Onimusha

I was really looking forward to watching this Anime and I am so happy I was not disappointed... I would even go so far as to say blown away by how good it was.

The artwork was amazing; even if CGI was used, it somehow added to the wonderful style, rather than take anything away; which we all know is not easy to do!

Charactures were well created, powerful, or loveable and cheery, or of course, loathsome depending on how you should feel about them.

Voices and music were fantastic... did not skip a single line of credits.

Story was a bit short, meaning I want MORE! But what was there was well paced and exciting. I could totally see myself easily delving into several more seasons and see some of the charactures grow a little more than they did.

Basically a wonderful stand alone with minor similarities to another mind blowing Korean series, Kingdom; but with its own soul and personality.

I definitely recommend this series, with a total score of 8.8.

I have played hundreds of single player games but never touched the Onimusha games. So i can't compare this adaptation on how faithful it is to the Capcom games. So coming unfamiliar to the lore and story i am generally pleasantly surprised about how good the anime turned out with just a few minor flaws.

Overall i liked this show way more than Castlevania Nocturne which i watched recently too. And the reasons are many. This show had extremely well written dialogues, the pacing was right and the protagonist was very intriguing and grounded. The art style was also fine to me. Nothing spectacular but i didn't have a problem with it at all. It felt unique on its own. It was like watching different sets of paintings. Like it was hand drawn art style and animation. Different doesn't mean bad. The rest of the characters besides Musashi were also quite good, with each one having different personality, motive and skills. The fantasy elements in the show was also done in a way that it didn't feel bloated and it balanced the realistic action fights very well. The action felt 90% on point with only in a few occasions becoming over the top. But i also have to point out some flaws too.

First flaw for me was that the villains were not interesting. The reason is that half of them either didn't have clear motives and backstories for them to care about, or their characters were simply very straightforward and one dimensional. Second flaw for me was that the show didn't took the time to explain some of the lore and mythical elements such as the gauntlet's origins, who made it and when, how Musashi knows about it to begin with and wanted it so badly that he fought countless men risking his life to obtain it and how the monks gave it so easily based on how valuable it was. I would also have liked to see the history and the conflict from flashbacks of the gods of this universe (Oni Vs Genma) and what each one represents with their different powers. A backstory through flashbacks of Musashi when he was young fighting through duels and wars, his training and upbringing and how he became the best swordsman would have been cool to see too, even if it was for a couple of minutes. This would be such a cool idea for a prequel series without having to rely on fantasy elements and the show would work just as good or better in my opinion because Musashi was a very well written character with a great voice actor.

Overall i am satisfied with the show, because it had most of the things i asked for. Great action, art style, voice acting, writing and pacing all amazing with only flaws being the villains and the very little explanation of the fantasy elements, powers and gods of this world. Feudal Japan is such a cool concept to adapt into live action, anime or games that i really hope the trend continues. I look forward to the Shogun live action Remake TV show, Ghost of Tsusima movie but most above all i look forward for the Sekiro anime adaptation that was announced just a couple of months ago. It is very similar in concept to Onimusha . If it has that kind of passion like these creators showed in this show with just higher production values it can easily be one of the greatest animes of all time. The Fromsoftware game that won Game of the year 2019 is still considered one of the greatest action games of all time and one of my favorite games.

I'm not 100% certain his to accurately articulate everything I'm feeling and thinking.

I'm glad I finished it before writing a review, however. Though not as bad as I was originally thinking, it isn't exactly awe-inspiring. There definitely are benefits to have the pseudo-cgi anime style Netflix has been developing for quite some time now. I did make the mistake of watching Blue-Eye Samurai first, which just set the bar so high it would have been impossible for anything other than Arcane to surpass it.

If you're an anime fan (meaning accustomed to anime tropes), and are fine with the cgi anime style thing, I imagine you'll probably enjoy it. Go into it with the expectation to see some cool fights and you'll be good.

Netflix's "Onimusha" brilliantly melds lovecraftian horror with jaw-dropping samurai action, through a marvellously bloody journey which follows an aging samurai whose on a quest to put an end to the demon scourge that plagues Japan. Whilst grappling with his physical decline, legendary samurai Musashi Miyamoto must harness the power of dark forces to combat the evil wreaking havoc against the backdrop of the Sengoku period. Under the guidance of supervising director Takashi Miike, known for audacious and bloody work, the series goes above and beyond in delivering brutal violence, but in beautiful fashion. What sets "Onimusha" apart is its exceptional animation, seamlessly blending 2D and 3D, creating a visual masterpiece that shatters preconceptions and elevates the series to a calibre of the highest level. It offers a gripping and multi-dimensional experience, particularly for those who appreciate the beauty and ferocity of samurai stories and animated horror, "Onimusha" stands as a triumphant must-watch, and another top notch animated game adaptation to add to Netflix's rapidly growing collection.

I had no idea that Onimusha was a game. I just picked it out at random to watch, and wow...what a find.

Fans of the game don't seem impressed but as a stand alone series, it is way above average. First off...it is simply gorgeous. The animation has a slightly soft...almost pastel...look that created kind of a dream like effect.

The animation was pretty much flawless. I watched the English dubbed version and I thought the voice acting was spot on.

The story itself is intricate without being overly busy or complicated. A bunch of guys (and a girl) on a somewhat mystical mission...but it was told in a captivating way.

I highly recommend Onimusha. When you watch, it will keep you clicking until you've binged the entire season, so plan accordingly.