1614 A.D. The
Tokugawa Shogunate reigns supreme in Japan.
A succession dispute has arisen between Ieyasu Tokugawa’s two grandsons
and a conflict seems inevitable.
Tokugawa proposes an alternate solution: rather than have two armies
slaughter each other, the Shogunate commissions two long time rival Ninja
clans-The Kouga and Iga, to select ten members for a battle to the death, both
representing a Tokugawa heir. Finally
free of an uneasy truce, the Kouga and Iga clans prepare to settle old scores
at long last. However, unbeknownst to
both, a romance has blossomed between Kouga and Iga heirs Gennosuke and
Oboro. Both have been selected to lead
their Clans to war with one another.
Blood will flow again but can their love survive it?
We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet: two wide eyed
youths from two feuding families who fall in love, which ends in one of the
greatest tragedies in all of literature.
We’ve seen it retold in stage productions and feature films: both in a
classic Shakespearean manner and as the untouchable West Side Story. But…and here me out on this…what if you
decided to tell the Romeo and Juliet saga in Anime…with Ninjas? Cause that’s basically what Basilisk is and
man does the first episode get things going in the best possible way.
The funny thing about Basilisk’s premiere is that we
don’t even see the series leads: Kouga Clans Gennosuke and Iga’s Oboro. Instead, we are treated to the history of
their grandparents and a similar love they shared together before destiny
decided to screw with them. It’s a short
tale but nonetheless as tragic as most doomed romances in this vein tend to
be. And yet, the flashback to Danjou and
Ogen’s past is one of the most beautifully told episodes I think ive ever seen
in an Anime. What surprises me further
is that Basilisk is being done by Studio Gonzo, a group I haven’t really shown
a lot of favor to in the past. Normally
their projects don’t end up on the strongest end of the Anime spectrum. But Basilisk shows immediate promise not just
through it’s storytelling but through it’s animation quality. Basilisk looks light years better than
Hellsing, Peacemaker Kurogane or Full Metal Panic Season One. It’s astonishing what an Anime Studio can do
even if youre not a fan of some of their past works.
And then there’s the premise. Yes, I know it’s going to be Romeo and Juliet
in nature but it’s Romeo and Juliet with FREAKING NINJAS: two teams of ten to
be exact. Judging from the small
demonstration both clans put on for the Shogun, I think this is going to be one
of the most blood soaked but awesome battle royales in all of Anime. It makes me wonder if Basilisk is capable of
a tough balancing act: a tale of potentially doomed romance and Ninja vs. Ninja
action. Personally id hope one wouldn’t overtake
the other…but then im also a big fan of action Anime and I cant wait to see
what other Kouga and Iga showdowns look like with ten very different warriors
on each team.
I guess what I just said sums up my thoughts: yeah, id
like to continue with this one. Animated
above the standards one would expect from Gonzo, beautifully scored music,
insane Ninja action and a strong sense of emotion in the romance, Basilisk
might just be the Romeo and Juliet retelling that could match West Side Story
for Best Adaption of one of the greatest love stories of all time…and it’s with
freaking Ninjas too. How could you not
want to find an excuse to show this one off to an English class to show
Shakespeare handled in other mediums?
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