Ninja Kamui Ep 10 Review
You remember watching Naruto and remembering how angsty and rage-driven Sasuke was? That led him to abandon the Hidden Leaf Village and study under a criminal for years, and it only escalated from there. Now imagine if it was the reverse that happened. Instead of Sasuke leaving, it was Naruto and Sakura who left instead? That is a basic explanation of what Zai went through when Mari and Higan left, and why he’s so determined to bring Higan down. And with AUZA and Yamaji’s plans getting closer to fruition, the time to settle this grudge draws near.
Everyone is Sadder than Ever
In the aftermath of Emma’s death, her friends are left reeling and trying to figure out what to do next. Ideally, they want to expose AUZA using everything that Emma/Aska got from their servers. However, there are two big problems facing them. Firstly, Emma left everything encrypted and only she knew how to decrypt it. Secondly, AUZA managed to be one step ahead of them. They already revealed that their reactors were “attacked by terrorists.” Now any attempts to whistleblow on them could get passed off as fake news or covered up altogether. The worst part is that Morris’ best plan to take them down, using what few people in the FBI he thinks aren’t on their payroll, doesn’t work. His former partner tries to turn him in.
Whether AUZA can even be brought down remains to be seen. However, the more immediate issue is Yamaji and Zai.
Zai’s Life is SO SAD!!
I said before that Zai took Higan and Mari’s defection personally due to the bond they forged. However, I underestimated just how personal it was for him, as this episode’s flashbacks reveal. Unlike Higan and Mari, he wasn’t born into the Ninja, but was recruited.
He was an unwanted orphan held prisoner by a group that Yamaji brought down. Seeing how angry at the world the boy was, Yamaji took him in with the obvious intent of using him as a deadly tool. And for the most part, he succeeded. Zai was a ruthless killer who didn’t care about anyone else. Until their first mission together when Higan saved his life. It was likely the first act of kindness Zai ever got towards him.
That’s why Zai hates Higan so much. He and Mari were the first people he was ever able to open up to and be vulnerable with. He trusted them, and when they saw how corrupt Yamaji was making the Ninja and left, he took it as a personal betrayal. That led him to double down on his previous beliefs that no one else mattered, and it’s why he needed to kill Higan with his own hands.
It’s like Naruto and Sasuke, but with the roles reversed. And they’re about to have their final showdown.
One More Duel
In the closing moments of the episode, Higan receives a challenge via crow from Zai. While Morris tries to find someone to take the leaked intel and James stays safe, Higan dons the Kamui, travels to a hidden Ninja hideout, and faces Zai for what will likely be the final time.
Sadly, we will have to wait another week to see the fight in full, if it lasts that long. However, while this fight might be the most personal one that Higan faces, his ultimate enemy remains Yamaji. Even though he’s letting AUZA and that smarmy executive give him orders, the episode makes it clear that hes making plans to double-cross him. Hes been working on getting the schematics for the Gusoku gear so the Ninjas can make them themselves, so he’s likely been playing them this whole time. As much as AUZA needs to go down, the idea of a corrupt group of Ninjas having that kind of suit is just as bad, if not worse. And, as it turns out, I misread the number of episodes. Three episodes actually remain, and I’m hoping the series reaches a good conclusion before all is said and done.
