KAnscious™ Take on NINJA ASSASSIN

 

 

 

    Great day to you. Before you continue reading, please note that this is a KAnscious™ reflection on a Rated-R film.  I do not recommend that this blog or the movie be read and/or watched by any child.  If this blog is desired to be read by a person under the age of 18, I strongly recommend them to first obtain approval and supervision from their direct parent(s)/caregiver(s).

Thank you for understanding!

I have watched the movie Ninja Assassin several times.  It was probably half way through the first time I viewed it I thought to myself, this movie [unfortunately] has an emblematic thematic nature of a large part of the Black American experience and dually is a great metaphoric lesson regarding fighting a negative culture and killing the n*gga (N-word) mentality.  I have no evidence that the writers, Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski, have involved themselves in any works focused on the Afrikan American experience.  Nonetheless, each time I watched this brilliant film I could not stop extracting symbolic information that parallelled various lived experiences of some of my people.  And, I would not limit the following explorations to any one group of people as ethnically dissimilar readers may also find common ground in what I am about to explore.

Within the information below you will find my written examinations, in near exact alignment with the organic progression of the movie (scene by scene – [the scenes I chose to dissect]).  These written examinations are not to replacement or be substitute ideas for any of the work of Sand and Straczynski.  May you enjoy this read and gain some healthy KAnciousness from it.

The first scene where Hollywood is getting a tattoo, in my estimation shows a degeneration of respect for elders.  Hollywood is raising his voice to the elder whose character’s name is Tattoo Master; and the young thug even points a gun at the chin of his elder.  It is also notable that the silence of the other young people in the room (Hollywood’s goons and gals) speaks volumes to the danger of how disrespecting some elders crushes a culture.  Though the voice of the young must be incorporated into the collective voice of its group of people, it is my opinion that where we may see elders being bullied and belittled by the young and youthful, it is evidence that the culture of the people has deteriorated.

Tattoo Master mentions the art of Irezumi and says, “Irezumi…reveals the nature of a man.”  Artificial intelligence (AI) describes Irezmumi as “[a Japanese custom known to] have deep symbolic meaning, often telling a story or revealing aspects of the wearer's identity, beliefs, or life choices.”  For me, this observance is not saturated in any racial elements but I did find it to be a fascinating piece of information and research for me due to my interest in existential phenomenology as a mental health practitioner.  I also found it quite appropriate that the idea of meaning and symbolism was introduced so early in the movie; especially within my own fervent nature of symbolism.  It is almost as if Sand and Straczynski are giving the viewer a hint to take off the 3D glasses and put on the symbolic lenses for the remainder of the movie.

Hollywood reminds me of the collective default personality, and character (or lack thereof) of many young people in various cultures around the world who recklessly and proudly disrespect other people.  Yet, they cannot tolerate being disrespected themselves.

I find it quite intriguing that the word ninja is a word that Tattoo Master is apprehensive to say due to its significance in this particular beginning scene of the movie.  It reminded me of the hesitancy that many people (particularly non-Blacks) have with using the N-word.  In American history, saying the N-word has had deadly consequences for some people and in this movie, saying the word ninja also had deadly consequences for Hollywood, his goods, and even Tattoo Master.  I was not elated to see Hollywood and his goons murdered but I understood why they were.  At first, I did not understand why Tattoo Master was murdered in that scene. Upon deeper reflection, however, I began to see the symbolism.  However, when I think with my symbolic had, I understand, as Soulja Boy once rhymed, “N*ggas – we don’t give a f*ck!”  I suppose those ninjas didn’t either. 

Additionally symbolic is that shortly after the word ninja is said, one of Hollywood’s goons gets his head, separated in half from his mouth up.  A very gruesome and gory scene, the goon’s tongue is left flapping in the air as the rest of his body collapses to the ground.  It causes me to think of the Proverbs scripture “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

Hollywood and his goons are being attacked by shadows that they cannot see. They default to futilely attempt to defend themselves with their guns and bullets. They are scared, but they appear to be suffering from toxic levels of proudness and pridefulness. This part of the scene appears to symbolically show how many young people around the world have chosen to deal with their insecurity, low self-esteem and high self-hatred by picking up guns in attempt to eradicate their feelings of powerlessness.  Yes, carrying and using weapons is the only way some people feel secure in who they are.  I literally just had a counseling session within the previous week where a young man whom I’m very fond of, who told me that he feels most manly, powerful and strong when he has a gun in his hand.  Sadly, I have heard that sentiment several times from young men under the age of 20.  One of the things I believe is going on with many of these young people—particularly the kids—is that they are putting on a show, an act. Which causes me to believe that may be why the writers named the gang leader Hollywood.

Tattoo, Master tells Hollywood that he cannot “reason” with the ninjas because the ninjas are “not human…”  He says that are “demon[s] sent straight from hell.”  The essence of his words are unfortunately representative of how so many people in recent years, young and older, have embraced the idea of being Savage or being on so-called 'demon time'.

Agent Corretti is played by a smart, alert, and beautiful Black woman.  Virtually the only Black person in the movie.  During a conversation with one of her colleagues she says, “The clans are real…they steal children and turn them into assassins.” Her assertion to her colleague illustrates how mental states and toxic, malicious cultures, steal the minds, spirits, and souls of some people and turned them into demons.  She then goes on to tell her colleague that he doesn’t have to believe her, but those clans are real and they are killing people she says.  Looking him in the eyes and finishing her statement by saying, “And no one’s doing a damn thing to stop them.” Does her statement sound familiar to any of you?

