* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Ninja Vs. Gokudo
忍者と極道
A 12-episode TV anime that aired on Nippon TV from October to December 2025, streaming worldwide on Amazon Prime Video with same-day English dubs under the title "Ninja Vs. Gokudo." Based on the manga by Shinsuke Kondo and produced by Studio Deen, it depicts a modern-day rivalry between ninjas and yakuza.
Description
Overview
"Ninja to Gokudo" (released internationally on Amazon Prime Video as "Ninja Vs. Gokudo") is a 12-episode TV anime that aired on the Nippon TV network from October 7 to December 23, 2025. It is based on the manga by Shinsuke Kondo, serialized in Kodansha's "Comic Days," with animation production by Studio Deen and direction by Yasuhiro Watanabe. Amazon Prime Video streamed the series worldwide with English subtitles and same-day English dubs alongside its Japanese broadcast.
Story
The story's roots trace back to the Edo period, to a rivalry between ninjas and yakuza said to have been forged in the shadow of the Great Meireki Fire. That rivalry carries into the present day, where Ninja Tanaka (voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi), a ninja who lost his ability to smile due to trauma, meets Gokudo Terumura (voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi), a yakuza boss who runs the underworld while posing as an elite office worker — neither aware of the other's true identity. The two bond over a shared love of a children's anime and grow closer as friends, even as the escalating war between ninja and yakuza factions draws their fates together.
Staff and Theme Songs
The opening theme, "Sweet Disaster," is performed by guitarist MIYAVI, and the ending theme, "Until You Die Out," is performed by the band Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Context
Director Yasuhiro Watanabe is known for his prior work on the "Naruto" franchise, and the series drew attention as a new entry in ninja-action anime. The story is set in the present day, and the weaponry depicted centers on modern ninja tools and firearms; no depiction directly referencing a specific historical Japanese sword or named blade has been confirmed.
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This page is intended to introduce Japanese sword culture and is not affiliated with any of the works mentioned.