Onimusha

Another alternate history anime that came out in late 2023. Unlike "Blue Eye Samurai", however, "Onimusha" is not as well-polished though it is still entertaining but limited in its very Japanese-style of storytelling, such as too much exposition.

The Good: I do like this version of MIyamoto Musashi in anime. He's flawed, but he's got skill and determination, and he's smart and honorable (in his own way), which makes him the best samurai for his time - and in all of Japanese history and even fantasy versions.

The Bad: It's not a bad anime, but it falls far short of being excellent due to some major technical issues that cannot be overlooked. Chiefly, the story and plot are a bit disjointed and nonsensical, characters are not that well developed, and the dialogue not all that great either. And then there's an annoying kid.

Overall, it's a serviceable anime and a lot better than most that are out there. But compared to the very best ones, such as "Blue Eye Samurai" its flaws become very evident. Still worth a watch.

To be honest, I feel conflicted about this show. I loved the games, so I really wanted to like this show and parts of it do feel very close to the games. Some of the characters and dialogue are well done.

The fighting in particular, however, was a letdown. The games delivered such aesthetic and spectacular fights, but this show fails to capture both the aesthetics and the feeling of those fights. The fights are over stylized and movements depicted so abstract, that it loses any resemblance to actual sword fighting. They end up feeling generic and became the least favourite part of this show for me... and that is a problem for a show that is supposed to be based on sword fighting games.

That is not to say the other parts all hit the mark. The style is somewhat "hit or miss", with parts of it being very atmospheric and well done, while certain scenes lack detail in a major way (waterfalls/strong currents for example look hideous in multiple scenes).

Overall not a must watch. A fan of the games might find some enjoyment in this series. Everyone else is probably better off watching Blue Eye Samurai.

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 am beyond surprised that Capcom actually gave Onimusha to a team that cares about the source material that they are adapting. This, in my opinion, is an amazing adaptation with superbly choreographed fight scenes and plenty of likable character moments.

The only shred of hope I had for this adaptation came from the fact that Takashi Miike was at the helm of the production as director and he is most likely the reason why action scenes look as amazing as they do. I think on its own, the show is still good, but as an adaptation of Onimusha, it is great.

Animation: To start it off I don't think a lot of people will be fond of the CGI. I had no problem with it because the hand-drawn backgrounds looked amazing and so did all of the fights. There are so many genuinely epic shots and camera angles used here, both in and out of action sequences.

Also, the art style is just super on point, there are some areas where the color grading straight made me feel like I was watching a video of one of the games, especially when it comes to the backgrounds. If they were given a bigger budget I am sure the animation quality would've been 10/10, but it is still great imo.

Story: The story is fairly basic, it just follows Musashi and his companions while they go on an adventure and face various foes along the way. I think many people would rather love to see an adaptation focusing on Samanosuke or Jubei, but what we have here is genuinely good and can be treated as its own "game" because it perfectly fits into the Onimusha franchise.

Character: As I briefly mentioned earlier, the anime focuses on Musashi traveling with a bunch of other characters as they go on an adventure. All of these characters get a lot of time to shine and akin to most of the games all of these are very memorable; I would argue that the show even has some of the best characters in the series.

Conclusion: Amazing action sequences, really likable characters, respect for the source material, & stellar choreography all make this an easy 8/10 for me and as a Capcom adaptation this is like a 9/10 lol, because they never give their IPs to people who care. I hope that this means we might be getting another Onimusha game sometimes in the future.

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.