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Ninja Slayer Kills #1
Ninja Slayer Kills Vol. 1
In the cyberpunk metropolis of Neo Saitama, Kenji Fujikido is an average salaryman whose wife and children are suddenly assassinated. Tracking the murder back to a ninja, Fujikido trains to seek vengeance - initially on those who murdered his family, but ultimately on every ninja on the planet. He becomes the 'Ninja Slayer', a warrior obsessed with killing every last ninja to avenge his family. Ninja Slayer was originally released in segments on Twitter; this is the first full collection of this innovative new series.
- GenresManga
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 26, 2015
I got this through the Amazon Vine program. I am a fan of shounen and have read quite a bit of it. Some of my favorites are the Hellsing series, Berserk, and Claymore. With a title like Ninja Slayer Kills, I wasn’t expecting a masterpiece but something that was action packed, full of ninja awesomeness, and maybe a bit tongue in cheek. This ended up being a pretty awful book in just about every aspect.
Fujikido Kenji swears revenge on all of the cybernetic “wicked” ninja after they blow up his apartment resulting in the death of his wife and son. In process of swearing revenge he is somehow possessed by the soul of a Ninja allowing him to become a Wicked Ninja killing machine. That is pretty much the extent of the story as he faces off and destroys one evil Ninja after another.
I am going to try and make this a fair review, but I fear it will be more of a rant. I’ll start with everything I didn’t like and then move on to what I did like.
The background for how/why Fujikido became ninja slayer is very stereotypical and set up in just a couple quick pages. It had a feeling of, okay let’s make this a viable story and get all this background stuff out of the way quickly. It was rushed, incomplete, and hollow feeling. Of course, like many, I am mostly here for the action scenes (although I really would appreciate a good story too) so I am willing to forgive that if the action is well done. If you want to get an idea of what the story actually is I recommend reading the summary on the back of the book first, if you don’t you will have no clue what is supposed to be happening here.
However, the illustration and action scenes are absolutely awful. They are impossible to follow and just a mess of lines. I had no idea what was going on in the action scenes or who was who. It was just absolutely one of the worst mangas I have ever read with regards to illustration and action scenes. It seriously ticked me off and I almost stopped reading 20 or so pages in.
The manga redeems itself a bit when you get to a scene where we meet Ninja Slayers’ sensei and one of the other female ninjas he lives with. You get an inkling of a story developing...but that only lasts a couple pages before it is brushed aside and replaced by more awful and impossible to follow action scenes.
In addition to the above the book takes itself very seriously and is plagued with awkward sounding dialogue. The reader is constantly bludgeoned over the head with authentic Japanese ninja terminology (which is in bold throughout as though to emphasis its importance). Ugh just awful.
The story does have a couple of small redeeming qualities. I did enjoy the glossary in the back which goes through some ninja terminology and definitions; this was fun learning. The concept was a good one, if poorly executed. I also think there is a hint of an interesting story in here; if it hadn’t been so rushed this could have been at least a decent start to the Ninja Slayer story.
Overall not recommended. The story is rushed and poorly done, the action scenes are poorly illustrated and hard to follow, and the dialogue is awkward and takes itself way too seriously. If you want to read some good shounen check out Hellsing, Berserk, Claymore, Deadman Wonderland, or Attack on Titan...all of those are much better than this manga.
Fujikido Kenji swears revenge on all of the cybernetic “wicked” ninja after they blow up his apartment resulting in the death of his wife and son. In process of swearing revenge he is somehow possessed by the soul of a Ninja allowing him to become a Wicked Ninja killing machine. That is pretty much the extent of the story as he faces off and destroys one evil Ninja after another.
I am going to try and make this a fair review, but I fear it will be more of a rant. I’ll start with everything I didn’t like and then move on to what I did like.
The background for how/why Fujikido became ninja slayer is very stereotypical and set up in just a couple quick pages. It had a feeling of, okay let’s make this a viable story and get all this background stuff out of the way quickly. It was rushed, incomplete, and hollow feeling. Of course, like many, I am mostly here for the action scenes (although I really would appreciate a good story too) so I am willing to forgive that if the action is well done. If you want to get an idea of what the story actually is I recommend reading the summary on the back of the book first, if you don’t you will have no clue what is supposed to be happening here.
