2005年春アニメ
バジリスク～甲賀忍法帖～
GONZO
忍者伝奇ロマンダークファンタジー悲恋
2005年4月12日〜9月20日放送
Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls is a ninja-battle anime adapting Futaro Yamada's novel Kouga Ninpocho (via Masaki Segawa's manga), produced by GONZO and first broadcast on April 12, 2005. Set in 1614, the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu entrusts the decision of who will become the third shogun to a deadly contest between two ninja villages, Kouga and Iga. A 400-year truce is broken, and ten warriors from each clan are forced into a fight to the death. Gennosuke, the young leader of the Kouga clan, and Oboro, daughter of the Iga leader, are deeply in love despite their clans' rivalry — but the ancient blood feud drags them both into the carnage. Twenty ninja, each wielding a grotesque and unique power, clash between love and hatred in this tragic, spectacular ninja epic.
📝 Highlights
👥 Characters
💫 Foreshadowing & Quotes
❓ FAQ
🌟 Featured Comments
📝 Highlights & Appeal Light spoilers
01① A shocking opening as a 400-year truce is broken
On the order of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Kouga and Iga clans break their centuries-old truce and are thrust into a ten-versus-ten fight to the death over the shogunal succession — an opening that instantly sets the whole series on edge.
02② The tragic romance of Gennosuke and Oboro, born into rival clans
Gennosuke, leader of the Kouga, and Oboro, daughter of the Iga leader, are deeply in love despite being fated enemies — and their romance becomes the story's greatest tragedy.
03③ Twenty ninja, each with a grotesque, unique power
From hypnotic eye techniques to illusion magic, eternal youth, and shape-shifting bodies, each of the twenty warriors wields a wholly different grotesque power — their one-on-one ability battles are a major highlight.
04④ Onmyo-za's weighty OP theme, 'Kouga Ninpocho'
Heavy metal band Onmyo-za wrote the OP theme 'Kouga Ninpocho' specifically for this series, inspired by the character Oboro — its weight anchors the show's grim, elegant atmosphere.
05⑤ Two ED themes performed by Nana Mizuki
Oboro's own voice actress, Nana Mizuki, sings both ED themes 'Himemurasaki' and 'WILD EYES' — mournful melodies that feel like they're speaking directly for the character's heart.
06⑥ Every episode subtitle is named after an Onmyo-za song
Episode subtitles like 'Kikoku Shuushuu' and 'Mugen Houei' are all named after real Onmyo-za song titles — a fun detail that music fans will appreciate.
07⑦ Produced through Japan's first anime investment fund
The series was produced as the flagship title of Japan's first dedicated anime investment fund, making it a genuinely pioneering production model for its era.
08⑧ Twenty warriors, one fate — a tense 24-episode countdown
Of the twenty warriors, how many will survive to the end? Torn between clan duty and their own hearts, their fates keep viewers gripped until the final episode.
💡 Key Points & Predictions Some spoilers
The story unfolds as a brutal war of attrition in which both the Kouga and Iga sides lose their ten warriors one by one. Gennosuke and Oboro, still deeply in love, are cornered into fighting as representatives of their warring clans. Their ultimate fate keeps viewers riveted until the very last episode.
🧾 Story So Far Contains spoilers
On Tokugawa Ieyasu's order, the Kouga and Iga clans each select ten elite warriors and are thrust into mutual slaughter. Gennosuke and Oboro try to avoid the conflict, but the elders' schemes and old grudges between the clans drag them both into the fight. As warriors fall one after another, the merciless nature of the clans' ancient code is laid bare.
✅ Recommended Viewing Points
More than a simple ninja battle series, this is a weighty human drama centered on the tragic romance of two people born into warring clans. Recommended for anyone who wants both spectacular power-based battles and a heartbreaking love story.
👀 Trivia & Fun Facts
The original novel, Futaro Yamada's Kouga Ninpocho, was published in 1958 as the first entry in his influential Ninpocho series and had a major impact on later ninja fiction. For the anime adaptation, GONZO used cutting-edge digital animation techniques to preserve the source material's weighty atmosphere while pursuing a distinctive visual style. A sequel series, Basilisk: Ouka Ninpocho, was produced in 2018.
Gennosuke Kouga (CV: Kosuke Toriumi)
The young leader of the Kouga clan. Wields the 'Eye Technique,' which turns hostile intent back on the attacker. Deeply in love with Iga's Oboro, he dreams of reconciling the two clans.
Oboro (CV: Nana Mizuki)
Daughter of the Iga clan leader, able to entrance enemies with illusions. Gennosuke's beloved, and the series' tragic heroine caught between love and clan duty.
Danjo Kouga (CV: Kiyoshi Kobayashi / Wataru Hatano)
An elder of the Kouga clan and Gennosuke's grandfather figure — a stern ninja who upholds the clan's ancient code above all.
Ogen (CV: Naoko Kyoda / Miyuki Sawashiro)
An elder of the Iga clan and Oboro's grandmother figure, who sternly drives her granddaughter into battle for the sake of the clan's long-held ambition.
Jubei Mushigi (CV: Atsushi Imaruoka)
One of the Kouga Ten. Wields a grotesque power to freely deform his body and burrow through the earth.
Kagero (CV: Risa Hayamizu)
The lone woman among the Kouga Ten — a seductive kunoichi who wields a poisonous power that saps the strength of any man she touches.
Nenki Mino (CV: Kenji Utsumi)
One of the Iga Ten, with a body as hard as steel that no blade can pierce — one of the strongest fighters on the Iga side.
Yashamaru (CV: Naoki Yanagi)
One of the Iga Ten, a master of acrobatic movement who leaps between treetops with astonishing agility.
Tenzen Yakushiji (CV: Show Hayami)
One of the Iga Ten, possessing an immortal body that revives no matter how many times he is killed — a ruthless schemer on the Iga side.
Koshiro Chikuma (CV: Wataru Hatano)
One of the Iga Ten, possessing the fearsome ability to instantly copy and reproduce any ninja technique he witnesses.
💫 Unresolved Foreshadowing Contains spoilers
- Whether Gennosuke and Oboro's love can ultimately outweigh their clans' ancient blood feud is a tension that runs through the entire series.
- Hints suggest a complicated history between the elders Danjo Kouga and Ogen dating back to their youth.
- Ieyasu Tokugawa's own motives may run deeper than a simple succession dispute.
💌 Predicted Viral Quotes for Next Season
"There is no tomorrow for Kouga and Iga." — A line that captures the series' pervasive sense of doom as a warrior realizes the clans' fate.
"My beloved, I use this power to protect you." — Gennosuke's words as he wields his technique with Oboro on his mind.
"So this... is our fate." — The resigned words spoken by warriors again and again as they fall, echoing through the entire series.
What kind of anime is “Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls”?
Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls is a ninja-battle anime adapting Futaro Yamada's novel Kouga Ninpocho (via Masaki Segawa's manga), produced by GONZO and first broadcast on April 12, 2005. Set in 16…
What are the theme songs (OP/ED) of “Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls”?
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