Warning: The following contains spoilers for Ninja Kamui, Episode 3, now streaming on Max.

When Ninja Kamui began, it had to battle certain expectations, given that its marketing labeled it a fairly unoriginal revenge story made intriguing only by the strengths of its director. Three episodes in, however, perhaps that pessimism wasn't so universally felt and certainly not deserved; the book was judged by its cover, and now it's been consistently entertaining.

Last week's episode was almost more impressive than the action-packed premiere, thanks to some intriguing world-building culminating in a wild action scene. With Higan and Mike now having intuited who their true enemy is - the Auza corporation - the third episode takes some time to set up the minor and major antagonists to come, including one particularly twisted assassin.

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Ninja Kamui's Growing Coterie of Villains

More and more, this show's strength seems to be in its antagonists and their variety, both in terms of abilities and wildly different personalities. Lil might be the most fascinating antagonist yet, if only for how unsettling his eventual collision with Higan might be. He makes a strong debut right at the start, slaughtering a politician and his entire security detail with an as-yet-undisclosed ability. Before he's even relished a successful kill, he's lusting over a photo of his next prey: Higan.

Practically everything about Lil makes a strong impression given the amalgam of bold choices that comprise his portrayal. For starters, he lives with dwarfism, but it doesn't impede his effectiveness as a killer in the slightest. Next, almost every other line from him reveals an intense lustfulness, from innuendo to threats of sexual violence against the protagonist. He's a bizarre character, but his bold personality serves as a nice contrast to the way the rest of the ninja clan is portrayed.

Shadows of the Clan's Past

Episode 2's opening might not have fully fleshed out the inner politics within the clan, but it provided enough. The exiled see themselves as true ninjas and the current organization as a bastardization of the clan's identity, but it feels like there's more to it than that. Every scene depicting either side has implicitly drawn attention to the matter of principle inherent to the war, that being the pride of a ninja.

It's a blessing, then, that Higan is not the only exile left and, even if the others are dwindling, the smallest bits of characterization work wonders. The unnamed instructor who battles Zai is a minor player, but his words speak volumes, and he leaves an impact, even if that's mostly a symptom of him losing the fight. In turn, this elevates Zai, who - despite how taciturn he is - carries a subtle swagger befitting a possible endgame rival, judging by his implied relationship to Higan.

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After a violently enticing premiere, this week delves deeper into its world-building, culminating in a whirlwind of action by the end.

Yamaji and The Friendly Face of Auza

While it still feels like a stretch to call Ninja Kamui any kind of commentary, the mix of ninjas and mega-corporations actually feels surprisingly inspired. Depending on the philosophical lens used to look at the latter, both groups work surprisingly well together. When people talk about the evils of corporations and late-stage capitalism, they are talking about the same fears inherent to dystopian fiction as a whole.

As life itself has teetered on the edge of dystopia, some of the most popular dystopian stories seem to have been off the mark regarding presentation. An evil corporation doesn't look evil, but rather presents itself in the friendliest way possible, with the friendliest face it can summon. Enter, Joseph, the perfect recreation of what people imagine when they think of a modern tech CEO.

The way he acts in front of a camera to millions isn't that different from how he talks in private to none other than Yamaji, the leader of the ninjas. Joseph is smart enough to know that Yamaji isn't to be screwed with, but he's not particularly afraid of him either, which says a lot about him. It's the intersection of an evil that looks you right in the eye and another evil that you never see coming that makes this partnership so intriguing.

Higan and Mike Officially Team Up

This week saw the unlikely duo of ninja and hard-boiled cop come to an understanding and shared a drink to reflect on them joining forces. Once again, it's subtle, but there are dashes of charming writing, like the way Higan doesn't drink or his fascination with cars, which both serve to flesh him out beyond simply being a ninja seeking revenge.

Together with Emma, they discuss investigating Auza's headquarters in the experimental Auza city, but before they can get any further, they're attacked. If Ninja Kamui is intent on having a big fight each week, then they've done a good job mixing things up with each one. In particular, the way Higan's enemies are adapting to his tricks keeps each fight feeling fresh and exciting.

Last week, Higan used his secret art to create extra arms to aid him in a battle with an opponent that could duplicate themselves. This time around, the enemy uses mechanical tendrils to bait him into using his secret art, then proceeds to restrain each arm. It's a clever move that would naturally encourage Higan to adapt, but if there's any flaw with the fight, it's that it doesn't quite have any substantial consequences. Higan seems to just win anyway.

It's a small complaint, though, and only marginally takes away from what is otherwise another solid episode. Ninja Kamui's story has a good momentum and the characters are fun to watch, especially the ever-growing assortment of creatively designed foes for Higan to vanquish. In this way, it feels like the spiritual successor to 1993's Ninja Scroll that fans never got. With any luck, the series will be even more deserving of that comparison by the end.

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