Basilisk Discussion

[Contra Fates]

Basilisk (バジリスク～甲賀忍法帖～ ,Bajirisuku ~Kōga Ninpō Chō~, Basilisk: The Kōga Ninja Scrolls) is a Japanese manga and anime series. The manga was authored by Masaki Segawa and published in Japan in 2003 and 2004, based on the novel The Kouga Ninja Scrolls by Futaro Yamada published in 1958. The anime, produced in 2005 by Gonzo Studios, closely follows the manga aside from a handful of distinctions. The manga won the 2004 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga.[3] The manga was later followed by a sequel series titled The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls which was also based on a novel by Futaro Yamada.

The story takes place in the year 1614. Two ninja clans, Tsubagakure of the Iga and Manjidani of Kouga, battle each other to determine which grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu will become the next shogun. The deadly competition between 10 elite ninja from each clan unleashes a centuries-old hatred that threatens to destroy all hope for peace between them. [From Wikipedia]

Trailer:



Did you like the anime? Hate it? Did you prefer the manga, perhaps even prefer the live action movie? Talk about it!

[Doaj]

I just started watching this show tonight, and I watched the two first episodes. I'm really picky about my animes, but one thing I notice is that usually the first couple of episodes of an anime suck, and are awkward, and then it buffs out over the next few episodes as it settles into its "groove". Basilisk doesn't do that- from the very first moment, they begin to gently hammer away at your judgmental reservations, and when the first episode ended I thought, 'Already?' So, it being on Netflix instant queue, I started the second immediately. It ended with the same thought running through my head. Not to mention, this is completely fitting the setting of an anime I wanted to get into. I find that a lot of them nowadays take place in futuristic worlds with bizarre alterations, but this one takes place in our past. I love the good, old-fashioned samurai, ninja, swordfight, etc.

I haven't gotten far yet, but I recommend this more than most animes I've watched lately.