Basilisk: Kouga Ninpou Chou

What could be more tragic than lovers torn apart by betrayal, sense of duty and families willing to fight each other to the death.

Kouga Danjo and Ogen's granchildren suffer the same fate that befell them years ago. It seems like the stars decreed that they were not meant to be together; that peace between the Tsubagakure of the Iga and the Manjidani of Kouga, two ninja clans, will never be realized.

The story is set at the time when the heir of Tokugawa Ieyasu was being decided. To end the conflict, Ieyasu sought the counsel of a priest, who told him that the ninjas might be useful to decide who the rightful heir is. The ninjas were also seen as a threat and that letting them kill each other will benefit the government.

Gennosuke and Oboro

Little did they know that the two clans were about to reconcile through the marriage of Gennosuke and Oboro. Danjo and Ogen both knew this but did not mention it when they were summoned to Sunpu in what they thought was just a showdown of ninja arts. They both died and the war was carried on by the eighteen ninjas listed in the scroll.

The Iga found out about the contents of the scroll first and sought to lure Gennosuke to their camp so they can trap and kill him. The Kouga became suspicious and after sending a few people to Iga they soon discovered that the cease fire between the two clans has been broken. Gennosuke shows his ability for the first time. They then made their way back to their home.

From that day on, Gennosuke and Oboro were separated. Both felt that the war between the two clans was unjust. Oboro decided to seal her eyes so she would not accidentally harm her friends or participate in the fight. Gennosuke did the same.

This 24-episode series showcased the skills of the Kouga and the Iga ninjas, and tested the resolve of Gennosuke and Oboro who are trapped in the middle of the conflict.

Each member, composed of ten from each clan, employed special techniques. The following is the list of the other members of each clan, not including the former leaders and Gennosuke and Oboro:

Kouga

1. Kagerou, who's been fed poison throughout her life and uses her beauty and charms to kill enemies.
2. Kisaragi Saemon who can imitate another person's identity and even the facial features. His technique allowed him to infiltrate the Iga.
3. Muroga Hyouma, Gennosuke's mentor and friend. He is blind but he taught Gennosuke to see more as a precursor to teaching him a deadly technique.
4. Kasumi Gyoubu who can merge into any solid surface.
5. Okoi, Saemon's little sister who has the ability to absorb the enemy's blood when they come in contact with her skin.
6. Udono Jousuke, a playful and jolly fellow, who has a surprisingly elastic body.
7. Jimushi Jubei, who doesn't have any arms or legs. He hides his weapon somewhere.
8. Kazamachi Shogen, who uses phlegm when he attacks.

Iga

1. Yakushiji Tenzen, the immortal ninja who is more skilled in manipulating people than in actual combat.
2. Akeginu, who's very close to Oboro. She has the ability to use her blood during combat to distract enemies.
3. Chikuma Koshirou. He possessed the ability to creat whirlwinds with his breath and is also skilled with the boomerang.
4. Amayo Jingoro, has an unusual technique of being able to change his appearance into a liquid form. He has to have a water source nearby however or he could die.
5. Hotarubi, a demented girl who uses butterflies to overwhelm her opponents. She also has a pet viper.
6.  Mino Nenki, who uses his hair during combat.
7. Asuki Rousai, an old man who has the ability to stretch his powerful limbs.
8. Yashamaru. He uses a black rope made of women's hair and treated with a secret oil.

***

Someone once told me that the plot was silly because the ninjas were just trying to kill each other. However this has a basis in history. But that was not the focal point of the series. Like I mentioned earlier, the government saw the ninja clans as possible threats in the future. They were no longer needed and yet they were still practicing their deadly arts. Unlike the samurai, they were expendable.

The story tried to look more closely at the relationship between the two clans. Gennosuke and Oboro's love was tested. The frustration was there. What choice do they have? They can't defy orders and besides, both clans were willing to annihilate the other. Only the lovers wanted peace without having to spill any blood.

The series will make you feel helpless. Oboro too is not such a strong character and sometimes it makes you want to thump her head. She'd make up for it in the last episode though. I like what she did although it was a sad conclusion to the story.

The fight scenes are okay but I will not recommend this to anyone who does not like gore and blood.

Personally, I think Tenzen is a disgusting type of character, which made him even more effective and a formidable opponent. Seeing him die was all the more satisfying (and guess who did it?).

I like the animation and the opening and ending themes were both okay. I'm giving this series an 8 out of 10 rating.