Onimusha

Characters & Voice Actors

Musashi Miyamoto MAIN

Akio Ootsuka

“Onimusha” is a Netflix anime series adapted from the Capcom video game series, best described as “Samurai Resident Evil”. Set during the Warring States period of Japan, the series follows the exploits of jaded samurai Miyamoto Musashi. The series is a supernatural horror, with Japan being littered with demons and other such nasties that aging Musashi is on the hunt for with the help of a mythical Oni Gauntlet.

The series opens with an action sequence and can barely go five minutes at a time without providing another. The stunt coordination by Keiji Tsujii and supervision by prolific action master Takashi Miike render the fisticuffs with a great deal of style. However, the series’ inconsistent blend of 2D and 3D animation, with CG rendering intended to bolster the hand-drawn stuff but occasionally detracting from it, is a point of contention. The combination of both styles often feels arbitrary.

Despite some odd aesthetic choices, “Onimusha” is nonetheless a bloody good time. It’s a demon-slashing, gore-soaked good time for the most part. In action, it’s near-peerless. However, quibbles with an inconsistent animation style will be a turn-off for some.

The narrative of “Onimusha” is simple and provides ample action for you to relish the sword fighting. If you like samurai, feudal Japan, and bloodbaths, this series is worth a try. However, a weak narrative and troublesome pacing drag down some brilliant visuals, leaving this as another failed adaptation across platforms.

In conclusion, “Onimusha” doesn’t reach the highs of other anime series like Castlevania or Arcane, but it’s a good enough series that fans of the franchise will appreciate. The best thing about it is the animation, fight scenes, and bloody gore, but it doesn’t impress much in other aspects. All in all, this was a good one-time watch that will not bore you with anything complex.