Šinobi no Ittoki

I guess the only thing these modern ninjas were good for was to kill time... Honestly, I was bored most of the time. and I didn't find anything interesting or worth remembering. Sure, there was a story that did make sense (more or less), but did I enjoy watching it, was I interested in it? Not really! I find it strange because the concept of modern ninjas who are fighting for power, have their own school and advanced technology, and use various shops and businesses as a cover doesn't sound half bad. But the execution is simplistic in many ways, and the show failed to convince me that the ninjas have an important place, or at least purpose, in our society. I didn't get to see much of the school, the power struggles between the clans just sort of happened, but I couldn’t care less about the outcome. I couldn’t really relate to the characters either. I didn't care for the main protagonist, I wasn’t convinced about his development, and I wasn't impressed with anyone around him either, except maybe Uncle Tokisada. And that’s unfortunate because if you don't care about the characters, you won't be captivated by their stories and your emotional response will equal that of staring at a wall. Even the villain seemed generally weak and boring, and not even the divine voice of Kenjiro Tsuda could save him. The whole thing was just bland and the only positive thing I can think of is the decent animation. It's colorful, it moves, it's watchable, but I guess that's all there is = it’s not terrible but it’s not exciting or interesting either... 4/10 (2022.12.20)