Ninja Kamui (2024)

Ninja Kamui (stylized in all caps) is an anime television series produced by E&H Production and Sola Entertainment for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. It was directed by Sunghoo Park. The series aired in the United States on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block, along with an Adult Swim Canada simulcast, from February to May 2024. A Japanese broadcast of the series followed on Tokyo MX from July to September 2024. In June 2025, a second and third season were announced.

Plot

After escaping his clan and going into hiding in rural America with his wife, former ninja Higan, living under the alias of Joe Logan, is ambushed by the reformed clan's assassins which exact bloody retribution on him and his family for their betrayal on direct orders from their current leader Yamaji. With his wife and son now dead, Higan returns to his ninja ways to avenge his family and sets his sights on taking down the very clan that made him.

Characters

Higan / Joe Logan (ヒガン / ジョー・ローガン, Higan / Jō Rōgan)

Voiced by: Kenjiro TsudaEp. 1 credits (Japanese); Jeremy GeeEp. 2 credits (Higan); Gabriel RegojoEp. 1 credits (Logan) (English)

A former ninja who goes on a journey to avenge his family. Joe and his family lived under the surname alias Logan and concealed their real faces with devices in an attempt to avoid detection from the clan.

Mari / Sara Logan (マリ / サラ・ローガン, Mari / Sara Rōgan)

Voiced by: Yuriko HinoEp. 1 credits (Japanese); Christie GuidryEp. 2 credits (Mari); Chaney MooreEp. 1 credits (Sara) (English)

Higan's wife, and a former ninja, who was trained alongside Higan and Zai. She is murdered along with Ren by the clan.

Ren / Kyle Logan (レン / カイル・ローガン, Ren / Kairu Rōgan)

Voiced by: Arata KimuraEp. 1 credits (Japanese); Noble HutchisonEp. 1 credits (English)

Higan and Mari's son who celebrated his birthday on the day of the clan's attack. He is murdered along with Mari by the clan.

Mike Moriss (マイク・モリス, Maiku Morisu)

Voiced by: Atsushi OnoEp. 1 credits (Japanese); Shawn HamiltonEp. 1 credits (English)

An FBI agent investigating the deaths of Joe's family and partners with Samanda.

Aska / Emma Samanda (アスカ / エマ・サマンダ, Asuka / Ema Samanda)

Voiced by: Yuki WakaiEp. 1 credits (Japanese); Luci ChristianEp. 1 credits (English)

An FBI agent investigating the deaths of Joe's family and partners with Moriss. She is later revealed to be Aska, a top member of the organization who saved Higan's life.

Boss Ninja (ボス忍者, Bosu Ninja)

Voiced by: Tomoyuki ShimuraEp. 1 credits (Japanese); Heath MorrowEp. 1 credits (English)

The imposing head of the ninja clan's former ninja hunting squad and the one who personally murders Higan's family.

Yamaji (ヤマジ)

Voiced by: Kazuhiro YamajiEp. 2 credits (Japanese); Luis GalindoEp. 2 credits (English)

Higan's old clan master and the one sending assassins after him and all other exiled ninjas in order to prevent the spread of their secret arts.

Zai (ザイ)

Voiced by: Yuichi NakamuraEp. 2 credits (Japanese); James MarlerEp. 2 credits (English)

A skilled ninja known as the Reaper and Yamaji's apprentice. He also hunts exiled ninjas.

Old Chieftain / Kagari (老酋長 / カガリ, Rōshūchō / Kagari)

Voiced by: Takayuki SugōEp. 4 credits (Old Chieftain); Takaya HashiEp. 2 credits (Kagari) (Japanese); David HarboldEp. 4 credits (Old Chieftain); Sean Patrick JudgeEp. 2 credits (Kagari) (English)

A skilled doctor in the ninja underworld and Higan's old acquaintance. In actuality, he is a disguise for the previous head of the ninja clan, who inducted Higan, Mari and Zai.

Lil (リル, Riru)

Voiced by: Setsuji SatōEp. 3 credits (Japanese); Brandon HearnsbergerEp. 3 credits (English)

A capricious and perverted assassin afflicted with dwarfism who relies on technology for battle.

Joseph Evans (ジョセフ・エヴァンス, Josefu Evuansu)

Voiced by: Tatsumaru TachibanaEp. 3 credits (Japanese); Scott GibbsEp. 3 credits (English)

The founder and CEO of the tech company AUZA who is in a partnership with Yamaji to provide highly advanced tech weaponry for the clan.

Dilly (ヂリ, Djiri)

Voiced by: Romi ParkEp. 4 credits (Japanese); Elissa CuellarEp. 4 credits (English)

Joseph's bodyguard and a highly skilled combatant.

Big D (ビッグ・D, Biggu Dī)

Voiced by: Kosuke SakakiEp. 4 credits (Japanese); Joe PEp. 4 credits (English)

A vain African American ninja outfitted with cybernetic implants.

Jason Cardenas (ジェイソン・カルデナス, Jeison Karudenasu)

Voiced by: Takashi NagasakoEp. 5 credits (Japanese); Joe DanielsEp. 5 credits (English)

A disgruntled former AUZA employee with valuable insider knowledge. His design is based on the show's executive producer Jason DeMarco.

Production and release

The series was announced by Adult Swim in May 2022, and directed by Sunghoo Park. Shigeru Murakoshi handled series composition, while Takashi Okazaki designed the characters. The series was produced by E&H Production and Sola Entertainment. In July 2023 at San Diego Comic-Con, Adult Swim unveiled a teaser trailer for the series and announced it would premiere in 2024. In January 2024, Adult Swim announced that the series would premiere on its Toonami programming block on February 11, 2024, in both English dubbed and subtitled formats, both produced by Sentai Studios.

The opening theme song is "Vengeance", performed by Japanese rock band Coldrain, while the ending theme song is "Eye Openers", performed by Jessica Gelinas. The respective ending theme songs for episodes 10 and 13 are "Unbroken" and "Chain Reaction", both performed by Toft Willingham. Insert songs are also used within most episodes.

In June 2024, Sola Entertainment CEO Joseph Chou was paraphrased through a Business Wire press release covering the Shinobi Origins video game as stating that a second season of the anime was in the works, however several hours after its publication, the show's executive producer Jason DeMarco replied to a Bluesky post that a second season had "not been announced". The following day, the press release was retracted and Chou responded to an inquiry from Anime News Network, clarifying that the game's public relations staff had inserted the quote themselves and that, while ideas were being considered for a potential second season, "there is nothing official at all". In June 2025, Adult Swim announced at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival that the anime series was being renewed for a second and third season. The second season, titled Ninja Kamui: Red Vendetta, is currently in production and will follow Higan as he uncovers a new conspiracy of cataclysmic proportions.

Episodes

Video game

A video game prequel titled Ninja Kamui: Shinobi Origins was released on May 30, 2024, for the Nintendo Switch. The game was developed by G.rev and published by Rainmaker Productions. It was later ported to PlayStation 4 on November 13, 2024.

Reception

Critical response

Rafael Motamayor of IGN gave the series a score of 7/10. He praised the "stunning" action sequences but criticized the dull plot, uninteresting characters, and called the CG animation "uninspiring" and "underwhelming".

Accolades

In 2024, Ninja Kamui was nominated for Best Anime Series at the 4th Astra TV Awards. The series won Best Original Anime at the 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2025.

Notes

References

External links

Official website at Adult Swim

Official website (in Japanese)

Ninja Kamui (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia