Jeoffrey

Ninja Kamui immediately piqued my interest with Song-hu Park at the helm, the same director behind the gripping first season of JJK. Known for his knack for choreographing exhilarating fight scenes, Park and his team deliver solid work here, seamlessly blending traditional animation with CGI. The fight sequences pack a punch, brimming with power, impact, and energy that kept me glued to the screen. The main character, brought to life by the stellar voice acting of Kenjirou Tsuda, drew me in with his compelling backstory and a motivation reminiscent of John Wick's. He exudes just the right amount of coolness to keep the entertainment flowing. However, my enthusiasm waned when it came to the story. While the beginning showed promise with its well-executed revenge narrative and intriguing ninja lore, it took a detour into the realm of mechanical suits and corporate villains, with the corporate world and a younger version of Steve Jobs as the primary antagonists. What began as a strong and straightforward plot gradually became convoluted, delving into themes that failed to hold my interest. It's disappointing to learn that the creators had to extend the episode count to 13 to accommodate their entire story, as I believe a tighter narrative with perhaps just 12 or even 8 episodes would have served the series better. Maintaining the pace and quality of the initial episodes without the unnecessary layers would have made for a more engaging experience. In the end, Ninja Kamui offers decent action and entertainment value, but its tendency to overstretch, overexplain, and rehash certain themes relegates it to a one-time watch for me. Unfortunately, it falls short of leaving a lasting impression. 5.5/10

Sand Land feels like the anime version of Mad Max, infused with a dash of fantasy and sci-fi from the mind of the late, great author of the Dragon Ball series, Akira Toriyama. Toriyama's signature humor style and overall atmosphere are unmistakable, reminiscent of the original Dragon Ball. Despite its simplicity, the series never loses its charm, keeping viewers engaged with straightforward yet intriguing storytelling. The characters, particularly the seasoned fighter and current sheriff Rao, are compelling and likable. However, the animation, especially the CG character animation, leaves much to be desired, like a sort of 2.5D. While it occasionally shines, it often feels heavy-handed and unnatural (such as Ann's hair), detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, the world's potential feels underutilized, failing to captivate enough to warrant further exploration or rewatches. Overall, Sand Land is a pleasant watch, earning a 6/10 from me. For fans of Akira Toriyama, it's likely a must-watch, but I suspect they will appreciate the series much more than I did.

Because of the strong main female protagonist (Aoi) and the prevalence of charming male characters, this is definitely an anime series aimed more at a female audience, although it is far from boring. As I mentioned before, the big draw here is the very appealing Aoi, who is mostly the driving force behind the plot and the one who provides the solution to most of the problems. I guess it is rare that it is fortunate that a main female protagonist in an anime series, who is surrounded by so many charming and capable gentlemen (all right, well, it is the ayakashi anyway), so intensely and sweetly gives a helping hand and gets down to work herself (because all too often the main female protagonists in such productions just sit around waiting to get rescued). Plus, the way Aoi does it (through food and kindness) can be very attractive to a male audience in particular. Also, the way Aoi approaches the issues she faces within the interesting and magical setting of the world the show is set in, there is a very pleasant atmosphere that warms the heart. Of course, it is not just a nice walk in the park, the anime’s creators sometimes manage to conjure up some kind of suspense, to set up an intense situation that Aoi has to get through and overcome either on her own or with the help of her companions. It has quite an interesting narrative, even if it may give some people the impression that it is merely going to repeat the same story twice (SPOILER ALERT Aoi is taken somewhere against her will, to gradually win everyone over and save everything END OF SPOILERS). Anyway, if I add to that, in my opinion, good animation, and an appropriately chosen soundtrack, I am going to award a nice 8/10, which is actually an excellent result from someone for whom this anime series is probably not primarily aimed at.