English Dub Review: Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls “The Butterfly Dances”

This week: naked ninja boat shenanigans, and lots of exposition.

Overview(Spoilers Below)

Joujin has resurfaced to meet once again with the exiled Tadanaga and tempt him to reach for greater power. He explains, after killing Tadanaga’s bodyguard, that he never deceived Tadanaga when he told him that he could become the powerful man he was destined to be, just that he didn’t promise the seat of the emperor of Japan. He chalks up Tadanaga’s monkey butchering as the result of a fevered mind but insists that the lord can still become as powerful as a god, as powerful as the legendary Oda Nobunaga.

Meanwhile, Rui and Utsutsu are still on the run from “The Rain’, a group of masked brigands guarding the forests around the sinister-looking castle that has appeared near the ninja compound. Utsutsu uses her illusion magic to create visions of some spooky scary skeletons that consume some of her pursuers, but there are too many for her to handle. It almost seems that they won’t get out alive, but a last-minute rescue by Namenba and Hachisu brings them back to the ninja compound safe and sound.

The Iga ninjas then meet to discuss the mysterious castle and The Rain guarding it, as well as take a bath together and de-stress from the battle. We learn that Utsutsu illusion magic can only create visions of hell, and she tragically cannot create anything beautiful with it.

Namenba and Gorone also debrief from the day, but also take the time to discuss what happened on Namenba’s mission to the capital a couple episodes ago. Apparently, Namenba met with Tenkai privately, to discuss matters of grave importance. Tenkai needs the help of the Kouga and Iga clans, despite their hostile history, to defeat the Joujinshuu and save Japan. If Joujin succeeds in his plans, Tenkai explains, then Japan will be reduced to a nation of warring states once again, and the era of peace they currently live in will be over. Namenba is skeptical of Tenkai, as is Gorone, but they take the crafty old man’s plea seriously.

Later, the Kouga ninja boys return from their rescue of Hachirou, and meet with the rest of the ninjas to discuss what happened. They explain how Hachirou won’t be coming back, much to their dismay, and they should plan on moving forward without him. This generates some animosity with the Iga ninjas, but they continue nonetheless.

The ninjas go out on a scouting mission to figure out what’s going on inside the castle. Saizou uses his floating eye magic to see inside the top of the castle and finds none other than a figure bearing the likeness of the deceased Oda Nobunaga sitting on its throne. However, the figure soon crumbles into nothing, and two Joujinshuu members see Saizou’s floating eyes. He informs the other ninjas that they need to make a quick escape, so the team runs off to cross the river and get back home. Members of The Rain pursue them, but Rui, combining her magic and getting completely naked, along with some newly obtained long-range fire support from Hachisu, dispatches the thugs with relative ease.

All is well for the time being, but the Joujinshuu are now aware of the young ninjas they now face. Furthermore, Hachirou, on his travels, sees soldiers marching off to war, an ill tiding for things to come.

Our Take:

Another week, another less than respectable episode of Basilisk Ouka Ninja Scrolls. The problems the series has had to this point remain constant through this week’s installment. Stiff dialogue, over-reliance on exposition, and fight scenes with little to no actual tension or sense of danger create an episode that’s boring and toothless. Not to mention, its shoddy attempts at redeeming itself through gratuitous fanservice further dampen my opinion of the show, which seems willing to do whatever it takes to win back its audience, (If it ever had one) except make a competent, coherent anime.