Note: Most of my reviews contain spoilers, but I always try that none of these spoilers "can actually spoil" any important surprise in the narrative arc, so you can read without worrying.Basilisk is a story set in the early days of the Tokugawa period and narrates the fight between two clans of ninja warriors. Even when this story and its fighting is completely embedded in fantasy, it is important to say that the Ninjutsu styles of both the Iga and the Kouga actually exist in real life with the names of Kouga-Ryu and Iga-Ryu. For history lovers, I also need to give a small warning: In this anime, in opposition to what most historians and fans of anime and Japan history think, here, Yeyasu Tokugawa is depicted as a villain. Well, it is just a novel and an anime and it is only this author's opinion, or this author's particular view for his story, so NO OFFENSE TAKEN for fans of Yeyasu Tokugawa; to many...the best Shogun in Japan history. Tokugawa, here, is actually one of the most important villains in the plot because the competition between the two clans is actually decided by him and one of his allies, in order to find a way to choose a heir without having people loyal to him dead, so they decide to make a competition between two clans, one clan favoring one possible heir, one clan the other.This is a great show that has a little bit of everything: Great animation, interesting and appealing characters, fantasy, some history-based moments, martial arts and even a twist of horror (even Gore-like) at some points.That said, I hope that these lines help you to decide to give this anime a try if you haven't seen it, or give you a pair of interesting data you didn't know about this great anime if you have already enjoyed it.Thanks for readingKi o Tsukete ( "Take care" or "be well" in Japanese)IMDb Review by David del Real. Ciudad de México, México. October 1st, 2017.

In feudal Japan the Iga and Kouga tribes have hated each other for four hundred years; only a treaty forcing them not to fight prevents them from going to war. Then the treaty is ended and each tribe selects ten ninjas who will fight until the other side is eliminated. These aren't ordinary man and women they each have powers that make them hard to defeat. The matter is complicated by the fact that two members of the rival clans; Oboro Iga and Gennosuke Kouga are in love… that won't stop them fighting for their clans but fighting each other may prove more difficult.The differing powers the fighters possess make the battles interesting as we learn what method each will use and how it will be countered. As the numbers get whittled down inevitably favoured characters will be killed off; some the viewer will have grown to care about while others will be seen as getting what they deserved… either way this is not a happy series; it is a tragedy that gets darker as time goes on leading to a poignant final confrontation.The various skills the fighters possess are imaginative and entertaining and the characters are well designed and fleshed out; we get occasional flashback showing us the characters before the war so we learn more about them and occasionally get to see characters who have died once more… even if I did occasionally get confused with who was who occasionally! The animation is pretty good and done in a style that suits the story. The action scenes don't shy away from the brutality of the war and some of them are a little disturbing but not gratuitously so. Overall this is worth watching if you like action anime where characters just get on with the fighting rather than talking to their enemies and individual fights are not stretched over several episodes.These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

So I've been wondering for a long time if I should buy Basilisk or not. Well I finally bought it and have now seen it and I am very disappointed. Why?First of all there are so many characters to keep track of and get to know in such a short time that you end up not giving a rats ass about any of them. They are all shallow and one dimensional.Second reason is that its just plain boring. It keeps the same pace throughout pretty much the whole series, and that is a slow and undramatic one. witch doesn't always have to be a bad thing but here it is.The good things I guess is the animation which are fluid and nice in general. Some of the ninjas technique are awesome.But overall I thought basilisk was a pretty mediocre and impersonal anime series. And I don't recommend it.

Basilisk is a very good looking, serious and very well animated action packed ninja version of 'Romeo and Juliet' set in ancient Japan. It tells a compact and solid story about two rivaling ninja clans and their ninja. The story is pretty fast paced which kept me interested at all times and makes you care about the great characters in it. The animations in the series are one of the best-looking animations i have seen so far. Overall Basilisk is a pretty realistic anime for a ninjanime and has a lot of cruel, bloody and violent scenes, and a pretty good build up to the righteous violence climax, which makes it that much better.Definitely worth watching!!!rate it 8,4