I've been watching a lot of Netflix anime lately, and one of them is studio Marvy Jack's Onmyoji anime. It is a historical, supernatural, and fantasy anime with elements of Japanese folklore and mythology, based on Baku Yumemakura's novel of the same name. Here’s our Onmyoji anime review.
Onmyoji is Demon Slayer meets Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions in that the characters exorcise demons after solving the curses that bind them in the human realm.
Onmyoji Anime Review
I'll start by noting that I'm delighted to have read some English versions of Baku Yumemakura's Onmyoji novel.
Some of the short stories I read were thought-provoking and fascinating; thus, the Netflix anime version of the book piqued my interest.
I have yet to watch some of Onmyoji's live-action films, but I hope to do so in the future.
Regardless, I'm here to review the Onmyoji anime, and we'll begin with the promotional trailers released by Netflix prior to the anime's official premiere.
I can see from the trailers that they put a lot of effort into developing the Onmyoji anime.
The key characters, especially Abe no Seimei and Minamoto Hiromasa, are stunning. Their characters and clothing designs are new to my eyes since I’m not really a fan of historical anime shows.
It appears that they are targeting the female demographic with these gorgeous characters, which I don't believe is a problem given the current trend of anime character designs.
The opening theme song of Onmyoji, Kodoku no Saibou, sung by Ling Tosite Sigure, the same Japanese rock band who performed the opening song for Tokyo Ghoul, greatly increased my excitement for the series.
However, I believe the opening music did not correspond to the opening scene of the anime. To match the intensity of the Japanese rock band's performance, I wish the opening scene was darker and rougher.
Now that I've seen the Onmyoji anime, I'm glad I was able to learn more about Japanese folklore. I'm familiar with the term "Onmyoji" because I've played games about it and watched Asian dramas that addressed it.
I'm overjoyed that these renowned historical individuals have been adapted into anime, but as the plot unfolds and I binge-watch the 13-episode anime, my excitement has waned.
The first episode of Onmyoji helped me realize that it would be an episodic anime, with a new demon or enemy introduced every other episode and the main characters exorcising them by the end of the day.
Each episode tells a new story, but the underlying theme is that demons are produced from humanity's rage, pride, greed, and other emotions.
I'm not sure how demons are created by people in the anime, but that's how I interpret it.
Except for the poorly defined Japanese terms, it's an easy-to-follow anime. This has become one of my issues when watching, as I am unable to connect with the characters as the plot progresses.
I'm sure Japanese mythology buffs would find it more interesting to watch all of the anime episodes because they already know things I don't.
My other issue is that Onmyoji's animation is inconsistent. There are times when the characters appear rigid and disproportioned, which distracts me.
The voice actors, on the other hand, did an excellent job portraying their characters.
So, Is the Onmyoji Anime Good or Worth Watching?
Despite its flaws, the Onmyoji anime is still worth watching. It is perfect for those who are into Japanese mythology and folklore but would appear boring, bland, and flat for non-fans.
It is episodic in nature but may appear repetitive as the plot unfolds.
So, it’s up to you to decide whether you’ll immerse yourself in the world of Onmyoji or not, but I suggest that you give it a try.
It’s much better to watch My Daemon if you’re not a fan of Japanese mythology instead of Onmyoji.
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