The caped crusader who now becomes the honourable warrior, in an animated feature reimagined by Japan’s finest artists, Batman Ninja (2018) (warning: this review contains spoilers).
The ‘Western World’ is all too familiar with the alter ego of billionaire Bruce Wayne, the Batman. Since his debut in DC comics over 75 years ago, the world has seen many reiterations of the caped crusader; from the pulp fiction, to TV (Adam West), to cartoon (famous voice Kevin Conroy), to feature films. We’ve also seen many retellings. We’ve seen Batman use guns (he never uses guns), and even seen him become the Green Lantern. However, one of Warner Bros.’ latest animated features has provided a version of Batman we’re not very familiar with. 2018’s rendition of the dark knight brought us Songoku Batman: Batman Ninja (2018).
The exclusive behind the scenes clip lays out the different techniques and styles used to bring Batman to anime.
Behind the Scenes
The film’s production team is filled with people from different accreditations. The film is directed by Junpei Mizusaki, most known for being a producer on anime show JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (2012-). The original screenplay was written by Kazuki Nakashima, most known for being a writer for Gurren Lagann (2007-2008), which won ‘Best Television Production’ award at the 7th annual Tokyo Anime Awards, in 2008. And the English screenplay was written by Leo Chu, best known for being a producer for mini-TV series Afro Samurai (2007), to which the show made history as the first Japanese anime to be nominated for and win an Emmy (winning ‘Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation’ in 2009, and nominated for ‘Outstanding Animated Program’).
There was a lot of fire power behind the making of Batman Ninja, and its no surprise the film includes mega-sized robots in a feudal Japan, as one of Nakashima’s key tropes in Gurren Lagann is the giant mecha that makes the show instantly recognisable among fans of the show.
Giant Mecha from Gurren Lagann
Mega-sized robots from Batman Ninja
How it makes you feel
The film has a lot of fast-paced action scenes. Scenes are visually appealing, and what you would expect in an anime. However, at times there is a sense that the film, with an approximate run time of 1 hour and 25 minutes, is stuffing too much into one story. Batman and the gang (along with the villains of Gotham) are sent from modern-day Gotham to Feudal Japan. It then turns out they were sent at different times, so when Batman arrives, all the villains are ‘Shoguns’ (essentially mob bosses) of different sections across Japan, with Joker at the top, referred to his subordinate warriors as ‘Lord Joker/Demon King’.
Where it may feel oversaturated would be the mechs. Although I enjoyed watching a mega-sized brawl, the theme of technological mechs clash with the delicate nature of feudal Japan’s semantics, such as Ninjas, Samurai, and the scenery. On the one hand, it is original and engaging to implement different aspects of Japanese anime culture into a story previously only experienced in a western setting, it provides a fresh outlook. On the other hand, watching all these elements blend in may sometimes take you out of the story, as you question the plausibility of Gorilla Grodd being able to manufacture massive machines in an era a long way away from the industrial period.
Final Verdict
Batman Ninja may feel oversaturated at times, but the film still provides an entertaining and visually appeasing story, providing an original addition to the Batman universe for Dark Knight fans and anime fans alike to enjoy.
Batman Ninja is currently available to stream on Netflix.
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