However, the illustration and action scenes are absolutely awful. They are impossible to follow and just a mess of lines. I had no idea what was going on in the action scenes or who was who. It was just absolutely one of the worst mangas I have ever read with regards to illustration and action scenes. It seriously ticked me off and I almost stopped reading 20 or so pages in.
The manga redeems itself a bit when you get to a scene where we meet Ninja Slayers’ sensei and one of the other female ninjas he lives with. You get an inkling of a story developing...but that only lasts a couple pages before it is brushed aside and replaced by more awful and impossible to follow action scenes.
In addition to the above the book takes itself very seriously and is plagued with awkward sounding dialogue. The reader is constantly bludgeoned over the head with authentic Japanese ninja terminology (which is in bold throughout as though to emphasis its importance). Ugh just awful.
The story does have a couple of small redeeming qualities. I did enjoy the glossary in the back which goes through some ninja terminology and definitions; this was fun learning. The concept was a good one, if poorly executed. I also think there is a hint of an interesting story in here; if it hadn’t been so rushed this could have been at least a decent start to the Ninja Slayer story.
Overall not recommended. The story is rushed and poorly done, the action scenes are poorly illustrated and hard to follow, and the dialogue is awkward and takes itself way too seriously. If you want to read some good shounen check out Hellsing, Berserk, Claymore, Deadman Wonderland, or Attack on Titan...all of those are much better than this manga.
April 29, 2024
I randomly found this at a half priced books near me and went into it with pretty much no expectations other than the hope of seeing some cool ninja shit. To my surprise I really enjoyed this one, seeing the other ratings on here though I can see why others wouldn’t.
The story and characterization are indeed barebones here but that didn’t really bother me as much as it usually would. The basic premise is that Fujikido Kenji and his family were murdered by Cybernetic Ninjas, however in his dying moments Fujikido becomes possessed by an ancient ninja soul granting him newfound power of some kind. Vengeance in the name of the game here, but they skip the training and exposition and just plop you right into the action as soon as possible. If you’ve ever played and enjoyed a Capcom game such as Devil May Cry, Resident Evil 4 or Asura’s Wrath I think you’ll pick up on what’s going on in the story pretty quick.
The real highlight here is the action and character design artwork. In plain words both are just so damn cool, again I must bring up video games because how the characters battle each other along with the designs just feel like they’d be so as home within a video game. Capcom games definitely feel like an inspiration but also a bit of Mortal Kombat and even Ninja Gaiden. Everything has a bit of quirkiness to it and is over the top, presented to maximize the hype factor. It’s just a lot of fun to see how the manga leans into its nature, it knows what it is and does just that. Also there is a small gallery at the end of the book with the artist describing each character’s design and why he drew them as such.
Overall would recommend if you are looking for something to turn your brain off and have fun. It’s silly, over the top, and badass. I’m curious if the other volumes will hold up.
The story and characterization are indeed barebones here but that didn’t really bother me as much as it usually would. The basic premise is that Fujikido Kenji and his family were murdered by Cybernetic Ninjas, however in his dying moments Fujikido becomes possessed by an ancient ninja soul granting him newfound power of some kind. Vengeance in the name of the game here, but they skip the training and exposition and just plop you right into the action as soon as possible. If you’ve ever played and enjoyed a Capcom game such as Devil May Cry, Resident Evil 4 or Asura’s Wrath I think you’ll pick up on what’s going on in the story pretty quick.
The real highlight here is the action and character design artwork. In plain words both are just so damn cool, again I must bring up video games because how the characters battle each other along with the designs just feel like they’d be so as home within a video game. Capcom games definitely feel like an inspiration but also a bit of Mortal Kombat and even Ninja Gaiden. Everything has a bit of quirkiness to it and is over the top, presented to maximize the hype factor. It’s just a lot of fun to see how the manga leans into its nature, it knows what it is and does just that. Also there is a small gallery at the end of the book with the artist describing each character’s design and why he drew them as such.
