# Basilisk (2005)

> Two rival ninja clans fight a lethal tournament in 1614 Japan to decide which Tokugawa grandson will become shogun.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/8725

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 48
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, action, drama
- Network: AT-X
- Cast: Nana Mizuki, Risa Hayamizu, Kohsuke Toriumi, Yasushi Miyabayashi, Show Hayami, Misa Watanabe, Wataru Hatano, Yoji Ueda
- TMDB rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0856348/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: graphic
- Tone: brutal, melancholic, intense, stylized

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, with its first season regarded as the stronger of the two.

## Synopsis

Basilisk (2005-2018) is a Japanese seinen anime series produced by GONZO and GDH and broadcast on AT-X, adapted from a manga. Set in 1614 feudal Japan, it follows rival ninja clans, the Tsubagakure of Iga and the Manjidani of Kouga, as ten elite fighters from each side are thrown into a deadly competition. The contest decides which grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu will become the next shogun, and every duel stirs up a centuries-old hatred that threatens any hope of peace between the clans. Characters such as Oboro Iga, Kagerou, and Gennosuke Kouga are voiced by Nana Mizuki, Risa Hayamizu, and Kohsuke Toriumi, and a narrator voiced by Yasushi Miyabayashi frames the story. The series spans two seasons and forty-eight episodes, unfolding as one continuing story in which each battle advances the larger feud. Its tone is brutal and melancholic, with stylized bloodshed, tragic loyalty, and a grim sense of inherited destiny. Fans of Samurai Champloo and Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls will find resonance in its feudal swordplay and dark, character-driven action.

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