Onmyoji Review: A new historical action drama series is on Netflix that you should definitely check out. Onmyoji anime is the official remake of its live-action movie called Onmyoji: The Yin Yang Master, released in 2001.
Soubi Yamamoto has directed this series. He is also well known for his other projects like Meganebu!, This Boy Is a Professional Wizard, etc. Apart from that, Yuiko Kato and Hashimoto Natsu have written the script for the anime, taking inspiration from the live-action movie and the original novel that inspired everything, Onmyōji, by Baku Yumemakura.
For the voice cast, we will see Kenji Hamada as Imperial Prince Atsumi, Yui Ishikawa as Tsuyuko, Daisuke Namikawa as Abe Seimei, Shintarô Asanuma as Minamoto Hiromasa, Rina Satô as Ashiya Doman, Daisuke Kishio as Kamo Yasunori and others.
– Onmyoji Review Contains Minor Spoilers –
Onmyoji Review: Discussion
The story starts with a mysterious woman riding a carriage without an ox drawing it. When asked about her purpose, she replies that she wants to visit the Imperial Palace due to a promise. It is only later that we realise that she is none other than a demon trying to take the soul of the emperor. Apart from that, she has also harmed many people who wanted to stop her. Now, to get behind this mysterious circumstance, Minamoto Hiromasa, a court official, seeks the help of the infamous Abe Seimei, an Onmyoji skilled at accomplishing otherworldly miracles.
The story is pretty simple at a glance, and the first episode starts with a demon’s unrequited account of love. As the show unfolds, each episode introduces a new demon, delving into different aspects of Japanese folklore. The terminologies or the mythology used here might go over some audience’s heads if they’re not accustomed to the tales beforehand, but it feels nice to know about them nonetheless.
It’s like watching a detective drama where two friends try to solve the mysteries of unusual situations. The interesting part is that it all happens in a fantasy world where demons are just a regular part of life for the characters.
Seimei might be one of the most powerful characters in this setting, but he is not treated with respect or admiration. On the contrary, he is hated for being not like others and is looked down upon by his peers. Even when he was a child, he did not see warmth and grew up to be a cold-hearted and ruthless Onmyoji, who only does what is asked of him by the emperor.
This is when Hiromasa enters his life and changes it for the better. He introduced the concept of friendship to him for the first time and made him realise how human company can be a good thing as well. Their comradery is developed pretty adequately, and towards the end, both can give up their most precious things to save the other.
But friendship is not the only thing we look into; we also see and analyse other emotions. Because humans can turn into demons because of their extreme love, hatred, guilt, etc, we get to witness the demon’s perspective as well. The fact that they do have hearts and emotions is nicely portrayed through their actions and regrets.
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Onmyoji Review: Verdict
Honestly, this anime is just an average watch. I can not say it is extraordinary as it has predictable twists. It is a simple storyline told in an even simpler manner. If you are interested in Japanese folklore, then you should like it, but some might even get bored of this series.
All in all, my advice will be to give this show a try. If this suits your cup of tea, then go ahead and watch it; if not, you guys can skip it. For me, it was a decent watch that did not have a huge impact on me.