It has been 11 years since the first season of Basilisk aired and it has been about 9 years since I’ve watched it. It was one of the first shows, along with Ninja Scroll, that I watched when I first got into anime. Although I don’t remember much of the first season, I saw that the sequel took place ten years after the first so I figured it was okay to jump in. Did the second season meet expectations?
Let’s Go!
First Impressions
After the events of the first Basilisk, the Kouga and Iga clans are living peacefully together, although there is still some obvious disdain there between the two clans. While I get that, it’s the only part of the show I fully get right now. This show’s pacing is absolutely terrible. They are trying to mix backstory along with character introductions along with character development along with world building. While this sounds like the correct way to introduce a show… and it is… it’s executed all wrong. The show bounces back and forth between characters, their powers and stories and doesn’t allow for anything to really sink in.
Also, the animation quality of the first two episodes was passable at best. While the characters were drawn rather well and were unique enough to stand out, the animation was very sloppy and uninteresting. Another thing that hurt the show (and this was to be expected) was the censorship. I understand that in the case of 2007 vs 2018, there’s going to be a lot of changes to anime guidelines, but it didn’t feel like the same Basilisk because of it.
OP and ED Thoughts
“Ouka Ninpouchou” by Onmyo-za serves as the show’s opening and I must admit, I really love this opening. It sounds like the came from 2007 and has an old school anime vibe to it. The echoing vibrato of the vocalist really adds to the authenticity of the song and really gives you a nostalgic feel. The music itself is reminiscent of a ninja-style anime and very Japanese-oriented (if that makes any sense.) It really does its job in trying to draw you into the atmosphere and I absolutely love that.
The ending theme(s) are “HOT BLOOD” by Nana Mizuke for Episode 1 and “Suiren” by the same artist for Episode 2. Both songs are upbeat rock themes. The vocals also remind me of a song that would come out of 2007 as well. It seems that as far as music presentation goes, they wanted to bring as much old school feeling and nostalgia to it and that’s where this show really shines. Sadly, this is the ONLY place this show really shines.
Worth Watching?
NO – I was really excited to learn that Basilisk was getting a second season after such a long time away from the anime scene, but it seems that shows that take over a decade (or more) off before return really suffer (see: Berserk). I tried my best to like this show, but it wasn’t doing anything to draw me in and I ended up dropping it. It’s a shame, too, because even though I don’t remember the story all that much, I did remember enjoying Basilisk because it turned me onto Ninja Scroll. Oh well, I guess the lesson here is good anime from the past needs to remain in the past.
