Asakomi

She lives! That’s right folks, I’m not dead yet, though I’m not really around much these days.

I finally was able to see the end of Basilisk, but I don’t have the time or energy to do individual entries so I’m batching it up.

I don’t think I’ve ever hated a character in a series as much as I have loathed Tenzen. His cruelty knows no bounds. That being said, it certainly made him interesting. You never knew what he was going to do next.

Wow. What an end. I’m glad I waited to watch these three episodes back to back so that they lost none of their momentum.

All I can really say is…….. Beautiful. Disgusting. Intense. Tragic. Sigh.

So we finally, finally learn Tenzen’s weakness - burning or beheading. (hmm, sounds vampiric doesn’t it..) Too bad the only Kouga who knows this is Zaemon and, well, he kinda kicked the bucket.

This episode continues the “Tenzen is a horrible monster” theme as he forces himself upon Kagero. They kiss and he “dies” but since that doesn’t fall under the category of fire or beheading, he’ll most certainly be back.

Earlier in the episode Kagero was meeting with Gennosuke and she told him that she’d killed Oboro. His response was “Well done.” It’s sad how desperate she is to have him love her, and that she would throw her whole life away just to be next to him. Gennosuke’s response also saddened me at first. That is, until Kagero tried to throw his words in Oboro’s face. She didn’t respond by getting sad. Oh no no! She knew that’s what he would say. That’s right, our Oboro knows her man.

I feel as though I am rambling about nothing. I blame the tiny amount of sleep I’ve been getting these days.

In conclusion… glad to see another episode of Basilisk, though the events of this episode left me queasy in some parts, a tad bored in others. I wish they’d get the show on the road already. Oh, and animation quality was down this time around. Their faces looked downright weird at times.

Three to go…

Omygosh! I almost lost hope that any more Basilisk would ever be released. Please please don’t let it be months again before the next episode is released. There are only four more to go!

The flashback with Tenzen and Ogen was quite informative. He saw that Ogen couldn’t kill Danjo, which might have made his disgust over Oboro not being able to kill Gennosuke all the more intense. He probably thinks women are weak and can’t make good decisions or be good leaders because they end up having feelings for some guy, which would of course mean he, with his lack of human emotion/compassion, would obviously be better fit as a leader. HA. You vile man. You have no consideration for human life and would make a horrible leader. I hope you die…. errrr… stay dead.

The battle between Kagero and Akeginu was amazingly intense. We really got to see the power of Akeginu’s emotions propel her. And even though Zaemon was part of the plot to lure Akeginu to Kagero, it seems he may be starting to feel remorse over what’s been happening between the two clans.

4 episodes to go and only Oboro remains of the Iga. I can’t wait to see how this is going to end! (But I’ll probably have to.. a long long time.. sigh..)

I’m really sick so the next few entries won’t be much more than screencaps and a sentence or two on whether or not I liked the ep. I could put this off until I’m feeling better, but who knows when that will be and I really hate the thought of falling behind.

I gotta say I ALMOST fell for Zaemon’s ruse. Almost, and I think it’s only because I’m highly medicated because there’s no way they’d kill Oboro now, especially without showing her dying. So, nice try Zaemon, but you’ll have to do better than that. Too bad Koshiro fell for it…

Kunichiyo has been poisoned and his mama aint too happy about it, obviously. She wants to go to Sunpu but is stopped for the moment.

There’s a brief showdown between Koshiro/Gennosuke/Kagero, but Hyouma steps in and tells Kagero to take Gennosuke and run. Hyouma tries to use his power on Koshiro but it doesn’t work since Koshiro is still blind from Gennosuke’s attack.

We get to see how Hyouma and Gennosuke first meet, and whatddya know, they’re related - Hyouma is his uncle! I didn’t think Hyouma was that much older than Gennosuke. Anyway, Hyouma was the one who trained Gennosuke how to use his ninja art and who also instilled in him the idea of peace between the clans. These flashback scenes made me like Hyouma much more than I have up to this point. I never disliked him, in fact I don’t think I thought much about him at all, but now I think he’s awesome.

I just got home from a sleepover and I’m pooped. Too much food + too little sleep = need for nap. So off I go.

Yay!! More Basilisk! I was beginning to wonder if any more episodes would ever get subbed. But now I have two more to satisfy my ninja cravings :D.

We learn more about Tenzen’s plan - to annihilate the Iga and marry Oboro, all while making Gennosuke watch. He attempts to attack Hyouma, and Hyouma tries to convinces him not to, but as we all know Tenzen isn’t exactly the most rational or good man in the world. Seems the Kouga really do want to simply go to Sunpu and find out the truth, and hopefully put an end to the rivalry between the clans once and for all.

