Batman Ninja arrived in 2018, giving us a serviceable, neat animated adventure that featured Bruce Wayne, his allies, and his enemies transported to feudal Japan. During this journey, nearly all the characters were given makeovers to reflect their new surroundings while also using a CG animation style that made the outing look unlike anything else focusing on the Dark Knight to date. While the first movie was a solid new take on Batman, its sequel is one that improves on almost every aspect of its predecessor while giving DC fans some story bits that are well worth its runtime.
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Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League, for those who might not be familiar, is a story that takes place almost immediately following the events of the first film. Bruce and Damian Wayne have returned to the present, only to discover that their journey to the past has seemingly changed the reality of their home. The world has seemingly been taken over by an evil interpretation of the Justice League, led by the Demon’s Head Ra’s Al Ghul, and is looking to get rid of the abnormality that is the Dark Knight. Luckily, Bruce and his sidekicks get some unexpected allies from both the Yakuza League’s iteration of Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn and work together in an effort to bring down the evil supergroup’s heavy hitters.
[RELATED: Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League Releases Massive Ten-Minute Preview: Watch]
For Anime Fans
While we were certainly expecting this movie to be chock-full of references to the DC Universe, the fact that this film often feels like a love letter to the anime medium came out of left field. Two such scenes are the best representation of this fact, with the first being a hilarious tribute to classic anime franchises such as Voltron, aka Beast King Go-Lion. During this surreal scene, which you can check out above, Alfred introduces Batman, Robin, Red Robin, Nightwing, and Red Hood to their new vehicles in a way that appears as though it was ripped straight from anime’s past. “Go! Bat Phoenix” is only the icing on the cake when it comes to the movie’s anime tributes.
In another scene, the Yakuza League’s Wonder Woman, known here as Diana Amazone of Hinomoto, delivers a melancholy performance as she belts out a tune preparing to take on the film’s villains. Paying tribute to some of the more melodramatic elements of anime’s past, this quick scene makes for a hilarious moment where Harley Quinn even breaks the fourth wall in an attempt to figure out what exactly is happening. This is to say nothing of the wild designs for the Yakuza League that truly live up to the Yakuza aesthetic, especially when it comes to one character who hasn’t been featured in any of the promotional material. Speaking of…
For DC Fans
Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League has a lot of material that seems tailor-made for fans of the DC Universe, and I am saying this as someone who is quite knowledgeable when it comes to the DCU. The Yakuza League, for example, might be an entirely new take on the Justice League but it feels like a wild new iteration of DC’s Crime Syndicate. For those who don’t know or need a refresher, the Crime Syndicate hailed from an alternate reality that saw classic characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman transformed into Ultraman, Owlman, and Superwoman. The team ruled over their world with an iron fist, presenting dark doppelgangers to the heroes we’ve come to know. Of the Yakuza League members featured in the film, the true stand-out is the Man of Steel.
Yes, the Yakuza League has an evil Superman and he is one of my favorite takes on an “evil Superman” that I have seen in some time. This version of Clark believes that in order to save the world, he needs to be as ruthless, and criminal, as humanly possible, following the orders of Ra’s Al Ghul to the letter. It makes for an interesting new take on the character and while we do have a traditional “Batman Vs. Superman” fight in the runtime, the resolution to how the Yakuza League’s leader is actually defeated is a gift to DC fans and Superman enthusiasts.
Bruce does get some good shots in but what helps defeat this twisted Man of Steel is simply the legacy of Superman in general. With worlds colliding, the evil Clark Kent gets the chance to see the OG Superman’s life for himself, beaten down by the fact that the original was able to create such an amazing life for himself while becoming an inspiration for the world at large. This causes the Yakuza League’s Kryptonian, and the team as a whole, to reverse course. It’s a neat little callback to the DCU itself while creating an effective, albeit fast-paced, redemption scene.
Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League takes everything that the original film did and improves upon it. Whether you’re an anime fan looking for a quick movie to check out or want to see another example of the DC Universe invading the anime medium, this film was made for you.
Want to see how the DCU continues to be a part of the anime world? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Batman Ninja and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
