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Anime Review: Kingdom

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 Kingdom is both very hard and very easy to recommend as an anime. Its based on the best-selling manga by Yasuhisa Hara , although that's not available in English translation. Using real life characters from China's Warring States period, circa 250 BC, the story follows two main characters; Xin, a servant who saves a boy king, Zheng. The story follows Xin rise to general and Zheng's path to first consolidate his rule, and then his ultimate goal to unify China.   It is mainly a war anime, focusing on Xin's achievements in various battles; however it does also deal with the intrigue behind the scenes in Zheng's court. There is a circle of supporting characters around these two, including a female warrior and female tactician, which helps lower the testosterone level a little. The characters are well-delineated, with distinct personalities and designs. So why do I say its both hard and easy to recommend? Nothing to do with the story, which is absolutely amazing. Its al...
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Anime Review: Basilisk

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 Basilisk (Gonzo Studios, 2005) is an anime based on a manga by Masaki Segawa, which is in turn based on a 1958 novel by Futaro Yamada. Ostensibly its a rewriting of Romeo and Juliet, but with ninjas. Its set in the early 1600s, when Tokugawa Ieyasu was trying to solve infighting regarding his heir. To stop the infighting turning into a civil war, he decides to pit 10 Iga ninjas against 10 Koga ninjas, with each side representing one of his potential successors.  Unfortunately, this destroys a 100 year peace treaty between the 2 ninja clans, and wrecks our hero, Koga Gennosuke, and heroine's, Iga Oboro, marriage plans. Since these two do actually love each other, this makes it doubly tragic, and sets the stage for many internal conflicts with each of their clans. However, their personal tragedy is overshadowed by a vicious gore fest of ninja battles, which pretty much wipes out both clans. The ninjas have been genetically manipulated to the point where they are barely human, ...
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