House Of Ninjas Gets 100% On Rotten Tomatoes, Netflix Series Is A Hit

Despite no official word on renewal, the fact that House of Ninjas raked in 8.7 million views in its first to weeks and has an unassailable Rotten Tomatoes score bodes well for its future

House of Ninjas revolves around the intriguing narrative of the Tawara family, recognized as the last standing clan of ninjas in Japan. A tragic family event made the Tawara family relinquish their traditional ninja paths, pushing them into the humdrum of everyday life.

The plot thickens with the oldest son, Haru Tawara, shouldering blame for the tragic event, disrupting his peace with a mundane existence and evoking resistance towards embracing his father’s legacy.

Notably, House of Ninjas showcases how the Tawara family cleverly integrates their shinobi skills into the commonplace, leading to quirky comedic interventions. Even as the majority of Tawaras are adept shinobi, they get plunged back into action due to a sudden crisis, a fight that can only be won with collective efforts.

The seamless blend of comedy, action, and emotional explorations accounts for the wide acclaim and positive reception of House of Ninjas. Writer and director, Dave Boyle is an Asian-American filmmaker who studied Japanese at BYU and has also written and directed Big Dreams Little Tokyo, White on Rice, and Man from Reno which have all used mainly Asian casts.

House of Ninjas star, Kento Kaku may have been previously unfamiliar to American Netflix viewers, but he has been a fixture in Japanese media since his first leading role in the 2009 film, Giniro no Ame. He went on to star in a number of other hits, including Clover and Hana Moyo, which led to him being named Breakthrough Actor in GQ Japan’s Men of the Year Awards in 2019.

Perhaps helping the appeal of House of Ninjas is its similarity to one of the most famous ninja franchises of all time, Kage no Gundan (Shadow Warriors).

The Japanese movie and TV franchise which influenced House of Ninjas and originally made Sonny Chiba famous, weaves a narrative set around the Iga clan, the show explores their journey as they strive to maintain peace and order. Chiba would eventually further his international stardom with appearances in the Kill Bill films and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

Contrary to popular representations of ninjas, the Iga clan does not possess superhuman abilities. Instead, they serve as outlaws and spies, entangling themselves in a web of political and business conspiracies.

House of Ninjas, meanwhile explores family dynamics and offers each of the main characters an interesting arc to develop and engage audiences.

If there is a season two, fans may not have to wait terribly long since season one had a short post-production period — news that will make viewers happy after season one concluded with questions left unanswered.