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Ninja Slayer

Ninja Slayer (ニンジャスレイヤー) is a novel series styled as a work by American authors Bradley Bond and Philip "Ninj@" Morzez, who have authorized Honda Yu and Sugi Leika to translate it into Japanese. Enterbrain published the first Japanese version in September 2012, with illustrations by Warainaku. Sixteen novels have been released as of June 2016. It has received three manga adaptations. An ONA adaptation was produced by Trigger and directed by Akira Amemiya which aired from April to October 2015.[1]

Authorship

While the creators publicly attribute the work to the two American authors, reporters consider it to be a Japanese work pretending to be a translation.[2][3][4]

Plot

The story takes place in the cyberpunk metropolis of Neo-Saitama. After his wife and child are killed in a ninja turf war, salaryman Kenji Fujikido gets possessed by a mysterious ninja soul known as Naraku Ninja. As Naraku's craving for massacring the evil ninja overlaps with Fujikido's lust for revenge, together they bring Ninja Slayer – a terrifying ninja-killing grim reaper - into existence. The more their mental resonance and physical symbiosis deepens, the more powerful Ninja Slayer becomes. If Fujikido completely surrenders himself to Naraku, he will be unstoppable, at the cost of Naraku being able to massacre freely without restraint.

Characters

  • Ninja Slayer (ニンジャスレイヤー) / Fujikido Kenji (フジキド・ケンジ)
  • A man who becomes a ninja in order to eliminates other ninjas and get revenge on the ones that got his family killed, the Soukai Syndicate. His ninja soul is the Naraku Ninja.
  • Darkninja (ダークニンジャ) / Fujio Katakura (フジオ・カタクラ)
  • A high ranking ninja who serves Khan and the Soukai Syndicate. He is also responsible for killing Kenji's wife and child.
  • Nancy Lee (ナンシー・リー)
  • A journalist who seeks the truth and follows Ninja Slayer around. She has special hacking skills and can directly connect herself to cyberspace.
  • Yamoto Koki (ヤモト・コキ)
  • A teenage girl who is also a ninja and later becomes a comrade of Ninja Slayer. Her ninja soul is the Shi Ninja.
  • Dragon Yukano (ドラゴン・ユカノ) / Amnesia (アムニジア)
  • An experienced kunoichi and Gendoso's granddaughter who helps out Ninja Slayer from time to time. Unlike the Ninja Slayer and Yamoto, she is an actual ninja.
  • Dragon Gendoso (ドラゴン・ゲンドーソー)
  • The head of the Dragon Dojo and the last real ninja in Japan. He is also Ninja Slayer's master.
  • Laomoto Khan (ラオモト・カン)
  • The leader of the Soukai Syndicate, he possesses seven different Ninja Souls collectively known as Demolition Ninja.
  • Clone Yakuza (クローンヤクザ)
  • Silver Karasu (シルバーカラス) / Kagi Tanaka (カギ・タナカ)
  • A ninja with cancer on the verge of dying. He's hired to kill criminals and ninjas to test new weapons. He is Yamoto's sensei and is an iaido master.

Media

Novels

Ninja Slayer was originally posted piece by piece on Twitter by Japanese "translators" Honda Yu and Sugi Leika, allegedly adapting the story from American authors "Bradley Bond and Philip "Ninj@" Morzez". After the series grew in popularity, Enterbrain published the first Japanese-translated volume in print, Ninja Slayer: Neo-Saitama in Flames, in September 2012. There appears to be no evidence of an original copy of Ninja Slayer, and the original creators "Bradley Bond and Philip Ninj@ Morzez" appear to be fictional authors created to produce the illusion of an elaborate backstory, and have no record of an accurate bio.

Manga

A manga adaptation with art by Yūki Yogo and scripted by Yoshiaki Tabata is serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace since June 27, 2013. It has been collected in currently five tankōbon volumes. Another manga adaptation titled Ninja Slayer: Glamorous Killers (ニンジャスレイヤー グラマラス・キラーズ) with art by Ageha Saotome also began serialization from July 1, 2013, in Enterbrain's shōjo manga magazine B's-Log Comic. It has also been collected into three tankōbon volumes. A third adaptation titled Ninja Slayer Kills (ニンジャスレイヤー 殺(キルズ)) is serialized in Kodansha's Suiyoubi no Sirius.

