Series Synopsis
In the late 16th century of Feudal Japan, two rival clans of shinobi find themselves in a deadly feud which has lasted for centuries. On one side are the Iga Tsubagakure and on the other the Kouga Manjidani. While the two despise each other, a tentative cease fire has been in effect for some time.
It is the year 1614 and a succession dispute erupts within the Tokugawa Shoguante. To settle the issue, and without risking the lives of the Tokugawa, it is decided that the two clans will determine who the new successor will be. To do this, the Iga and Kouga will have ten of their strongest fighters engage in a blood battle, thus nullifying the cease fire pact that has kept these two powerful and frightening groups in check.
This is all the more terrifying because these are not your normal ninja. Each side possesses a variety of super natural powers. They are indeed the deadliest warriors in Japan.
While many on both sides are thrilled to see the cease fire finally gone, two have been trying to peacefully end the long lasting feud and have the groups become one. Gennosuke Kouga (voiced by Kosuke Toriumi) and Oboro Iga (voiced by Nana Mizuki) have been courting each other for some time, with the pair soon to be married. Amongst all the bad blood, these two would like nothing more than to see an end to the needless fighting.
However with the cease fire over, the two are forced to decide between whether they can stay together or if they must kill the other.Series Positives
This show is cool, I mean really cool. It's one of those series where you tell yourself that you're going to watch just one more episode and then go to sleep. Suddenly you have watched five, it's two in the morning, and you need to get up in a few hours. Yeah, one of those shows.
 |
| Gennosuke Kouga |
The Story
The basic premise of the story is solid. I mean feuding clans made up of highly skilled, highly powerful warriors trying to eliminate each other. What’s not to like?
 |
| Oboro Iga |
There is no mistaking it, these people despise one another and find no greater pleasure than killing each other off. Nearly every shinobi has been waiting for the day when the cease fire would finally be over. Once they got that, all hell breaks loose and they waste no time making up for years of the unwanted peace. To put it in perspective, the whole series takes place within the span of ten days.
Now while the main set up of the story is good, there are a ton of small details you will need to pick up and remember. So there are many times where you are left confused on what someone just said and how it is relevant. This is only a small problem and it doesn’t really warrant its own segment in the negatives section of this review, because the series does an outstanding job by staying on point. These guys hate each other and when they meet, someone is most likely going to die.
The Fights
In a show like this, there is no question that there is going to be a ton of fighting. And you will not be disappointed.
The characters are all highly skilled killers. Simple sword play would have made a rather interesting spectacle to see. However these are not your normal class of ninja. They are closer to demons with their super human abilities.
There are shinobi who are able to stretch their limbs, control their hair like extra hands, and shoot web like bindings from their mouth. Others are masters of stealth; one has the ability to form their face to look like anyone, while another is able to hide within surfaces. There are ninja that use seduction, magic, and trickery. No one is the same and you get to see all of them.
Most battles are varied in the sense that you don’t often see the same two fighters face each other more than once. Because of the vast diversity of skills, one Iga is better suited to a certain Kouga and vice versa. On paper both clans are evenly matched, each with their own strengthens and weaknesses. All that being said, the fights bring with them a glaring flaw with the overall show. I will touch on this more later.
The Dojutsu
All of the shinobi have their own fighting styles that make them extremely dangerous and they are all interesting. But none of them hold a candle to Gennosuke’s Dojutsu.
Because of this move alone, Gennosuke is the most dangerous person in the series.
The Dojutsu is a hypnosis technique. Should anyone look into Gennosuke’s eyes while fighting him, the battle is already over. How it works is that it takes all the anger an attacker has and turns it around, resulting in the attacker killing themselves instead of Gennosuke. This move provides some of the biggest Holy S@#% moments in the entire show.
The Soundtrack
If I was limited to only giving you one reason why Basilisk is great, it would be the music. The series sounds amazing. Take away all the character's voices and all the other sound effects; you would know exactly what is going on and how to feel with the soundtrack alone.
Every emotion you experience while watching can be attributed to the music. Never does it feel misplaced or distracting.
The best example of this is the moment when the nullification of the cease fire is finally known by all the players. The Iga are the first to learn of the news and make a solid effort at killing off as many of their rivals as possible before the Kouga figure out what is going on. But the second it is discovered and that music hits, you know that there can be no turning back; it is on. On a side note, this is the same scene where you first see the Dojutsu. Coincidence, I think not.
Series Negatives
So what is wrong with Basilisk you ask? A few things actually.
A Rough Beginning
I have already said that the story is good. I did not say that it's perfect. The first few episodes feel very lopsided.
This is because only one clan, the Iga, know what is going on. Naturally they take this advantage to eliminate as many Kouga as possible. Nothing wrong with that and it make sense. So what is the problem?
The problem is how the two clans are described to us. They are built up as being two very dangerous groups that are a real threat to each other. However the Kouga in the first few episodes don’t match up to this benchmark.
Yes the Iga have the element of surprise and yes it would make sense that because of that, the Kouga would lose a couple members rather early. But the Kouga come off as push overs and each time one is taken out it feels too easy.
The show is about highly skilled ninja and you expect to see that. When you don’t get that right away you feel lied to. The show is able to keep you around during this part because once the Kouga first start suspecting that something is wrong, they being to show their true abilities.
Luckily this is all resolved when the Kouga final piece together the truth. It then becomes clear that they are in fact on par with the Iga.
Cheap Shots
The fights are cool and they happen often. But there is a surprising lack of death. Most of the characters are taken out because of a cheap shot instead of by skill. I can only recall three fights resulting in death, and one of them was because it was one against four.
The series does point out that we are dealing with ninja and not samurai. While the clans do have a strong sense of honor, they are not above taking any advantage they can get in order to win. No one has any qualms about stabbing someone in the back.
This in its self is not the problem, but these dirty tactics usually happen after a fight. What I am saying is that one person does all the work, but someone else seems to take the glory.
Character Development
The show does have character development, but it is done in such a haphazard way that it's useless.
The two most developed characters are, by no surprise, Gennosuke and Oboro. Then what of the others? When they are introduced you see them as killers, nothing more. But then the show does something weird. It tries to humanize them.
Wait, why is that a bad thing?
It's bad because by the time the show gets around to it, most members of both clans are already dead. If the series was trying to make each death mean something, it makes it impossible when you have seen a character already die as killer.
Final Thoughts
If you like sword fighting, if you like super powered beings, if you like a good romance, you will like Basilisk.
It is something that you will find hard to stop watching until it is over. When it does end you feel satisfied and thoroughly entertained. With a strong story and a great cast of characters, there is plenty to love and enjoy. Also the show has some of the best music in any anime.
I highly recommend that you check this series out. Go and have a great time.
 |
| Google+ Facebook Twitter |
Others in the Basilisk Series
| photo b |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment