Well that…sucked. So that there’s no misunderstandings, I don’t mean that in regards to the finale overall. Even though we all knew how this tale of tragic love would probably play out, still witnessing it for myself…just sucks. Many could say the same for Romeo and Juliet and it most certainly can be said for Gennosuke and Oboro.
With many of the show super powered Koga and Iga off the board, the final duels of the series were a bit more small scale but more personal and still pretty epic. Akeginu, Saemon and Kagero all got death fitting of their characters and the roles theyd accepted in life. Akeginu and Saemon are especially sadder since they had begun to come around to Oboro and Gennosuke’s way of thinking about the future of their clans. Kagero had probs the second most tragic death of the finale, unable to be with Gennosuke even at the end, though ironically she probably could’ve kissed him properly when Oboro knocked her powers out.
But what about everyones horrific immortal rapist Tenzen? Well turns out immortality is more of a…technicality. It’s revealed there’s been…something living inside Tenzen for God knows how long that’s kept him alive for literally centuries. And his hatred for the Koga has driven him to keep the blood feud going no matter what it takes cause Tenzen is kind of insane and just kept getting away with it. God it was infuriating to see him survive death blows from Kagero and Hyouma just to get back up and shrug them off with that fraking grin of his. Anytime he was near Oboro or when he confronted Kagero and tortured her, it was truly hard to sit through (so don’t fault me I watched double speed just to get past it all). I said last week it would be fitting if he met his end at the hands of either Oboro and Gennosuke. Well as luck would have it, he got a combo: Death by decapitation via Gennosuke (who was still blind just FYI) and Oboro shutting his stupid parasite/demon/creature/thing down. I believe Thanos said it best and it applies here, “No resurrections this time.” Good riddance you douche.
Which brought us to the final showdown, both the quietest and yet most epic as it should have been. Let me get one gripe out of the way: Okufu. The Wet Nurse of one of the two Tokugawa heirs personally got herself involved in the war to make sure the Iga clan (aka the side she was backing) won. Hattori Hanzo details this ladies history of backstabbing insanity and says its perfectly ok for her to step in…WHY?! An unhinged wildcard like that is only begging for trouble. While she didn’t get in the way too much, her constant whining and screaming during the final battle left me hoping Hattori would shut her up somehow. The fact that Okufu gets off scot free in all of this bothers me, even if she doesn’t realize Gennosuke is letting the Iga clan win.
Right, the duel itself…there was no duel and there should’ve been no reason to suspect otherwise. Gennosuke and Oboro were always the most peace minded of their clans, a true beacon of hope for the future. Even when they did have to get their hands dirty, they did so without the glee their compatriots mostly showed. They hated this feud, this war, the damage it had done to their love and their future. If there was a true winner in all of this, it was Oboro for sticking to her guns and beliefs this whole time and only taking one life in this whole ordeal: rightfully so it was finishing off Tenzen. Her love for Gennosuke was so pure and tear jerking it felt right she ended things on her own terms, dying more for her love and what it represented rather than deciding the fate of a nations ruling body. While we did get one last moment of Golden Eye awesome from Gennosuke, using it to slaughter Okufu’s entourage when they tried to attack after Oboro died, it never took away from the spirit of the finales final seconds and it is very moving to see Gennosuke embrace Oboro in death the same way their Grandparents did back at the start of the series. It was a truly beautiful ending…marred only because Okufu couldn’t learn to STFU.
Before I get into final thoughts on Basilisk, I present the…
Final Casualty List
Koga
Hyouma-Dies from wounds sustained in battle with Koshirou (technically he died last week but was confirmed here)
Saemon-Caught in a trap by Tenzen and killed by Okufu’s retainers
Kagero-Dies from wounds inflicted from Tenzen’s torture
Gennosuke-Kills himself while embracing Oboro
Iga
Koshirou-Killed by Kagerou’s poison breath while distracted by Saemon
Akeginu-Killed by Kagero and Saemon disguised as Tenzen
Tenzen-Beheaded by Gennosuke and his healing parasite destroyed by Oboro (F*** YES)
Oboro-Kills herself rather than kill Gennosuke in a final duel
Basilisk is a great, action packed thrill ride with equal parts tragic romance, supernatural action and intricate mindgames. Both Koga and Iga clans have a memorable cast of characters with an array of skill and strategy that kept the game going well beyond when you’d think it would end. There were favorites, there were ones I despised entirely, and then there was one of the best romances in Anime: Gennosuke and Oboro. This is a story about centuries old hate trying to be stopped and the lengths some will go to end it and keep it going all at once. The ambiguity of the final outcome of Gennosuke and Oboro’s sacrifice matches that of Romeo and Juliet. Will the two families learn to coexist now or will the conflict continue? Factor all of this in with some of the best production work Studio Gonzo has ever done and you’ve got one of the best adaptations of the best tragic romance story of all time. It really was Romeo and Juliet meets Ninja Scroll and that sounds great to me.
8/10
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