Between Warrior and The Brothers Sun, action fans have had it pretty good this year on Netflix. And while we predicted that Warrior would be among the most popular shows on Netflix, we didn’t foresee that House of Ninjas would be close behind. This Netflix original series was made for Japan, but House of Ninjas has already exceeded expectations by finding an audience in America as well.
The show is about the Tawara family, the last known clan of ninjas living in Japan — although “shinobi” is the preferred term for the family. Once they were mighty warriors, but a family tragedy led them to turn their backs on their calling. House of Ninjas picks up the story as the Tawaras struggle to live ordinary lives before a crisis forces them back into action. If you’re looking for your next action series to binge, here are three reasons to watch House of Ninjas on Netflix.
Haru’s story is compelling
Haru Tawara (Kento Kaku) is the oldest son in the family, and in many ways he’s taking the family’s lack of direction harder than anyone else. That’s partially because he blames himself for the tragedy that occurred, and he does bear some responsibility for that. But Haru is also openly dissatisfied with his mundane life, and he is vehemently against following in his father’s footsteps and brewing saké for the family business.
Another source of contention for Haru is that he’s romantically interested in Karen Ito (Rhio Yoshioka), a journalist who is looking into a dangerous story. But by the shinobi code, he’s forbidden from having any romance with an outsider who could jeopardize the family’s secrets. Is it any wonder he’s so frustrated?
The show features ninja skills in unexpected situations
Some of the show’s best comedic moments come when the Tawara family uses their shinobi skills in their daily lives under the noses of everyone else around them. Haru’s mother, Yoko (Tae Kimura), and his sister, Nagi (Aju Makita), have taken to using their abilities as thieves. Yoko only steals some small objects from stores, but Nagi is a full-blown master art thief.
Even Haru gets to show off his skills when no one is around to watch him by throwing soda cans with pinpoint accuracy into vending machines. Seeing these ordinary moments spiced up by over-the-top shinobi shenanigans is one of the most enjoyable parts of the series. It’s where the mundane meets the fantastic.
The family that fights together…
Pixar movie fans may get Incredibles vibes from House of Ninjas, because with one exception, every member of the Tawara family is a shinobi. And there’s even a government bureaucracy in place to keep tabs on the Tawara family during their retirement.
While it would have been an intriguing choice to force the Tawara family to remain retired, events conspire to bring them back in action, one by one. There’s a threat that they can only fight together. And as the expression goes, the family that fights together, stays together.
Watch House of Ninjas on Netflix.
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