Netflix has been making anime adaptations of famous video game IP for the past few years and the most successful has been Konami’s Castlevania and Riot Games’ League Of Legends with Arcane. Capcom has had several attempts on Netflix with 2020’s Dragon’s Dogma anime and 2021’s Resident Evil Infinite Darkness, but those weren’t a hit with fans. Now, the Onimusha anime has arrived. Is it worth watching, especially coming from a franchise that hasn’t had a game since the PS2 era?

Blood And Genma

It’s pretty miserable to be an Onimusha fan these days. Capcom has neglected the franchise, with the last major entry being 2006’s Onimusha Dawn Of Dreams and that was a whopping 17 years ago. Almost two decades later, we finally get something new in the form of Netflix’s Onimusha anime. For fans of the games, let me first clarify (without spoiling anything), that Netflix’s Onimusha isn’t connected to any of the previous games. It features an essentially standalone story with new characters that have never appeared in the franchise before, which makes it more accessible for those who have never played the games. That being said, Netflix’s Onimusha does have some easter eggs and references that will make fans happy, especially seeing how long it’s been since fans have seen any of these familiar Onimusha elements in anything new.

Netflix’s Onimusha is helmed by supervising director Takashi Miike and director Shinya Sugai, as well as animation studio Sublimation. The influences of the legendary Takashi Miike are clear from the very first episode. We’re talking about the guy who directed Ichi The Killer and Audition, movies that are still known for how bloody and gory they are. That’s probably the best thing about Netflix’s Onimusha, in that it doesn’t hold back from depicting decapitations, amputations and lots of blood. However, none of it is too visceral to the point of being disgustingly excessive. Still, this series is clearly tailored for adults just like the games (even though a lot of gamers, including myself, played the games when we were kids).

What carries Netflix’s Onimusha (besides the aforementioned blood and gore) is definitely its action and fight scenes. Some fans might be turned off by the CG 3D animation of the series but Sublimation impressed me with their animation quality. The background and characters are detailed, and they don’t look cheap or stilted at all, which is an issue a lot of other CD 3D anime suffer from. Best of all though, are the epic and stylish choreographed fight scenes with smooth animation to boot. If you like elaborate swordfights between samurai, you should watch

This anime is set in the early Edo Period in Japan, and the protagonist is none other than the historical figure Musashi Miyamoto. With only eight episodes with a runtime of about 30 minutes or less each, Netflix’s Onimusha doesn’t have any fluff or filler episodes, but like I previously mentioned, it also doesn’t bother explaining basic things. For instance, Musashi gets his power from the Oni Gauntlet, and he fights demons called the Genma, but the series doesn’t tell you anything about the Oni and the Genma. That’s both a pro and a con. For fans, the series doesn’t waste time telling them what they already know, though casual viewers might find the details lacking. However, the narrative and plot of Netflix’s Onimusha are compelling enough that it kept me interested for all eight episodes. It’s not too exciting, but it’s not boring either. The supporting cast of characters is great too, but since Takashi Miike is involved, there are a lot of tragic deaths here and it surprised me how much I care for the characters, considering how little time I spent with them.

Samurai Musashi

Netflix’s Onimusha ultimately 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. Still, Onimusha fans will appreciate getting something new after almost two decades of nothing from Capcom.

FINAL SCORE: 70/100

Onimusha is now available on Netflix.