English Dub Review: Ninja vs. Gokudo “Ninja vs. Gokudo”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
The second round of the showdown between Shinoha and Gamute begins!  When Shinoha uses Kiwami’s technique, Gamute becomes driven to kill Shinoha at the cost of his own life.  After taking the forbidden Hell’s Coupon double dose, Gamute sees visions of his friends as he leaps toward Shinoha.

Our Take:
It is a Christmas miracle that Shinoha managed to survive Gamute’s fatal attack in time to take him down for good.  However, it’s not before we witness the somewhat “shocking” truth that Gamute is Kiwami’s son via a flashback.  But from my perspective, it’s a miracle that I was able to survive all of twelve episodes of this show, let alone its awful English dub and disappointing storyline.  Admittedly, it still offers a few merits that could’ve helped the series be more enjoyable, particularly its art style.  The season finale is no exception to the case.  The long-awaited final battle between Shinoha and Gamute delivered a suitable style and stakes that could’ve elevated its narrative finesse.  Unfortunately, like the previous episodes, this one lacks a stronger punch in its showdown and the ending we anticipated from the beginning.
If the show were to continue with a second season, it would undoubtedly focus on Shinoha facing Kiwami now that their identities have been exposed.  The concept of two rivals sharing their love of anime could have been an interesting and amusing take on a familiar premise.  Instead, the series resorted to the narrative beats we’ve seen before, but with lackluster execution and dreadful vocal performances, with its finale not faring much better.  These aspects would need a major overhaul for a potential second season.  Otherwise, I will not be so kind toward the second matchup between ninja and gokudo.