Episode 32: Under Ninja

Project Tsundoku - Manga Podcast

What does it mean to be a truly ninja? A ninja or shinobi is a covert agent, mercenary, or guerrilla warfare expert in Japan. The functions of a ninja include infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and even body-guarding. Their fighting skills flow like crunchy tacos into Alex’s belly, seamlessly. They embody the true essence of stealth and strong mental fortitude. Above all, most of us grew up aspiring to be one! The overall ninja theme has been popular since the earliest forms of manga. Even dating back to 1957 with the creation of Ninja Bugeichō, a ninja handbook. Fast forward to today and we have the global sensation of Naruto. How many times have you seen people doing the actual ninja run in public? Ninjas were never meant to be flashy or take up space in the public’s eye; you see, a Japanese philosopher once said, "If they think first place is the winner, then they don't know a ninja." The true ninja doesn't make a splash at all. The first rule of being a ninja is - do no harm...unless you mean to do harm.