Name: Basilisk
Genre: Action, Fantasy
Year: 2005
Rating: Enjoyable
In the past the two clans Iga Tsubagakure and Kouga Manjidani were engaged in a continous war that lasted centuries. The bloody feud was finally put to an end when Hattori Hanzo succeeded in creating an agreement of peace between the two clans by committing both groups to the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu. However though the two clans agreed to set a temporary stop to their dispute the peace was far from permanent. In the year 1614 internal instability has created turmoil between those who are to inherit ruling power. To solve this issue Ieyasu breaks the peace treaty between Iga and Kouga by ordering them to send their 10 best fighters to compete in a competition to select the next Shogun. Each clan will have their competitors’ names recorded onto a scroll. Once all 10 members of a certain clan is killed the victor is the clan who still has surviving members. As a reward the winners shall receive benefits from the grandson they represent who shall hold the title to the next Shogunate. However not all members are willing to fight in the name of a grudge that has long started to wither. The heirs to the Kouga and Iga clan, Gennosuke and Oboro hope to bring about a lasting peace to their clans. However the conflict that blocks their path may be too great. The two star-crossed lovers are forced into a fight in which they must decide which side to take.
Basilisk is a love tragedy. It can be compared to the most famous western love tragedy Romeo and Juliet, but Basilisk has its own unique plot. On the same note the two does have its similarities, the fight between two clans and the two protagonists who are caught in between the battle. However Basilisk in its Japanese tradition has Ninjas and fight scenes that crosses the border of reality. I’d like to give special mention to the first episode, as you can probably tell from the screen shots Basilisk has some really nice scenes. With blades flying in all directions and flashy fighting techniques Basilisk does bring out the best of Ninja dueling. Though you may not be able to tell from the screen shots provided above Basilisk is quite explicit and would be more suited to an older age. With bone crunching definition the series dishes out more than enough quality in its fight scenes.
