Forum - View topicBasilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls (TV)
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls (TV) Genres: action, romance Themes: historical, ninja Plot Summary: The battle for succession that continued for three generations of shogun in the Keichō era culminated in a gruesome battle of ninja arts between the Kōga and Iga clans. Amidst a rain of flower petals, a man and woman who had decided to live for love were separated once again. However, it is said that by the hand of Hattori Hanzo's adopted son, Kyōhachirō, these two lovers were given life again and left two mementos behind. These children, born with a destiny of their own, were called Hachirō Kōga and Hibiki Iga. The former had eyes like his father's, and the latter had eyes like her mother's. It is now the Kan'ei era, and the land is at peace. As ninjas begin to disappear into the shadows after being deemed unnecessary, The Kouga and Iga clans ask a favor of Hachirō and Hibiki in hopes of reinforcing their foundations. ---------------------------------- The usual thread starter doesn't have this on his watch list, so I'll start one for this forum. From what I recall, the popularity of this franchise is in the order Novel > anime >> live-action movie in Japan. Having seen the latter two but not read the source, I agree about the order for the adaptations. Those who remember the series which preceded this should recognise the setting and some of the characters. Besides the titular pair, some of the other special abilities were either inherited or adapted from the preceding series. Points I'd noted: 1. Iga won as per the scroll and Tokugawa Iemitsu is Shogun. 2. The two clans lost their strongest fighters in the last series but the sacrifice of the last pairing forced a detente on the centuries-old feud. 3. Peace notwithstanding, traditions and feuds die hard. 4. Whoever spoke to Oda Nobunaga at the start likely had a hand in the miraculous/supernatural creation of the two reigning clan heads. 5. Selective breeding is not unknown to ancient ninja clans who pass on their abilities via bloodline and aren't constrained by modern ethical concerns. 6. The Koga clan fighters are slightly older than their Iga counterparts. It looks like the clan preferences for approaching combat are much the same as the preceding series. I'm not expecting this series to be more than entertainment of the action variety, so anything above that is a bonus for me. First episode is a decent enough starter and there are a number of ways the storyline can proceed. |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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I enjoyed the Basilisk anime when I watched it a number of years ago (own the manga as well). I found it a visually interesting series and I was hoping this sequel would also be visually interesting even if it looked different from the first. Alas. As was pointed out in the preview thread, the overuse of still images suggests a production that might already be in trouble which is not a good sign considering it is the first episode.
However, I can't get enough of funky ninja techniques which is pretty much the raison d'etre of the franchise so I will continue to watch and hope for the best. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#2
The episode serves as a reminder of what transpired during the preceding series, although I have to wonder what Kyouhachirou was capable of if he could deliver two newborns with the powers in such a short length of time. There is also the wind which has terrified Hachirou enough to leave his village. There are still more questions to answer such as why the Iga village is at peace with its long-time foe whereas the assailants against Kunechiyo are a sub-sect of the Iga clan. The episode title for next week seems to hint that someone (possibly an Iga extremist) wants to settle the blood debt decisively. Gei-in probably knows much more than he's letting on about the secrets behind the two siblings which is almost certainly why he has to be silenced. Taking into account the OP visuals, it appears this plot to finish off the Kouga won't reach complete fruition until the next generation of ninja from both clans reach maturity. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#3
Hachirou's guardians/subordinates getting taken out by just one member of the Joujin group sets the tone for the next 1-2 episodes. It's a similar trick to what Hachirou himself uses in terms of results but the mechanics are different and the kids will need to find a way to overcome it (probably without using the eyes of the main pair). Next week will most likely showcase Hibiki's guardians who'll come under attack by a different member of Joujin's coterie. Their biographies and abilities are up on the official site so those curious can read up on them first. I don't expect them to last longer than Hachirou's group though. On a final note, the different "pairings" between the underaged ninjas is more or less confirmed in this episode. It's no surprise that the powers of the pairs complement and oppose each other in very distinctive ways. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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All we've gotten thus far is three episodes of badly-edited barely-animated boringly-told irritatingly-scored head-scratching setup for the real story which will only begin after the obvious time-skip. If this show didn't have the Basilisk name I would have dropped it after the first episode, no question. I still don't know why I'm continuing with it.
