Why Netflixs House of Ninjas Doesnt Like to Say Ninja
Produced at Japan’s legendary Toho Studios that just delivered Godzilla Minus One and Shin Ultraman, Boyle was the only non-Japanese crew person on House of Ninjas. He relocated to Tokyo for 18 months during the production. Boyle also chose not to use an interpreter. Instead, he relied on his second language skills, which occasionally tripped him up because everyday conversational Japanese doesn’t include many of the specific technical terms used on Toho sets. But Boyle felt those miscommunications were bonding opportunities and he credits the top tier quality of the cast and crew for their tremendous support.
“I just decided to just dive right in and Kento’s confidence gave me confidence because he really pushed for me to be on board,” Boyle says. “Everybody wanted to make the same show. And I feel like in the end, that’s the most wonderful experience the director can ask for when everybody is aiming at the same bullseye instead of all over the place.”
House of Ninjas centers around the Tawara family, who are descendants of Hattori Hanzo. While that name might evoke the sword smith played by legendary Japanese action star Sonny Chiba in Kill Bill, the real Hanzo (1542-1597) was one of Japan’s most famous ninjas. He served Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), who established the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan (1603-1868). This is the same military dictator depicted as the fictionalized Lord Toranaga in James Clavell’s Shogun, with a redux miniseries coming to FX Hulu on Feb. 27.
The Tawaras are called back into service because their age-old rivals, the Fuma clan, who they thought they had destroyed, have resurfaced. Like the Hatfields and McCoys, the feud between these two shinobi clans is legendary. Here again, the show delved into authentic history.
“I did a deep dive. I was trying to find some corners of Ninja lore that maybe had been less explored,” Boyle says.
The Fuma clan traces back to Japan’s Sengoku period in the 15th and 16th centuries. There’s a museum dedicated to the Fuma ninja within Odawara castle, where House of Ninjas is set. The Fuma clan has a peculiar place in Japanese history.
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