Overall would recommend if you are looking for something to turn your brain off and have fun. It’s silly, over the top, and badass. I’m curious if the other volumes will hold up.
December 3, 2019
Well...this was no good whatsoever...making me actually write a review...
If you want to read a manga where there is barely any explanation as to what is going on and artwork that consists what seems to be of explosions, speech bubble overload and...dashed lines? Then this is for you.
What gives this two stars is the admiration the writer has for this concept, and the nice little educational descriptions in the last few pages of the manga which were supposedly meant to help you understand the “story” of this book. Unfortunately, it’s really hard to read through due to the lack of understanding what is going on with the story (which by the way, the set up lasts a page and a half and you’re suppose to then just...enjoy somehow?) and the artwork just really...REALLY doesn’t help flow through.
My ‘favourite’ part was when one of the evil ninja people was smashing through and blowing up the city behind him whilst apparently the next frame immediately showed him wanting to be stealthy following the main ninja slayer, to which the NEXT FRAME had him kill a random guy and take his clothes in public so that he can be in disguise. Honestly, I’m probably wrong but that’s genuinely how I think the random section went.
Unfortunately the whole volume is like that: nonsensical. There’s also in each chapter beginning an image of a girl with um...large assets...AND SHE DIDN’T EVEN APPEAR IN THE CHAPTER, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL HERE?!
Safe to say I won’t be carrying on with this, which is a shame as going through a phase of wanting more cyberpunk stories, I was hoping this would be a standout. Instead, the only thing I could get that was cyberpunk from this was that the city is called ‘neo -saitama’.
Sorry.
If you want to read a manga where there is barely any explanation as to what is going on and artwork that consists what seems to be of explosions, speech bubble overload and...dashed lines? Then this is for you.
What gives this two stars is the admiration the writer has for this concept, and the nice little educational descriptions in the last few pages of the manga which were supposedly meant to help you understand the “story” of this book. Unfortunately, it’s really hard to read through due to the lack of understanding what is going on with the story (which by the way, the set up lasts a page and a half and you’re suppose to then just...enjoy somehow?) and the artwork just really...REALLY doesn’t help flow through.
My ‘favourite’ part was when one of the evil ninja people was smashing through and blowing up the city behind him whilst apparently the next frame immediately showed him wanting to be stealthy following the main ninja slayer, to which the NEXT FRAME had him kill a random guy and take his clothes in public so that he can be in disguise. Honestly, I’m probably wrong but that’s genuinely how I think the random section went.
Unfortunately the whole volume is like that: nonsensical. There’s also in each chapter beginning an image of a girl with um...large assets...AND SHE DIDN’T EVEN APPEAR IN THE CHAPTER, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL HERE?!
Safe to say I won’t be carrying on with this, which is a shame as going through a phase of wanting more cyberpunk stories, I was hoping this would be a standout. Instead, the only thing I could get that was cyberpunk from this was that the city is called ‘neo -saitama’.
Sorry.
February 23, 2019
Good action and art but no characterization or much plot.
September 29, 2016
My brother won this in a goodreads giveaway. Im not a manga reader, I've only ever read one other manga and it was really good. This one, not so much. The story and story telling was poorly executed. Maybe it was the translation or maybe it's just that bad. I did however enjoy reading most of it, because lets be real, they are ninjas. Overall, I defintely won't be continuing this manga, but it was still fun to read.
May 7, 2016
Well... the character designs are fabulous! Unfortunately, we only see a portion of most of them for just a few pages before they get killed. But if you look at their character profiles in the back, you see that they are very well-designed, and they all have fascinating unique characteristics! We never see any of them displayed in the actual manga, though...
In the end, this manga is a poor representation of a fascinating and creative science fiction world. I have not read any of the original novels, but I feel like this manga could only be truly appreciated as a companion to the novels, not as a stand-alone. There is no introduction to the world, any of the characters, organizations, or plot devices, other than the fact that the protagonist is seeking revenge and struggling against ninja soul possession. The illustrations are beautiful works of art as individual pieces, but not as a comprehensive manga. The line work is not well balanced between thin and thick lines, so a lot of the illustrations get a bit muddled. You have to examine nearly every panel to understand what is happening, especially during combat, and the sparse dialogue doesn't offer much help.
