Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League review: Warner Bros. Japan delivers an amusing spectacle that goes beyond its prequel

With the Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League movie released worldwide digitally on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, fans finally got to witness the sequel to the 2018 Kamikaze Douga film Batman Ninja. While the sequel movie's ridiculousness is off the charts, one cannot deny that it is an entertaining watch for fans of both DC Comics and anime.

While Kamikaze Douga's production quality was top-notch, what made the movie stand out even more was its concept, which gives fans an iteration of a long-argued debate within the comic book community: who would win in a fight, the Bat Family or the Justice League?

With that in mind, let's take a deep dive into the Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League movie to analyze what the finished product looks like and what makes it stand out compared to the prequel movie. The review will cover aspects such as narrative, production quality, and more.

Disclaimer: This article may contain spoilers from the Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League movie.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League's narrative gives comic book fans an amusing take on a long-argued debate

Yakuza Hurricane as seen in Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (Image via Kamikaze Douga)

While the Batman Ninja movie had an exciting narrative that saw the Bat Family travel back in time to Feudal Japan, the concept seemingly did not sit well with everyone. This is because the story's circumstances pushed it away from its core, i.e., it did not feel like a Batman movie but a historical anime using characters from DC Comics.

That's not the case for Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League as the story's core, i.e., superheroes, was retained by the concept of "ninkyou," a supposed code of honor among yakuza.

The movie's story begins just a day after the Bat Family returns from Feudal Japan. However, everything wasn't how they had left it, as the entire island of Japan and the heroes of the Justice League no longer existed. On top of that, before they could wrap their heads around what was going on, a Yakuza Hurricane hit Gotham City. Yes, as the name suggests, actual members of the Yakuza rained down on Gotham City, and apparently, it was normal.

Ahsa as seen in Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (Image via Kamikaze Douga)

Moments later, the Bat Family realized that Japan was floating over Gotham City, and it was being ruled over by the Hagane Family, or as dubbed by Ra's al Ghul and Damian Wayne/Robin, "The Yakuza League."

As one could predict, the Yakuza League consisted of the members of the Justice League, namely Zeshika the Emerald Ray (Jessica Cruz/Green Lantern), Ahsa the Aqua Dragon (Arthur Curry/Aquaman), The Fleet of Foot Bari (Barry Allen/The Flash), and Kuraku the Man of Steel (Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman).

The only good thing was that Wonder Woman or The Eagle Goddess Daiana had not turned evil and instead opposed the Hagane Family by following the concept of ninkyou.

Batman, Daiana, and Robin as seen in Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (Image via Kamikaze Douga)

As outlandish as this concept may seem to first-time anime watchers, this movie gives comic book fans a fresh take on something they have been wondering for years. Would the Bat Family be able to stop the Justice League if they ever go astray?

Movies and games such as Justice League: Doom, Young Justice, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and Injustice: Gods Among Us have all explored the concept partially and have given their take on the same. However, this may be the first time fans get to see the entire Bat Family battle against the Justice League, bar Wonder Woman.

Needless to say, the movie is very exciting and has several exciting match-ups for fans to witness. Not to mention, the Bat Family has retained their ninja gimmicks from the previous movie since it has only been a day since they returned from Feudal Japan.

Production quality and cast performances

Ra's al Ghul as seen in Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (Image via Kamikaze Douga)

After animating Batman Ninja, Kamikaze Douga did not back down on Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, as the production quality remained top-notch compared to the prequel movie. The artwork was detailed, and the animation looked beautiful with the new reimagined character designs of the Justice League.

Instead of her general Green Lantern outfit, Jessica Cruz was dressed in a kimono with several "Green Lantern" ornaments holding her hair. While Aquaman did not seem very different, his clothes resembled that of a fisherman.

The Flash looked like he had retained his normal superhero outfit. The only difference was that he wore a robe and a hat over it. Wonder Woman wore a kimono and had some gold embellishment over her right shoulder.

Zeshika as seen in Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (Image via Kamikaze Douga)

Lastly, Superman could be seen donning a blue robe and a red haori to resemble his original outfit. On top of that, he wore aviator glasses, which might either be an element added to show he was from the Yakuza or a node to his human persona, Clark Kent.

However, something that surprisingly struck viewers was the OST for the individual members of the Yakuza League, especially that of Zeshika the Emerald Ray. While each OST matched the characters and their personality, Zeshika's OST stood out with a bratty cool undertone suited for the youth.

As for cast performances, needless to say, the voice actors did a great job. While the cast members of the Bat Family were the same as in the previous movie, the Justice League members were voiced by new cast members. Ayane Sakura as Zeshika sounded entitled, Akio Ootsuka as Ahsa sounded proud, Nobuyuki Hiyama as Bari sounded cocky, Romi Park as Daiana sounded wise, and Takaya Kamikawa as Kuraku sounded wrathful.

Final thoughts on Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League

Bari as seen in Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (Image via Kamikaze Douga)

Warner Bros. Japan's Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is definitely a must-watch for someone who is into superheroes and anime. The movie is quite different from normal Batman movies, yet it does not stray away from them by maintaining its core.

That said, the movie does not entirely focus on detective work and battles but also features several funny gag moments that should be best left to be experienced first-hand. So, unless fans have some prenotion about the film due to its nature as an original story, comic book movie, or anime, any fan should enjoy it.