The popular video game franchise from Capcom, Onimusha, is all set to get an anime series on Netflix. The brand-new anime will be directed by iconic director Takashi Miike. Interestingly, the series will premiere globally on the popular streaming platform, Netflix on November 2, 2023.
Capcom’s original game series Onimusha revolves around historical Japanese stories blended with some supernatural elements. The game was created and designed by famous video game legend Yoshiki Okamoto.
Onimusha was initially intended to be a Resident Evil-style offshoot however, eventually, the game found its own independent narrative. Capcom recently released a trailer for the upcoming Onimusha anime.
The antagonist of the series happens to change with every Onimusha title. However, irrespective, the motives and aesthetics of the protagonist usually remain the same. The main character is always a skilled swordsman embarking on a set mission. The mission involves slaying demons and fearsome enemies during the waning years of the Sengoku period in feudal Japan.
In every game, the main character possesses the power to absorb Genma souls from defeated enemies. Similarly, after every kill the souls help restore the player’s health, and release power in weapons and armor, thus providing power for the elemental attacks of special weapons.
Netflix’s Onimusha anime
In Netflix’s adaptation of the Onimusha game, the protagonist is Miyamoto Musashi. The main character is modeled after the late Japanese screen icon Toshiro Mifune. The plot of the anime series is set against a much later Edo Period.
The protagonist is voiced by famed Japanese voice actor Akio Otsuka, who also has projects like Ghost in the Shell series, as well as the acclaimed Tokyo Godfathers to his credit. Not to forget he has also voiced the main antagonist, Nobunaga Oda, in the first three games in the series.
This first look at the show gives the viewers a glimpse of how the platform plans to bring the game’s universe to the screen in the form of anime with crisp CGI animation and authentic voice acting. The three-minute-long trailer gives fans a hint of what to expect with the solid looks at a new take on Japan’s feudal Sengoku period.
The anime is directed by Shinya Sugai (Dragon’s Dogma), along with Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Audition) being the supervising director as well as South Korean illustrator Kim Jung Gi serving as the character designer.
The Onimusha game series has so far sold a total of 8.6 million units worldwide, which makes it Capcom’s ninth best-selling franchise, just after behind Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Devil May Cry, Dead Rising, Marvel vs. Capcom, and Ace Attorney.