UNDER NINJA

Under Ninja, the 2023 television series adaptation of Kengo Hanazawa’s manga, was produced by Tezuka Productions to translate a gritty, surrealist take on modern espionage into animation. Set in a contemporary Japan where ninjas have become a clandestine agency dealing with terrorism and political instability, the series navigates the absurdity of a post-war shadow organization surviving in the digital age.

The animation direction sought to balance Hanazawa’s signature hyper-realistic character proportions with the kinetic, often jarring violence inherent in his work. Upon its release, the series garnered attention for its unconventional pacing and dry, deadpan humor, distinguishing itself from more traditional shonen depictions of shinobi life by emphasizing the mundane, bureaucratic exhaustion of the protagonists.