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#4
All but Joujin himself have revealed their cards. Yashaitaru's item bestows the illusion of utter despair but she isn't as strong as Kujaku Tsuibame in actively reversing attacks back against their originators. Magoroku's power looks like a defensive one since it's a powerful prison but it looks like it might have offensive capabilities. Neirichiou appears to be a summoner so most foes simply lose the will to fight when confronted with something that towers over them. The Iga guardians get considerably less screen time than their Koga counteparts. Bar Hooetsu viewers are not shown what the three other members were capable of. A shame since they have interesting abilities in their character profiles. The next episode probably marks the final one with the kids. Should they survive Neichirou's attack they'll have to grow up a bit before they can take revenge against the other four. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#5
I suspected this week would be the last with the kids and I was proved right. Viewers are even shown what Gorone and Mamenba are capable of. Joujin wants something from the two leaders (most probably a permanent union of the two pairs of eyes) and is willing to bide his time for it. Until then, all of them are free to swim until the five decide it's time to kill all but the two leaders. I wonder what the pair of them saw in the mirror's reflection. Ordinarily Yasha Itaru gets victims to despair from life's eventual futility but those two have something different in store for them instead of a simple death. The author basically takes the premise which was never tested in the original work and runs with it, so the story can take on a life of its own away from its inspiration. Hibiki's powers are different from her mother's which is why it can work, but I reckon veteran readers of the Ninja Scroll novels would have expected this anyway. I'll see this through to the end whatever happens, seeing both clans work together makes a change from the slaughter of its predecessor. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#6
The first part of the episode is based on the historical fact that Tadanaga was exiled because of his monkey hunt in a shrine area sacred to the Tokugawas. What the series has done is tie it to his compulsion to rebel against his elder brother, just as Joujin expected him to. The kids have grown up and their powers and/or equipment have evolved with the passage of time. Considering how strong the Joujinshuu are, it remains to be seen how the survivors can find a way to break the powers of the former. Namenba is now a spy inside the Shogun's army of retainers so she's acting as the group's eyes and ears within the palace. Gorone is still alive and spends his time reading and finding ways to help his pair with their technical needs. The new character introduced this week appears to be Tadanaga's personal ninja, so it remains to be seen what his motives are in relaying his message to Hachirou. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#7
Another chance to see what Namenba is capable of. Without her signature butterfly cloak, she's still capable of infiltration and spying in her own right and has no problems taking out the Shogun's pet ninjas. It seems Hadaebou is Tenkai's (the same priest who suggested the Ninja clan duel to Ieyasu) messenger so the latter is again pulling strings from behind the scenes despite his VERY advanced age. Looks like Tadanaga has been cornered. Iemitsu never had it in for him so he's been played all these years. If he's going for it he might as well kill all witnesses and take down his brother to save his skin. More than halfway through so there's little time for the two clans to avenge their humiliation from their childhood years whilst clearing up the loose ends with the Shogunate family. Pacing looks all right so far so will see how it goes from here. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#8
A little reminder at the start of the episode about Tenkai's role in the novel which inspired this adaptation. Somehow Joujin ended up deviating from Tenkai's entourage and Hataebou is now tasked with getting the ninjas on board in stopping Joujin from executing what he's been plotting for so long. All but Utsutsu have had a chance to show off what they're now capable of after years of training. Shichigen despite last week appears to have further improved his insect summoning ability even if his time is spent looking at Shunga unlike his two compatriots. The Rain squad under Joujin have all mastered some kind of voice-imitation technique usually associated with ninjas and assassins. There's enough of them to give the two scouts trouble. Next week both clans finally team up to take out the mysterious castle. Pacing certainly accelerated, but I don't know if there's enough time to tie up loose ends in the plot before the end. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#9
The old weasel Tenkai is still alive as expected. As always, he plots and schemes for the good of the Tokugawas, regardless of the price that must be paid. Hachirou turned him down, but Namenba and the others want the blood of Joujin and co. anyway so they'll take on the castle regardless. Thinking back to the very first scene of this series, it appears Joujin made his move long before Ieyasu won Japan by right of conquest. Nobunaga is kept alive somehow using a combination of Kujiaku Tsuibame's and Rinne Magoroku's powers. Not sure what Joujin means when he's as close to a god as possible, but that should be made clear over the coming weeks. Utsutsu has certainly improved her illusions, although she's not happy that she's just a one-trick pony and cannot summon a different variety. It's still effective since she turns the vision into reality like she did when she was younger with the flames. On the other hand, it appears Shichigen and co. claimed the rifle from the sharpshooter last week for Hachisu to use. Based on the trailer for next week, it's easy to ascertain how old Namenba and Gorone are based on her exploits. For those still watching: this is a 26-episode series. Official website touted an early viewing of episode 14 so it's going to be two quarters. The animators now have time to tailor the pacing to their liking instead of rushing everything to an impossible end by episode 13. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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I suspect you are the Last of the Mohicans on this title, Harleyquin. I bailed a few eppies back, without regret.
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Yttrbio
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I'm still watching, but mostly out of curiosity than any kind of real enjoyment. The way the show pans across characters faces makes me think we're supposed to be perceiving some kind of emotional depth to them, but it's so uncompelling that it's indecipherable, seeming more like budget-cutting.
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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I don't watch every series expecting Ufotable and Wit studio levels of budget and expectation. Some on this forum do, so I'm disappointed I don't get uninterrupted episode comments when they interject.
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Yttrbio
Posts: 3672 |
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Oh, sorry, was I interrupting you talking to nobody? I didn't mean to be rude.
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