Basilisk 15
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
I feel bad for Gyoubu. The scenes between him and his father were really really touching and I can very much understand why he hates the Iga. Though, did they really do it? Does he have any real proof? I can’t tell. But who else could it be, I guess.
Oh,and I really loved the seiyuu for young Gyoubu. Chibi gyoubu kawaii! (I don’t think I’ve been able to say the word ‘kawaii’ in relation to Basilisk until now. I guess there’s a first for everything).
Though I am not normally fascinated by battles involving Tenzen because he is such a loathsome man, this battle had me gripping my seat as for the first time a completely innocent bystander was caught in the line of fire. A father was murdered protecting his son. The child’s heartwrenching cries sucked Gyoubu back into the past, and this painful distraction proved fatal for Gyoubu.
I can’t help but think of the little boy on the boat who has now lost his father. Will he, as Gyoubu did, choose the path of vengence and end up in a bloody pile someday? Is revenge really worth the sacrifice?
August 30th, 2005 at 12:36 pm
I was thinking about Tenzen’s technique. So far he has managed to escape death twice. In the opening song, one of the scenes shows a close up of Tenzen’s ear with a small circular mark on it. I wonder if his ear has something to do with his technique. This may sound silly but usually opening animation contains a lot of information about a show and sometimes even spoilers. I was expecting that Tenzen would be a hard nut to crack because he is the leader of the Iga clan but I think he can be killed if they discover his weak point.
August 30th, 2005 at 12:42 pm
Hmm.. good observation on the ear thing. I wonder if it’s true. I guess only time will tell! Though, he’s not really the leader of the Iga, Oboro is, but he’s pretty much the first in command of the ninjas.
August 30th, 2005 at 6:29 pm
Commenting on your last paragraph, I’m betting that this is just yet another element in the vicious cycle of blind hatred. That’s why I loved that scene so much, it fitted with one of the themes of the show so well. Could have been a good kid, but now he will just be another drone at the mercy of hatred.
September 2nd, 2005 at 9:24 pm
Great write-up, Ren! As always, you write such thoughtful posts about this show. I felt so bad for Gyoubu in this episode, and it was heartwrenching to see the same thing happening to another young boy. Terrible, terrible. Can’t wait to watch the next episode!
January 20th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
I agree, this episode and the two before it (Hotarubi’s death scene in ep. 13, Tenzen’s attempted rape of Oboro in ep. 14) has made DVD #4 the most brutal volume of Basilisk yet. By far though, the way that kid looked at Gyoubu before Tenzen ran him through was the most compelling scene in this particular episode. You can see that Gyoubu deeply regretted what he had done and even realized that his life could have been different if he had made different choices. I think that’s what Basilisk is primarily about; no matter what life throws at you, you’re the one whose ultimately responsible for your own actions. Take for instance, the scene in episode 1 when Ogen kills Danjou. First she cackles vindictively, but then weeps in misery and I feel it’s because she realizes that it was her and Danjou’s lack of trust in each other that ultimately brought them to that point as well as the suffering Oboro and Gennosuke were now bound to experience; not fate as they originally believed. I am completely wound up for the release of the final two DVD’s because while I’m beginning to feel Oboro and Gennosuke’s love is going go come to a tragic end; I’m currious to see if they can find a way to break the cycle of betrayal, regret, vengeance, and death that their clans have been trapped in for so long.