"Sayonara, Batman!"
I wasn't expecting a sequel to Night of the Ninja, to put it mildly. But this follow-up, set in Japan, with Bruce interacting with a present day Sensei Yoru, nicely deepens the world-building, which The Animated Series tends to be very good at. I like the subtle hints that the Sensei may know Bruce's secret... and, let's face it, the fact that Batman is openly operating in Japan during Bruce's visit is a dead giveaway. Secret identities are a dead giveaway.
It's a nice little tale, based on the concept of an ancient, forbidden martial art that includes a fatal touch. Naturally, of course, the only copy of this secret is hidden in a mountain cave and the Sensei is the last person who knows the secret, conveniently enough. But the story works well, right up to the dramatic final conflict beneath an erupting volcano, and the clever revelation as to how Batman survives.
It's unusual to see an episode set in Japan... but this really works.
“Samurai do not hide behind masks!” And Bruce is willingly to fight without his mask. Good moment
ReplyDeleteWell spotted! Lots of subtle ways Batman acts as a samurai as opposed to a ninja. And that's a point that says a lot about him as a character in general.
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