I interpreted Raizo’s (the main character) killing of the female ninja from one of the Ozunu clans, in the laundry-mat, as a message that their needs to be a cleaning out of the environment, a cleansing of souls, and ridding of the hate in their blood (possibly illustrated with the females blood dripping out of the washing machine).  I also believe that the blood dripping out of the washing machine represents a need to stop “bloody cycles,” that have lurked throughout parts of humanity.  I rewatched the scene and recognized that Raizo put a coin into the washing machine before the deadly altercation began, to which I believe that coin signifies how being a vigilante or separating from the crowd-thinking can be costly.

Ozunu, the antagonist in the movie and leader of the ninja assassins, appears to steal children not only of Asian ethnicity, but of other ethnicities as well. Could this be a simple attempt to increase his number of ninjas or a sign of his desire for global domination and power?  I do not know the answer to that question.  However, for years I have stated that gangster rap culture appears to have an open door policy for lost souls; accepting any and everyone with no requirements other than to be spiritually lost, to have low self-esteem, and to a heavy amount of self-hatred.  Ozunu’s clan seems to require similar qualifications.  If the viewer is being neutral, they may acknowledge that Ozunu is a very wise man.  The devil is also described by many as such.

Ozunu teaches his students that they must hate weakness in others and hate the weakness that lay in themselves.  With that teaching, I believe it is there where we find roots of self-hatred that illustrates the thinking and mentality that can be correlated to hostile aggression and malicious violence in the world…Interestingly, narrator in the movie later says, “Own the meaning of a man’s life and you own his heart.”  

When Ozunu pierces Raizo’s stomach with his fingers, and tells him his new mission in that moment is to “survive the night,” we next see Raizo laying in agony in a fetal position (looking like he’s inside of a womb [or stomach]). This may symbolize 1) the pain of entering into this world during delivery.  Furthermore, if we look deeper int the word delivery and break it down further, it contains the words die and live; as pain can come in both living and dying.  Secondly, I think this scene denotes a desire for the love and protection of his biological mother and father.  From an Afrikan Centered and Jungian psychology perspective, there is so many possible ideas with the significance of the womb.

Kiriko, a young lady and fearless soul who REJECTS being a captive and a ninja assassin (which I love about her), and seems to have a crush on Raizo, playfully puts her ear by his chest to listen to his heart.  He tells her that he does not have a heart because he has been influenced by Ozunu to believe that.  She removes her ear from his chest and looks at him and says that his heart said hello to her and told her that it misses him.  Profound.  What a brilliant young lady.  Her words are profound symbolism that are symbolic of how some people have been convinced that they are heartless.  At this point in my career, I have counseled thousands of people and I have encountered many souls with beauty clearly inside of them, but are convinced that they are heartless individuals.  All awhile having their spiritual heart still inside of them, crying for a reconnection with them so that they can reestablish unity with the soul and become the true self.

Kiriko’s imprisonment after she attempts to escape, to me, actually symbolizes her freedom.  Very similar to how Muhammad Ali refused to fight in the war and was eventually socially imprisoned by the media for it.  He lost about 3.5 years of his peak years in boxing but he had already found his freedom before that.  Some people do not have the courage and fearlessness to live free, despite their circumstances.  Kiriko did.  Ali did.

When Ozunu had Raizo assassinate the man in the bathroom and bring him back the man’s gold watch, Ozunu told him to “keep it.” Then Ozunu directed Raizo to murder another female that attempted to escape the clan.  At that moment in “time,” Raizo decided to “retire” (think gold watch) from the clan himself and proceeded to strike and scar Ozunu’s face with his blade.  I did not think of this when watching the movie but as I am writing this blog I am realizing how Raizo and his peers were all enslaved; which causes me to mention that it may not be a coincidence that his weapon of choice are blades at the ends of chains.  In recent history in America, a gold watch may be given by an employer to an employee who is retiring from a job after giving loyalty and long-term service to the company. I interpret the gold watch as Raizo being done with his loyalty and service to a malicious culture.  That very decision is emblematic of the significance of liberating oneself from malicious ideologies, cultures, and evil in general.

Seeing that the Ozuna clan houses themselves inside of a mountain that appears to be in the secretive place shows that the spirit of evil has to hide itself. For as bold as it is as an energy, it doesn’t have the courage to live among the people because it understands that it would not survive amongst goodness.

The fighting scenes between law-enforcement and the Ozunu clan illustrates the unfortunate reality that fighting evil is a war. 

Ozunu keeps referring to the clan as a family; despite the clan itself having no hesitation to murder their own kind. I ask you a question I asked previously; does this sound familiar?  Then within minutes of referring to the clan as family, Ozunu makes a contradicting statement and says, “Most children are disappointments. Not worth the effort to raise.” This is a good cinematic way to show that any person or being that intentionally creates a culture founded and built in hate, cannot healthily and appropriately be in-love with any of its members.  Perhaps his quote about children being disappointments produces humans like him. 

There was a heavy sprinkling of the idea of the heart, both physically and existentially throughout the movie. Tattoo master and agent Coretti were both born with their hearts in the opposite side of their chest.  One of my elders once told me that you must protect your heart because if it gets pierced, you die. I could easily say that the symbolism of their hearts being in the opposite location in their chest is representative of their heart being in the wrong place at the right time, but that would not transcend the fact that they still have a heart, no matter its location in their body.  As Kiriko said before she lost her human life, “the heart of the tree knows which way it needs to grow.”

Thank you for taking the time to read this reflection. I hope it has offered you more KAnsciousness™, clarity, and perspective—whether about this film, cultural symbolism, or your own journey.  If nothing else, I encourage you to elevate your desire to watch movies some enlightenment and not solely for entertainment. 

If nothing else, I encourage you to approach movies not only for entertainment, but also as opportunities for reflection and enlightenment.

And finally—cheers to continuing to assassinate the N-word mentality.

#ExpandYourPerspectVe

© PerspectVe • 09/28/2025 • Pittsburgh, PA