Anime Review: Basilisk
Genre: Action, Adventure, Romance, Supernatural, Samurai, Ninja
Episodes: 24
Overall thoughts: Not for those who get emotionally attached to characters
Distributor: Madman
Basilisk is an anime I bought a while back on a whim, is an anime I have watched through multiple times and is an anime that I am rarely able to discuss with others, because, for whatever reason, Basilisk seems to have slipped under quite a few anime watchers’ radars.
Set in the 1600s, with a no hostilities pact between the ever known Kouga and Iga ninja clans (shout out to Shintaro – The Samurai) keeping them from destroying one another in an explosion of generations hatred and bloodlust. The stage is set when it is determined that one of the sons of Hidetada Tokugawa is to be the next shogun and that which of the two would be decided based on a war between the Kouga and the Iga. And then we meet our “Romeo and Juliet”, Gennosuke and Oboro, a couple arranged to be bound by marriage in an attempt to bring peace between the two clans.
Over the course of the story, Basilisk takes every moment it can to emphasize on each of the main characters’ lives and personalities, even in the thick of battle. Picking a favourite becomes all too easy even if based solely on the outrageous set of ninja abilities the 10 representatives possess. However, my warning is that nothing is sacred in Basilisk, so having high hopes of your favourite character surviving is more than likely a bad idea.
Out of the entirety of Basilisk, I think what made me love it so much was the writing for the most antagonistic character of the bunch. I actually found myself hating this character so much that I wanted them to die. I had never before actually felt hatred towards a character as if they were someone who had wronged me personally. In actual fact, I generally find myself able to sympathize with a lot of villains and antagonists. As weird as it is to say, I very much enjoyed having this weird sense of hatred.
Basilisk is definitely worthy of taking some time out of your life to add another anime to your list. Check it out, and I look forward to reading your thoughts on the characters and the story in general in the comments.
Let us know what you think about this post in the comments section below or connect with us on the Amine Sydney Facebook or Twitter!
