Onimusha

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 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.

As a fan of the games I was at least hoping for this to be decent. And while half of the season is enjoyable with interesting characters and good looking fights, when it gets close to the end, something is missing.

The villain and his minions are very clichéd and predictable, so are their motivations. I also didn't like the setting at the end, although it's a bit reminiscent of Onimusha 3 style wise.

I think if this would have been a game, I wouldn't mind the mediocre storytelling. I mean seriously, did any of the games have serious writing? It was all about the fights with the oni gauntlet which is also underused here. But as a show I would have wanted a bit more depth. Just a bit. Or at least consistent writing.

All in all the show is worth one watch and then I forget about the it and await the arrival of a reboot/new game!

Onimusha caught my attention in late September when it appeared on my Twitter timeline via the Netflix Anime account. I was impressed by the trailer, particularly the stunning visuals and well-chosen music, which piqued my interest in the show. I went into it with no prior knowledge of the franchise, having never played the games or shown any prior interest in them.

Having now watched the show twice, I'm grateful that I stumbled upon that initial trailer. While the story's premise starts out simple, it becomes increasingly intriguing as the series progresses. The combination of compelling characters and sufficient exposition in the latter episodes makes the narrative the strongest aspect of the show. My main complaint revolves around the pacing, which is heavily action-oriented in the first half of the season and shifts towards a more narrative focus in the second half. Additionally, a couple of plot twists towards the end do little to enhance the story and raise questions about their inclusion.

The anime's visuals are another standout feature. Over the past few years, 3D animation has become far more impressive, with films like "Puss In Boots" and the two Spider-Man movies ("Into the Spider-Verse" and "Across the Spider-Verse") setting the standard. Despite a potentially smaller budget, Onimusha manages to maintain a high level of quality, almost on par with recent stylized 3D animations. It is a bit jarring to see it mixed up with some 2D animation in certain scenes, but I would guess that was due to budget limitations.

The action sequences are also impressive, showcasing remarkable choreography, with just a single exception in an episode that serves as a means to provide exposition. The exceptional music and visual effects contribute significantly to the fights, enhancing their sense of speed and power and distinguishing them with different color schemes. The designs of the Genma creatures are impressive and align well with the overall theme of the show.

Regarding the connection between the anime and the games, I can't provide personal input. However, from what I've read, the adaptation appears faithful to the original IP. As a standalone show, I would easily recommend Onimusha for those seeking action-packed entertainment with inventive fights and a light yet effective narrative, despite a few minor flaws.

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.