TV Review | House of Ninjas - Future of the Force

“House of Ninjas is a captivating series about a dysfunctional family of shinobi. Taking inspiration from Japanese folklore, this series creates a complex and well developed universe. It mixes different genres, bringing thrills and surprises. With relatable characters and an outstanding ensemble cast, this series is a must-watch. Kento Kaku delivers a moving and powerful performance.”

House of Ninjas is Netflix’s latest Japanese series starring Kento Kaku, Yosuke Eguchi, Tae Kimura, Kengo Kora, Aju Makita, Riho Yoshioka and Nobuko Miyamoto. Produced by TOHO Studio, the series is directed by Dave Boyle, based on a story by Kento Kaku, Yoshiaki Murao and Takafumi Imai. It is composed of 8 episodes that will all release on February 15 on Netflix.

THE PREMISE

*House Of Ninjas*. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024

House of Ninjas tells the story of the Tawara family. They are a family of ninjas or should we say shinobi. As the characters say in the series you don’t say ninja, they’re called shinobi. This family is directly descended from Hattori Hanzo and rival to Fuma Kotaro, another family of shinobi. In the past, the Tawara was an elite of shinobi working for the BNM (Ninja Management Bureau), a government agency working in the shadows. After losing their first son Gaku (Kengo Kora) six years ago during a mission, the family is now trying to live a normal life.

A FAMILY OF SHINOBI

(L-R): Kento Kaku as Haru Tawara, Aju Makita as Nagi Tawara, Tomorowo Taguchi as Jin Hamashima, Tae Kimura as Yoko Tawara and Yosuke Eguchi as Soichi Tawara in *House Of Ninjas*. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024

Haru (Kento Kaku) is the lead of the series. He is a tormented character who can’t face his demons, he leads a lonely life. This is a compelling character for whom you quickly care about. But, this is really an ensemble cast with each member of the family having their own storyline within the bigger story. At its heart, this is a story of a dysfunctional family. The loss of Gaku destroyed this family. His father Soichi (Yosuke Eguchi) runs the family sake brewery and wants him to take over while Haru doesn’t want it. Yoko (Tae Kimura) is a bored housewife. Nagi (Aju Makita) is a college student but aspires for more. Riku (Tenka Banya) is the youngest child and he is the only one who doesn’t know about the family secrets. While the grandmother Taki (Nobuko Miyamoto) watches over them.

So despite being shinobi, the characters are relatable, they face the same struggles as everyone. I think this is one of the biggest strengths of this series. It has characters you can relate to in some ways and you care about them. Thus, turning the page on being shinobi isn’t what the Tawara family expected and it isn’t as easy as it seems. Being a shinobi is a part of who they are. Following a mass poisoning incident, things take a surprising turn. While Haru works with Karen Ito (Riho Yoshioka) a journalist, it leads them to investigate on a new religion lead by a mysterious man named Tsujioka (Takayuki Yamada).

A CAPTIVATING SERIES

(L-R): Kento Kaku as Haru Tawara and Kengo Kora as Gaku Tawara in *House Of Ninjas*. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024

The first episodes take their time to introduce the characters, letting the audience getting to know them. And then, it picks up the pace fully unveiling the overall plot. This series is so many things at the same time. It’s a romance with the story between Haru and the journalist Karen Ito, it’s also a drama with the story of this family. But it is a spy thriller too with the shinobi storyline and the investigation on the new religion. There is a good balance of all these genres creating a captivating series. The series has time for everything – character development, action scenes, revelations and exciting plot twists. It has everything you need for a series about shinobi.

It asks a simple question – what if the shinobi still operated in modern Japan? And the answer is an exciting one. While taking inspiration from Japanese folklore and spy films, this series creates a complex and well developed universe with the shinobi. Undoubtedly, Kento Kaku is not only a great actor, he also has fantastic story ideas!

When the credits of the final episode roll, you will be asking for more. While concluding what happens in season 1, the door is wide open for more. It definitely calls for a second season and everything is in place for what comes next.

CAST

(L-R): Kento Kaku as Haru Tawara and Riho Yoshioka as Karen Ito in *House Of Ninjas*. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024

Furthermore, House of Ninjas has an outstanding ensemble cast. Each actor of the Tawara family is the right fit for their role. However, the real scene stealer might be Nobuko Miyamoto. She brings that touch of fun as the grandmother. Kento Kaku shines as Haru. He delivers a moving and powerful performance, beautifully portraying the inner struggles of his character.

On top of that, Takayuki Yamada is scary as Tsujioka. The way he stands, the way he speaks, there is something really creepy about it and yet it captivates. This is exactly what’s needed for a mysterious leader of a suspicious religion. He delivers a flawless performance.

VISUALS & SOUNDTRACK

Kento Kaku as Haru Tawara in *House Of Ninjas*. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024

Once again, Dave Boyle shows his talent as a director. I love his close up shots of a character with a second character behind him or on the side. It’s an interesting way of playing out a dialogue scene. It reminds me of what George Lucas did in Star Wars Revenge of the Sith with Anakin and Obi-Wan before their duel on Mustafar. This way Boyle is able to capture how both characters react at the same time throughout the scene. This creates a dramatic atmosphere.

Moreover, the opening scene in episode 4 features a first person point of view sequence that is so skilfully shot. It really feels like you are the character during that short time. Boyle is a talented filmmaker capturing the best of his cast in each scene. The fight scenes are also well choreographed, you can feel the danger and intensity during these scenes. Obviously, there’s blood but it’s not too much, it doesn’t go into the gore area. There’s just the right amount for the violence displayed on screen.

I always say that it’s better when a series has an opening credits. And this one has a really stylish animated opening featuring the Tawara family with an ominous music theme. In each episode, I was waiting to watch the opening credits because it is incredibly cool. Overall, Jonathan Snipes has composed a fitting score for this series. His work is at its best when he goes for the mysterious atmosphere but he is also really good with the dramatic. However, the soundtrack also uses American/English songs, these feel so out of place. It’s definitely a strange choice of songs. It doesn’t necessarily fit with the scenes.

VERDICT

House of Ninjas is a captivating series about a dysfunctional family of shinobi. Taking inspiration from Japanese folklore, this series creates a complex and well developed universe. It mixes different genres, bringing thrills and surprises. With relatable characters and an outstanding ensemble cast, this series is a must-watch. Kento Kaku delivers a moving and powerful performance, beautifully portraying the inner struggles of his character Haru.