Under Ninja is handling the ninja genre much more differently than any other manga

They say thunder does not strike twice in the same place, but Kengo Hanazawa’s Under Ninja is proof that it can. Hanazawa has a bit of a cult status in the manga world. He is not as prolific as the likes of Naoki Urasawa and Tsugumi Ohba, nor is he as famous as the new cats like Tatsuki Fujimoto and Gege Akutami. He has been doing manga for a while and has carved a niche by creating manga with eccentric male leads.

Under Ninja bears a similarity to many of Kengo Hanazawa’s previous works. There is dry humor, over-the-top characters, and gory but campy moments. Where the series branches off from Kengo Hanazawa’s previous works is the genre it tackles.

Under Ninja is in the ninja genre, the same genre that birthed the likes of Naruto, Azumi, and Laughing Under The Clouds. Many famous manga from the ninja genre are typically Shonen or Shojo, but Under Ninja is Seinen and is very mature.

There are also themes of self-actualization that are prevalent in the manga, where most characters are trying to find their place in the world.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers.

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How Under Ninja is changing the ninja genre

The protagonist of Under Ninja (Image via Tezuka Productions)

Ninjas are nothing new to the world of manga. Many manga are solely about ninja: Laughing Under The Clouds doubles down on the mythos of being a ninja; Azumi provides a psychologically grounded take on what it means to be a ninja assassin.

Naruto, the most popular ninja manga of all time, created a special world with its own power system and rules.

Under Ninja's world bears many similarities to the real world, the only difference is technology and many jobless ninjas. The main character, Kuro Kumogakure, is a ninja who is jobless.

This changes when he is assigned on a mission to infiltrate a school. In that moment, Under Ninja changes from a ninja series to a study on the human condition.

Viewers follow Kuro as he wanders in and out of his comfort zone. At the beginning, the story revolves around Kuro’s life and his neighbors, Kawado and Ono.

Later, the story also includes his school. The series, at its core, tries to show viewers the duality of man.

Kawado wants a better life but lacks the willpower to make the changes (Image via Tezuka Productions)

Viewers see many of the series' characters accept a life that they do not want, even when they can get better for themselves. Kuro chooses to be a NEET, even though he is young and has a life full of possibilities.

Eita, a minor character in the series, gives in to his perversions; this is despite his being amazing at other aspects of life.

Many ninjas in the series question their purpose, as their roles are not needed as much as they used to be.

This serves as an interesting parallel to the real world, as industries are constantly phased out or do not hold as much as they used to.

The job of a ninja in the series used to be noble and powerful, but now it is filled with jobless lower rankers.

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Final thoughts

The beauty of the series also lies in its minor characters and the arcs they go through. The Russian spy fulfills a lifelong dream of his, and Kawado slowly grows out of his shell.

Eita also learns to stand up for himself and is less of a pushover as the series progresses.

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