Basilisk

Written by Little_Wolf-18 on May 19, 2013 at 11:21 AM

Set Romeo and Juliet in a ninja world and make it awesome, and you’ve got Basilisk. Or at least something along those lines.


Now I’ve always been a lover of the serious, dark, dramatic type of anime, especially if there’s a historical setting to them, and “Basilisk” is just that. Thus, it may not be surprising that I count it among my favourites; but it may not be for everyone.

It may not be an utterly original setup. “Basilisk” does play on a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque premise, which has been used over and over again in literature and other works of fiction; and where it stays compelling, it’s never quite surprising how such works tend to play out. In that sense, “Basilisk” may not be utterly new; yet it’s definitely gripping, and still with a good handful of quite unexpected twists.

The story goes fast, and there may be moments at the beginning where it’s hard to keep track. It never quite slows down, either; at the most, it issues a flashback into the past, or takes on a more low-key, creepy tone. Nevertheless, the confusion tends to work itself out as the anime progresses, and the pace actually makes for much of this anime’s suspense. Each detail, from beginning to end, is important to the story; and when it begins to puzzle-piece together, and the bigger picture starts appearing, it becomes clear that this story, if not too original, is darn well thought-out.

It also rays authenticity; another aspect that makes for suspense. There’s the supernatural aspect, but that aside, “Basilisk” feels quite true to the time period it’s set in. Where the overall world and time, e.g. politics, may take a bit of a backseat at times, the characters and the overall design are believable for the time, and the anime never shies away from its subject--which is both good and bad, in a way, but I’ll get to that soon.

What also serves to set “Basilisk” apart from other anime is that there’s no apparent good and evil. There’s no shoving values in your face and no random last-minute hero. There’s misunderstandings, grudges, too-strict sticking to rules, but eventually, the viewer is able to empathise with both sides--which only adds to the tragic atmosphere of the entire anime, as well as to its depth.


The “ninja business” is conveyed quite well compared to most ninja anime out there. I won’t name anything in particular, but ninja in anime have often been flashy wielders of elemental powers, supernatural throwing knives, and whatnot. Whereas that’s understandable--it isn’t called 'supernatural' for no reason--and it can be helluva lot entertaining, it’s not how historical ninja were, and “Basilisk”, while still stressing the supernatural aspect quite a bit, conveys the shadowy moves of historical ninja quite a bit better than a lot of other anime out there.


All that would be naught without the characters, however. They’re very well-developed, and quite complex individuals, each with their motivations, aims, emotions, and so on. In short, they’re compelling, on both sides, which again makes it harder to choose one. Though some of them at first seem to be introduced as cannon fodder only, they all come to play significant roles as the anime progresses. It helps that the viewer is able to feel with them easily. There’s honest emotion, and though the atmosphere kind of changes towards the darker side throughout the show, it definitely adds to the suspense and compelling-ness. Character dynamics are very well-done; hate, love, and everything inbetween are conveyed realistically.

The dialogue script tends to be slightly lacking at times, but it’s still quite intelligent, and the voice acting is certainly up there. Even the English voice actors do a good job, nevermind a few (understandable) mispronunciations of Japanese names.


The music surprises with rather traditional background music, adding to the historical feel. Also, the opening and ending pieces are quite enjoyable IMO. The art is expressive and detailed; and though the pastel colouring tends to look a bit washed-out, taking away from the realism, it adds to the historical and “dark” feel of this anime. Character design is also quite interesting and realistic-looking; especially the unusual eye design caught my eye, pun fully intended.

The animation is smooth and detailed, with quite amazing sound effects. Every character has a fitting special ability; the resulting battle scenes are fast, with topnotch choreography, although they tend to get very bloody... and some of the ninja abilities are nothing short of puke-worthy. Like I said before, “Basilisk” doesn’t shy away from its subject...

I might not be entirely into those very bloody and/or violent shows (I don’t know how I always manage to stumble over them, either ^^"). Nevertheless, “Basilisk” counts as one of my favourites. It’s intriguing; filled to the brim with both action and emotion, as well as a huge dose of suspense. It’s exciting, and where it may not be utterly surprising, it is comparably unpredictable for this kind of setup. And it doesn’t just shove values in your face either. If you care to dig as deep, it’s a series that can actually make you think not just about the story presented, but also about human nature and life, which is quite amazing in itself. Due to its pacing and suspense, it’s also pretty darn sure to rope viewers in on the first episode and not let go until the show is through.

Be warned however that it is brutal as much as it is intriguing; it’s an aspect I personally was pretty torn about at first. It’s brutal in both the visual and the emotional sense of the word. Where there’s honest emotion, even romance, there’s a feel of desperation conveyed throughout. And the amount of violence and blood definitely isn’t for the faint of heart or stomach either. It’s gripping, yes; but it’s shocking all the same, and as such will only be for the older audience out there, and even among those won’t be for everyone.

If you know what you’re in for, though, “Basilisk” is definitely one of the best in terms of dark, suspenseful ninja action, with its fair amount of romance and intrigues; and though I did have my doubts about it at first, I can honestly say I count this among my favourites.


Thanks for the read.~