David del Real
Note: Most of my reviews contain spoilers, but I always try that none of these spoilers "can actually spoil" any important surprise in the narrative arc, so you can read without worrying.Basilisk is a story set in the early days of the Tokugawa period and narrates the fight between two clans of ninja warriors. Even when this story and its fighting is completely embedded in fantasy, it is important to say that the Ninjutsu styles of both the Iga and the Kouga actually exist in real life with the names of Kouga-Ryu and Iga-Ryu. For history lovers, I also need to give a small warning: In this anime, in opposition to what most historians and fans of anime and Japan history think, here, Yeyasu Tokugawa is depicted as a villain. Well, it is just a novel and an anime and it is only this author's opinion, or this author's particular view for his story, so NO OFFENSE TAKEN for fans of Yeyasu Tokugawa; to many...the best Shogun in Japan history. Tokugawa, here, is actually one of the most important villains in the plot because the competition between the two clans is actually decided by him and one of his allies, in order to find a way to choose a heir without having people loyal to him dead, so they decide to make a competition between two clans, one clan favoring one possible heir, one clan the other.This is a great show that has a little bit of everything: Great animation, interesting and appealing characters, fantasy, some history-based moments, martial arts and even a twist of horror (even Gore-like) at some points.That said, I hope that these lines help you to decide to give this anime a try if you haven't seen it, or give you a pair of interesting data you didn't know about this great anime if you have already enjoyed it.Thanks for readingKi o Tsukete ( "Take care" or "be well" in Japanese)IMDb Review by David del Real. Ciudad de México, México. October 1st, 2017.
billyboy_88
So I've been wondering for a long time if I should buy Basilisk or not. Well I finally bought it and have now seen it and I am very disappointed. Why?First of all there are so many characters to keep track of and get to know in such a short time that you end up not giving a rats ass about any of them. They are all shallow and one dimensional.Second reason is that its just plain boring. It keeps the same pace throughout pretty much the whole series, and that is a slow and undramatic one. witch doesn't always have to be a bad thing but here it is.The good things I guess is the animation which are fluid and nice in general. Some of the ninjas technique are awesome.But overall I thought basilisk was a pretty mediocre and impersonal anime series. And I don't recommend it.
jonathanh-3
Basilisk is a very good looking, serious and very well animated action packed ninja version of 'Romeo and Juliet' set in ancient Japan. It tells a compact and solid story about two rivaling ninja clans and their ninja. The story is pretty fast paced which kept me interested at all times and makes you care about the great characters in it. The animations in the series are one of the best-looking animations i have seen so far. Overall Basilisk is a pretty realistic anime for a ninjanime and has a lot of cruel, bloody and violent scenes, and a pretty good build up to the righteous violence climax, which makes it that much better.Definitely worth watching!!!rate it 8,4
lucius_420
It is simply an amazing show. Very well written. The story is about two ninja clans, the Iga and the Koga, who are ordered to assemble their ten best warriors to kill each other until only one side lives. Apparently there are two illegitimate heirs to the shogunate and whichever side wins will determine the next shogun. Meanwhile, the plot addresses a beautiful love story that is doomed, politics, martial arts, and philosophy. The artwork is superb. The music is decent. It is very similar to the script of the live action movie called Shinobi that came out not too long ago. It also has an association to the classic Ninja Scroll movie, where there are these ninjas who each have different mystical powers that are unique to them alone. It does great justice to Ninja Scroll, unlike a few other attempts to recreate that great story which is culled from myth. Of course, the myth was created because of the disappearance for many years of the real Jubei Yagyu when no one knew what he did during that time. He was the son of Munenori Yagyu, who was one of two or three instructors in the martial arts to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and his family. Munenori's father Muneyoshi had learned the Shinkage-Ryu or "shadow art" based on psychological martial skills and created the Yagyu Shinkage-Ryu. In roughly the same part of the mountain ranges in the area where the Yagyu village still is was an area that had practitioners of the occult arts or voodoo. Many mythological traditions like to combine the two together because it makes for a wild array of skill combinations one person might have had. These stories are mostly fiction based on myths but they do have connections to real people and real events in Japan's history. Munenori left behind some writings about his art. In his book 'The Life Giving Sword' he says that you must make your mind clear like still water reflecting the full moon so that whatever thoughts are directed at you are reflected back upon the attacker and then you will be able to react with the proper counter measure to anything that comes at you and he says that this concept can be applied to more than just physical combat but also to business and politics and any walk of life. (or something along those lines)