Volume list

  • Ninja Slayer

Volume list

  • Ninja Slayer

Anime

In April 2014, Enterbrain announced that an anime adaptation of the novel was in production, later revealing that it was being produced by Trigger.[26] More details were announced in Los Angeles, CA at Anime Expo 2014.[27] The anime, titled Ninja Slayer From Animation, is directed by Akira Amamiya, and the main theme is "Back In Black" performed by electronic band Boom Boom Satellites.[28] The anime premiered on Niconico on April 16, 2015, and a television broadcast started airing in April 2016.[29] The series is licensed in North America by Funimation, who is simulcasting the series with subtitles and began streaming a dubbed version from May 21, 2015.[30][31] Anime Limited announced that they had acquired the series in the United Kingdom and Ireland, however, later announced that they had cancelled the release.[32]

Episode list

Episode list

External links

References

  1. Inferno Cop's Amemiya to Direct Trigger's Ninja Slayer Anime Anime News Network, July 3, 2014, retrieved July 4, 2014^
  2. Reuben Baron. Ninja Slayer: Studio TRIGGER’s Biggest Disappointment CBR, 2020-04-16, retrieved 2025-08-30^
  3. Rob Bricken. This Insane Anime Is A Japanese Take On An American Take On Ninjas Gizmodo, 2014-04-11, retrieved 2025-08-30^
  4. Victoria McNally. Ninja Slayer Trailer Makes Fun of American Ninja Obsession The Mary Sue, 2014-04-11, retrieved 2025-08-30^
  5. #NinjaSlayer dub crew and cast! #FunimationPanel #ACen2015^
  6. Woohoo! I can now announce that I'm playing Yamoto Koki in Ninja Slayer! Check out the new broadcast dub on! Yeart! 😈 June 4, 2015, retrieved June 5, 2015^
  7. ニンジャスレイヤー （１） ～マシン・オブ・ヴェンジェンス～ Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  8. Vertical Comics Vertical, retrieved 2017-02-09^
  9. ニンジャスレイヤー （２） ～ラスト・ガール・スタンディング Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  10. Vertical Comics Vertical, retrieved 2017-02-09^
  11. ニンジャスレイヤー （３） ～ラスト・ガール・スタンディング （ニ）～ Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  12. Vertical Comics Vertical, retrieved 2017-02-09^
  13. ニンジャスレイヤー （４） ～アトロシティ・イン・ネオサイタマシティ～ Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  14. Vertical Comics Vertical, retrieved 2017-02-09^
  15. ニンジャスレイヤー （５） ～ワン・ミニット・ビフォア・ザ・タヌキ～ Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  16. Vertical Comics Vertical, retrieved 2017-02-09^
  17. ニンジャスレイヤー （６） ～スリー・ダーティー・ニンジャボンド～ Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  18. Vertical Comics Vertical, retrieved 2017-02-09^
  19. ニンジャスレイヤー （７） ～メナス・オブ・ダークニンジャ～ Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  20. Vertical Comics Vertical, retrieved 2017-02-09^
  21. ニンジャスレイヤー （８） ～メリー・クリスマス・ネオサイタマ～ Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  22. Vertical Comics Vertical, retrieved 2020-02-09^
  23. ニンジャスレイヤー （９） ～ゲイシャ・カラテ・シンカンセン・アンド・ヘル（イチ）～ Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  24. ニンジャスレイヤー （10） ～ゲイシャ・カラテ・シンカンセン・アンド・ヘル（ニ）～ Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  25. ニンジャスレイヤー （11） ～フィスト・フィルド・ウィズ・リグレット・アンド・オハギ～ Kadokawa Shoten, retrieved February 9, 2016^
  26. Ninja Slayer Sci-Fi Novels by U.S. Writers Get Anime Anime News Network, April 2, 2014, retrieved April 6, 2014^
  27. Ninja Slayer Novels' Online English Release, English-Dubbed Trailer Unveiled Anime News Network, retrieved April 14, 2014^
  28. More details for Ninja Slayer anime revealed 4 July 2014, retrieved July 4, 2014^
  29. Ninja Slayer from animation tv broadcast reveals April premiere key visuals February 25, 2016^
  30. Michelle Lee. Funimation Acquires the Rights to Ninja Slayer Funimation.com Blog, retrieved 2015-03-30^
  31. Funimaton Streams Ninja Slayer, Yuki-chan, Ultimate Otaku Teacher, Arslan, Show by Rock, Mikagura with English Dubs Anime News Network, retrieved 2015-05-13^
  32. Andrew Osmond. Anime Limited Delists Ten Titles Anime News Network, May 20, 2018, retrieved June 13, 2018^