Illustrated by Warainaku Volumes 16 | Genres Science Fiction, Comedy | |
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Written by Bradley Bond, Philip Ninj@ Morzez Original run September 29, 2012 – present Written by Bradley Bond, Philip Ninj@ Morzez, Yoshiaki Tabata Publishers | ||
Ninja Slayer (Japanese: ニンジャスレイヤー, Hepburn: Ninja Sureiyā) is a Japanese science fiction novel series created by the American authors Bradley Bond and Philip "Ninj@" Morzez. After they gave permission for Japanese translations to be published via Twitter, Enterbrain published the first translated novel in September 2012, with illustrations by Warainaku. Sixteen novels have been released as of June 2016. It has received three manga adaptations. An ONA adaptation produced by Trigger and directed by Akira Amemiya which aired from April to October 2015.
Contents
Plot
The story takes place in the cyberpunk metropolis of Neo-Saitama. After his wife and child are killed in a ninja turf war, salaryman Kenji Fujikido gets possessed by a mysterious ninja soul known as Naraku Ninja. As Naraku's craving for massacring the evil ninja overlaps with Fujikido's lust for revenge, together they bring Ninja Slayer – a terrifying ninja-killing grim reaper - into existence. The more their mental resonance and physical symbiosis deepens, the more powerful Ninja Slayer becomes. If Fujikido completely surrenders himself to Naraku, he will be unstoppable.
Characters
Novels
Ninja Slayer was originally posted piece by piece on Twitter by Japanese "translators" Honda Yu and Sugi Leika, allegedly adapting the story from American authors "Bradley Bond and Philip "Ninj@" Morzez". After the series grew in popularity, Enterbrain published the first Japanese-translated volume in print, Ninja Slayer: Neo-Saitama in Flames, in September 2012. There appears to be no evidence of an original copy of Ninja Slayer, and the original creators "Bradley Bond and Philip Ninj@ Morzez" appear to be fictional authors created to produce the illusion of an elaborate backstory, and have no record of an accurate bio.
Manga
A manga adaptation with art by Yūki Yogo and scripted by Yoshiaki Tabata is serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace since June 27, 2013. It has been collected in currently five tankōbon volumes. Another manga adaptation titled Ninja Slayer: Glamorous Killers (ニンジャスレイヤー グラマラス・キラーズ, Ninja Sureiyā: Guramarasu Kirāzu) with art by Ageha Saotome also began serialization from July 1, 2013, in Enterbrain's shōjo manga magazine B's-Log Comic. It has also been collected into three tankōbon volumes. A third adaptation titled Ninja Slayer Kills (ニンジャスレイヤー 殺(キルズ), Ninja Sureiyā Satsu (Kiruzu)) is serialized in Kodansha's Suiyoubi no Sirius.
Volume list
Anime
In April 2014, Enterbrain announced that an anime adaptation of the novel was in production, later revealing that it was being produced by Trigger. More details were announced in Los Angeles, CA at Anime Expo 2014. The anime, titled Ninja Slayer From Animation, is directed by Akira Amamiya, and the main theme is "Back In Black" performed by electronic band Boom Boom Satellites. The anime premiered on Niconico on April 16, 2015, and a television broadcast started airing in April 2016. The series is licensed in North America by Funimation, who is simulcasting the series with subtitles and began streaming a dubbed version from May 21, 2015.