House of Ninjas

Japanese Drama '' House of Ninjas '' is an action-packed drama about a family of ninjas and a big criminal case they get involved with.

The whole '' mythology '' around ninjas, their tactics, their way of life, and their secrets, they were intriguing and enjoyable, even though the drama gave a more humane side to the supernatural warriors.

They also focused more on the family, even though there were plenty of fighting scenes to keep things entertaining. However, the dynamics of the family members, their love for each other, and the way they worked together, were the most enjoyable part of the story. The twists of the story were also well handled and unpredictable.

And yet, the story felt somehow anticlimactic and lukewarm. The ending was also not the typical happy ending, probably suggesting a second season to follow.

Finally, the performances were all enjoyable.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

I really like this show. The characters are great, story is solid. But the music. Whoever greenlit the music on this made an awful decision.

I think tonally, they were going for something ironic and poignant to punctuate the ridiculousness of a ninja family. But it just doesn't fit.

Western audiences don't need some kind of 'folk' or whatever that music is to make the show accessible. There must exist a version without this soundtrack. Silence would be a huge improvement.

Honestly, I probably wouldn't have written a review if the music wasn't such a mismatch. Tarantino does a great job utilizing soundtracks to what I believe this show was attempting and failed miserably.

If you're into Japanese culture and media, you will likely appreciate this show. If you just want ninja action, you'll likely be disappointed.

In a world where ninjas reside a dysfunctional family of ninjas who have hung up their swords come out of retirement and have to brush up on their rusty skills to combat a rogue rival clan. The Fuma clan have orchestrated an attack and it's up to the Tawaras to thwart them and stop their evil ways. It is an interesting idea but the plot moves a little slow and too many scenes are filmed with low lighting which I personally dislike. Kento Kaku plays Haru Tawara the second son and is the main lead but his entire family have interesting back stories and at just eight episodes it is short but may still have been better as a movie.

I'm just on episode 1, and the show's looking pretty cool and interesting. A bit of janky wire work (jumping into a building), but nothing too bad. Atmospheric and stylish in a Netflix kind of way.

But the music! It's like they thought the story was a bit dark and wanted to lighten the tone to appeal to a wider audience by adding a stupid score that constantly undermines what's happening. Little comic glockenspiel style runs, oompah oompah beats, clarinet trills. Even when trying to be serious, the music gives the whole thing a cheap, B-movie feel. It gets very irritating.

But maybe others like it. I could be missing something, and there *are* some comedic elements (though usually deadpan).

On the whole, very promising. Just put on some headphones while reading the subtitles.

The fight scene at the end of episode 6, has become one of my favourite fight scenes. It looks like something out of a European arthouse movie. The series has a lot to offer, either way. Despite having its ups and downs, the plot is pretty interesting. Despite being a series about ninjas, it looks deeper into the tenets of the Shinobi. These people have a personal life, they feel pain. It's not just about fighting and heroism, and whatsoever, but rather about the moral dilemmas of people who are supposed to be killing machine. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually liked Haru. He simply does not want to take a life and his inability to do so is seen as a taboo. Oh, and the soundtrack! I love it when they use Classics in movies and series.