REVIEW: ‘Shinobi no Ittoki,’ Episode 5 – “Cycle of Pain”

Shinobi no Ittoki is an action anime produced by Troyca. Having failed his last test, Ittoki desperately needs to pass the end-of-term practical exam to continue his training. But while the exam poses a significant problem on its own, the students from Koga Clan plan to use the exam as cover to murder Ittoki in Shinobi no Ittoki Episode 5.

This week’s episode opens with a look at Suzaku’s motivations for killing Ittoki. While this sequence goes a long way to explaining why the young man feels so much pain over the loss of not just his clan’s Chief but a personal mentor, it also shines an obvious spotlight on the flaw in Suzaku’s reasoning as well. While I wouldn’t say it is enough to make the would-be killer sympathetic, it certainly makes him more understandable.

While the Koga students are making their plans for Ittoki, he and Kousetsu begin crafting their plans for not only getting Ittoki through the test but ensuring his safety from the Koga clan’s students in Shinobi no Ittoki Episode 5. The duo must exercise extra caution with their work as a traitor is among their group.

With so much anger and violence swirling around Ittoki, the young man spends a short interlude in the story trying to find some peace. During this moment, he runs into the school’s headmaster, who chatted with him about ninjas and life.

This sequence is my only major complaint with Shinobi no Ittoki Episode 5. As the two talk, the Headmaster waxes on a bit about how ninjas are supposed to strive to bring peace to the world, even though such a dream is ultimately unattainable. These words would ring far less hollow if it weren’t for the fact that it is known to everyone at the school that Koga’s students intend to kill Ittoki, and the only response from instructors has been that Ittoki needs to deal with it. After all, as a ninja, if you don’t get caught, you don’t break a rule. This desire to maintain peace seems like something that would motivate the faculty to keep a close eye on Ittoki and help protect him from would-be killers while on their grounds, at least. The attitude and the actual policy are in stark contrast to make the former nothing short of hypocritical. I hope that before Ittoki’s time is done at the school, the staff are forced to take an honest hard look at how they handle such situations for future students.

While this moment of contradiction hurts one character in this story, another sees her time throughout this episode strengthening hers. Kousetsu has been Ittoki’s shield since he was dragged into this hidden world. Still, Shinobi no Ittoki Episode 5 elevates the young woman’s devotion to her future clan chief to a far greater level. The cold mask of duty is allowed to slip near the end of this episode, exposing that there is a more personal reason for her unwavering dedication to him, though what remains unclear.

The animation continues its solid delivery of this episode’s events. From the quiet downtime with his headmaster to the most challenging action moments, Ittoki’s journey through this story is never hindered by the visual’s delivery.

Shinobi no Ittoki Episode 5 is an exciting, pivotal moment in Ittoki’s story. I look forward to seeing what the aftermath of this episode’s events bring and where the tale will head next.

Shinobi no Ittoki Episode 5 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.