Basilisk: Kouga Ninpou Chou

Story: (9/10) - Great The story is simple - two warring ninja clans kill each other. Don't let the simple plot fool you though, there is a forbidden love story thrown into the mix aswell, and that is pulled off well. The best way to describe this would be a ultra-violent Romeo and Juliet sort of story. I enjoyed the story very much, but it had it's flaws. Many of the characters that appear only last for a few episodes, and I felt that they could have been kept along just a bit longer. But, after all, the main premise of this anime is two ninjaclans killing each other, so I'm not really that upset. Art: (10/10) - Outstanding This is some of the best art I have ever seen in Anime, period. I am not exaggerating one bit. Even if you don't like the plot, the sound, or the characters, you should watch this Anime just for the art. If I could rate the art eleven out of ten, I would. Simply epic art. Much detail is put into everything that you see. The backgrounds are rich and colorful, but not too colorful, and seem to pop out of the screen at you. The characters are well designed, and convincing. Even some of the CGI, although it is rarely used, is well done. The only bad point I would give the art would be that some of the characters were designed rather oddly, with massive deformations which takes away from the otherwise blatant realism of this Anime. Sound: 9/10 - Great There really isn't much to say about the sound. I watched this series dubbed for the first five episodes then switched over to subtitles. The dub is well done, but it is very strange watching Ninja's in seventeenth century Japan speaking English. The subtitles are well done, but they were a tad bit small for my taste, although I do have rather bad vision. The one bad point about the sound is that a lot of the characters that are voiced are given very unrealistic voices, and it is hard to see a character in real life speaking that way. Also, some of the sound effects are a bit overdone. Character: 8/10 - Very Good The characters aren't anything special in themselves, but a good amount of character development is done. As said earlier, the two main characters resemble Romeo and Juliet, in a forbidden love scenario. A complaint I have about the characters is also as mentioned before in the art section -- many of them are massively deformed with huge tumors and the like. I am not sure if they meant to do this to show that they had no modern medicine, but some of the deformations are so over the top that they would be almost impossible in real life unless the character was suffering from a severe case of elephantiasis. Also, some of the characters are killed off way too soon, and I feel that they could have had use in the plot. Enjoyment - 10/10 - Outstanding I watched this show in a matter of three days, which is pretty good if you ask me. This series if very, very enjoyable, one of the best around. If you have some spare time, I would recommend putting aside a weekend and marathoning it with some friends. This anime has a rather good re watch value also. Overall: 9/10 - Great This is a very good anime series, and despite some of it's flaws, is a must see for any fan. I would say that about 95% of the people who watch this will like it. I would say that this series is appropriate for children over the age of fifteen, because it does include violence, scenes of rape, nudity, blood, and mildly suggestive themes. Main Verdict - Buy, rent, or download this anime -- it is great!

Oh my word, this has got to be the greatest ninja/shinobi anime ever made. It is romantic, gory, action-packed, dramatic, deep and beautiful in every way. The story is a revamp of the old Kouga/Iga ninja conflict. It is interesting and involving. The story is a historical piece, but it becomes so much more because it reminds you that the people involved were PEOPLE, who had lives and loves and everything in-between. The plot follows a bloody death match; there's execution-style story-telling, and it reels you in from the first episode to the chilling final one. The art was excellent. Couldn't do any better. Ithas a unique style, the colour pallet was amazing, the background art was gorgeous and the animation was astounding (excellent fight scenes). The characters were deep and three-dimensional. There are more than 10 people you will see who has the focus on the anime on them, but each is interesting and has a backstory to them so it helps us understand who they are. If you think Naruto is the greatest ninja anime ever, this isn't for you, because you wouldn't know quality if it stuck you in the eye with a kunai. There was nothing unfabulous about this anime, so do watch it.

I absolutely adored Basilisk. Firstly, it probably had the most beautiful and well designed graphics in all the animes i have watched. The characters are well drawn, and the backgrounds and sceneries are simply breathtaking. It is most certainly a breath of fresh air from lesser animes with low quality graphics. Secondly, Basilisk is extremely fast paced. Expect to see lots of action in every episode, and at least one person dying in each episode. This is widely in contrast with slow paced but highly raved about anime like Naruto. Furthermore, the fight scenes are well paced and thought out. It is anyone's guess who getsto fight who next, keeping one in much suspense throughout the show. Also, this anime is not just about killing and fighting and killing and fighting. Because, underneath these violence belies the main crux of the story, which is the tragic love between both main characters of the opposing clans which spanned two generations. The final episode is a fitting albeit predictable (to most) ending to the story, and is simply touching. Expect to shed more than a few buckets of tears, if you are the emotional sort. Moreover, the reminiscence episode in the middle of the series brings in a tone of bittersweet happiness of the characters' past, which showed that the beginning of an acceptance of each clan before the killings started. Lastly, i have to express my surprise that this series is not more well known than it is. And has grown to become one of my favorite animes. Highly recommended to all.

Embrace the endless fighting, killing, and the hatred and sorrow that come with it. Basilisk brings the viewers into a cycle of war between two powerful ninja clans. Throughout centuries, the Iga clan and the Kouga clan have known none other than animosity and vengeance towards each other. Amidst this purgatory, the head of Iga and the head of Kouga love each other and decided to end the centuries of conflict through the act of marriage. The story might sound familiar and you might have already predicted their vetoed aspiration to marry might not go smoothly, but Basilisk will still entertain you, not via its compellingstory, but the journey through its death valley and the flesh enriching characters walking on it. The highlight of the series is its character designs. The distinct physical appearances that match their unique fighting styles are visually pleasing. On the inside, their individual personalities and the way each character thinks and behaves are unexampled and unmistakably their own. People die mercilessly in Basilisk but none were discarded carelessly. It is clear, with much effort put into defining each of these characters; their deaths are as delineating as they were alive. “These are not samurais, they are ninjas, and they do not know honour.” A very harsh world is portrayed here. Behind the post of a ninja and their duties to their respective clans, their humanity and emotions surface between battles and through flashbacks. Each character is not just a chess piece to be manipulated at will. They fall in love; are fuelled by personal desires and self-esteem, the characters might not work under their clan jurisdiction in total faith. A lack of oversight from clan leaders might give rise to a costly mistake, for each individual will choose which choice to take themselves. The animation is great. The fighting is fluid but each move is profound and every contact is crisp both in visual and sound. The ninjas don’t wear bright orange jackets or have fancy haircuts that give them away like eyesore in the darkness. The art pallet in Basilisk is dark, gloomy and stays true to the hellish period with endless bloodshed when peace is an unobtainable luxury. The supernatural element added to the show makes attacks exciting and unpredictable. Many scenes are gory from decapitation to blood rivers and some rape scenes are present which need a pair of headphones if watching with other ears around. At times, it was irritating to not see clearly such fine animated choreography under a deservedly brighter spotlight. I watched this in English dubbed. It was pleasing to hear honourifics being spoken out loud comfortably. The voice actresses didn’t waver or fear screaming of pleasure in those sex scenes, and the males were never afraid to pronounce bizarre exclaims. However, the girls were too quiet in certain dialogue, but this is usual in English dubbed anime. Sound effects were good. Shout out to its latter ending soundtrack. Basilisk doesn’t cram fanservice but Gonzo certainly knows how to draw the female body parts, from lips to legs, in an erotic manner. The nudity is far between, but when on screen it doesn’t inflate to eclipse the action. A strong contender for the historical, adventure genre, Basilisk is Gonzo at their best.

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