Oh oh oh and we learn the secret to Hyouma’s ninja art! So awesome! And Tenzen is dead, but who knows for how long. Everyone who doesn’t believe that Tenzen is dead - raise your hand!

I was very very sad to hear Gennosuke order his group to kill the next hawk they see, as well as the hawker, even if the hawker is Oboro. I don’t want to believe he’s actually ok with her being killed. No no no, don’t want to believe it at all.

Oboro’s bathscene… ugh.. It made me sick to my stomach as I watched her remember Tenzen’s violation of her, and ask Akigenu to scrub harder. But how hard will she have to scrub before she feels clean again? A physical cleaning will not be enough to cleanse the emotional dirt on her soul.

I end with a question… did Tenzen abandon Koshiro in the wilderness, or did they merely become separated because he can’t see and now Tenzen is dead and he doesn’t know it yet? Maybe episode 18 will shed some light on the situation, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Well it was wonderful to see some of our fallen heros again. Even more wonderful that we got a chance to see them interacting with each other before everything went to hell. Jousuke is his typical lecherous self. Okoi is as fiesty and uh.. voluptuous as ever. I was incredibly humoured by the fishing scene where Shogen used his ninja powers to do something as mundane as fishing. Nenki and Rousai trying to scare Oboro so her hiccups would go away had me practically rolling on the floor. Too bad it didn’t work. lol.

Ahhh the moments between Yashamaru and Hotarubi are at the same time touching and heart wrenching. To see them so in love and to know that that they were not able to continue that in life and to grow old together brings tears to my eyes.

And what can I say about chibi Oboro and Gennosuke except that they are so frickin adorable that I want to squish them both. SQUISH THEM!! Oboro is kawaii because of her innocence and playfullness. Gennosuke because he’s so wittle and yet already trying to be so serious and grown up. *Pinches chibi-Genno’s cheeks* Awwww look at how cute you are. You’re cute. Yes you are, yes you are. (Bahaha, I used to be a nanny and would do that to kids when they were feeling sad. Scared?? Heee hee)

The most serious and interesting part of the episode, for me, was Gennosuke’s first encounter with Oboro’s power. They were both taken by surprise and immobilized. He because of the power itself, she because she has yet to control it.

All in all, a great episode! Among other things, we get to see that Gennosuke has desired peace between the clans from the start. And that Tenzen has always been a calculating and cold. Can’t wait for ep 17.

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?

I think Gennosuke is actually quite deep and my respect for him grows with each episode. At the beginning of the series I strongly doubted his feelings for Oboro and thought that he was just using her, especially given comments made by others. But as he journeys towards Sunpu and we see his reflections on his times with Oboro, it is clear that his love for her is very deep and that he honestly wishes for reconciliation between the two clans. This leads me to ask the question though, of why he doesn’t do something right now to stop the fighting? Why does he allow his people to kill the Iga if his ultimate goal is peace between them? Maybe it’s the ‘kill or be killed’ belief, or maybe he has some other plan that will show itself later. Though, if he waits too long no one will be left alive to do anything.

Once again the memories of Gennosuke and Oboro together are incredibly touching and make reality that much harsher. That’s what makes this series more than just a show about a bunch of samurai with cool powers killing each other. They’re taking the time to get you to really care about the characters by showing you where they’re coming from. It makes for a heartrending, gutwrenching, but much more enjoyable series.

I really felt bad for Koshiro when that father pulled his little boy away just for being near him. As if he doesn’t have enough reasons to feel bad about himself. Not to mention the mental anguish of being torn between loyalty to a superior, and love and loyalty for your leader.

Well from the way the last episode ended I knew something bad was about to happen, and boy was I right. “I will pour the essence of life into you..” Tenzen is a sick bastard. I’d rather listen to Jingoro’s nasty voice than have to see any scenes involving Tenzen from now on. Unfortunately, looks like he’ll last till the end while Jingoro will probably be dead within the next few episodes, if not in the next one.

Basilisk reminds me of The x-files: 90% of the time it’s dark and raining. Are we ever going to get any episodes that take place entirely in the daylight? Daytime can be scary and ominous too ya know.

I hate Zaemon. I hate him I hate him I hate him. The other ninjas just want to kill one another to knock people off the list so their side will win. Zaemon seems to enjoy not only the physical killing, but the murder of Hotarubi’s soul. Have I mentioned that I hate him? It’s so not fair that he gets to live and Hotarubi died. I want to believe that he felt a pang of guilt as he watched Hotarubi’s butterflies disappear into the night, but that doesn’t seem likely in light of his previous actions.

Jingoro is gross, everything from his voice to the way he looks. I hope he’s the next Iga to die. Heh.

The shots of the hawk interspersed with the scenes of Tenzen and Oboro are an excellent juxtaposition symbolizing an animal approaching its prey. The intensity of the scenes are further aided by the well placed background music.