I am interested by the world enough to pick up the second volume eventually, and I will definitely be getting one of the original novels to compare. I am curious to see if the manga ever develops the story, plot, and characters independently, or if it really is just a companion series.
In the end, this manga is a poor representation of a fascinating and creative science fiction world. I have not read any of the original novels, but I feel like this manga could only be truly appreciated as a companion to the novels, not as a stand-alone. There is no introduction to the world, any of the characters, organizations, or plot devices, other than the fact that the protagonist is seeking revenge and struggling against ninja soul possession. The illustrations are beautiful works of art as individual pieces, but not as a comprehensive manga. The line work is not well balanced between thin and thick lines, so a lot of the illustrations get a bit muddled. You have to examine nearly every panel to understand what is happening, especially during combat, and the sparse dialogue doesn't offer much help.
I am interested by the world enough to pick up the second volume eventually, and I will definitely be getting one of the original novels to compare. I am curious to see if the manga ever develops the story, plot, and characters independently, or if it really is just a companion series.
June 4, 2017
After witnessing the murder of his family at the hand of the Soukai Syndicate, Fujikido is given ninja powers when he is possessed by a mysterious ninja soul (at times, more demon than soul). The ninja soul turns him into Ninja Slayer, giving him directions such as 'KILL....KILL HIM!' and tries to take full control of Fujikido's body. Ninja Slayer acts out vengeful acts of murder against different members of the Soukai Syndicate in this battle-focused first installment of the Ninja Slayer Kills series.
I had a difficult time focusing when reading this manga. I personally enjoy more science fiction, plot-based manga (i.e. Evangelion Neon Genesis, Sword Art Online, etc), so this fighting-centric story was not really my cup of tea. I may continue on to volume 2 in order to see if the story progresses or changes at all, but I felt a little let down that I didn't get to see more story. There were a lot of battle scenes that were a little confusing and would perhaps be more better suited for the anime version. Also, it was sometimes a little confusing to distinguish which ninja Ninja Slayer was battling, or even tell him apart from his foes due to costume/coloring choices.
I wouldn't say this manga and its story were unsuccessful, I just don't think it fit into the idea of what is MY personal preference for story-telling.
I had a difficult time focusing when reading this manga. I personally enjoy more science fiction, plot-based manga (i.e. Evangelion Neon Genesis, Sword Art Online, etc), so this fighting-centric story was not really my cup of tea. I may continue on to volume 2 in order to see if the story progresses or changes at all, but I felt a little let down that I didn't get to see more story. There were a lot of battle scenes that were a little confusing and would perhaps be more better suited for the anime version. Also, it was sometimes a little confusing to distinguish which ninja Ninja Slayer was battling, or even tell him apart from his foes due to costume/coloring choices.
I wouldn't say this manga and its story were unsuccessful, I just don't think it fit into the idea of what is MY personal preference for story-telling.
September 9, 2015
From the mangaka's afterword, "cybernetic ninjas battling it out in a cyberpunk world". Having read the book and come upon that little description in the afterword, I finally figured out what I had read. I was hoping more along the lines of science-fiction ninjas in the future, not the mess I just read. Pages of wordless battles and hardly any story or character development except for the set-up at the beginning. I see no point.
October 31, 2015
This book was okay. I think I just expected more because of the title of the book. I don't want to give any spoilers.
July 17, 2017
My first manga and I could barely tell what was happening.
April 23, 2017
This is a book I won on Goodreads. This is only the second book of manga I have ever read, so it takes time to learn the flow. But this story was basically a guy, seeking revenge of his wife and child, who has a ninja spirit take over him. He uses this new power to fight and kill all the new-age bad ninjas to get revenge.
Thought it was a little boring. Same thing over and over until the biggest one at the end. Seems like the second book may get a bit more involved and this was just a set up for the series.
Thought it was a little boring. Same thing over and over until the biggest one at the end. Seems like the second book may get a bit more involved and this was just a set up for the series.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews