dark situations that certain readers may or may not want to read.
Yoshiaki Tabata does a great job in keeping the story flowing smoothly, while Yuki Yogo’s artwork is gritty, dark and features wonderful character design.
For now, it’s still to early to judge “Ninja Slayer” on how the story will do overtime but I’m enjoying the manga so far! Violent, gritty and exciting, “Ninja Slayer” is recommended!