Basilisk

I am currently watching the Basilisk Anime Series. I heard that they have a manga version and I still can’t find a copy. Anyway, I am now in episode nine and I believe I have developed a liking for some characters.

Basilisk: the Ninja Scrolls is about two enemy clans, Kouga and Iga. Their hatred for each other rooted four hundred years ago in which the characters has nothing to do with.

The story begins when Kouga Danjo was ordered by retired shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to lead nine other warriors besides himself against the chosen ten of the rival Iga Tsubagakure clan to determine a successor to the shogunate. As a young man, Kouga Danjo fell in love with the Iga chieftess, Ogen, whom he planned to marry so that peace could be established between their clans. Unfortunately, fate conspired against them in the form of a surprise attack on Iga Tsubagakure by the forces of Oda Nobunaga with the assistance of the Koga. Ogen was furious and thought that she was deceived by Danjo, the peace they both wanted was lost forever.

Danjo never gave up his desire of one day bringing peace between Kouga and Iga and years later, he permitted his adopted grandson, Gennosuke, to become engaged to Ogen's granddaughter, Oboro, until Ieyasu's decree forced him to bring a decisive end to the longstanding feud by any means necessary.

After sending Kazamachi to deliver the Kouga's copy of the scroll, he steals the Iga's copy from Yashamaru and then killes Ogen by firing two darts into her neck. Ogen’s hawk was able to distract him and she pulls the needle from her mouth and stabs Danjo from the back..

The war between the two clans begins and the ninja’s from each side started fighting and killing each other. They all wasted lives of their loved ones and families. In the end, Oboro and Gennosuke was the only ones left standing and they must fight each other to death. Gennosuke, who never lost his love for Oboro, closed his eyes and decided to let her kill him. Instead, Oboro kills herself whereupon Gennosuke writes in the scroll that the final person to survive was Oboro before joining her in death.

Kouga Gennosuke (Kouga Clan)

The adopted heir of Kouga Danjou who assumes leadership of the clan following his grandfather's death. An idealist and scholar who believes in looking to the future instead of being dominated by the past, Gennosuke views the pursuit of any grudge to be an ultimately pointless and self-destructive practice. He adheres to his ideals even after learning of the Hattori Truce's absolvement, prompting him to lead the Koga on an expedition to Sunpu to plead with former Shogun Ieyasu and Hattori Hanzo to reinstigate the treaty before any further bloodshed occurs.

In addition to his skill with the sword, Gennosuke wields a power passed down his bloodline called Dojutsu. A hypnosis technique, Dojutsu allows Gennosuke the ability to reverse the homicidal intent of anyone who meets his stare directly effectively causing them to kill themselves instead of him.

Oboro (Iga Clan)

The adopted princess of the Iga clan, Oboro ascends to leadership following the death of Ogen only to have her authority usurped by Tenzen. Born with "mystic eyes," Oboro has the power to neutralize the techniques of any ninja who meets her stare directly. This power is constantly in effect and has the potential to affect both allies as well as enemies. Prior to the lifting of the Hattori truce, Oboro was engaged to Gennosuke in an attempt to bring a lasting peace between both clans. Oboro would frequently meet with Gennosuke along their clan's borders to practice a Japanese fan dance which they planned to perform for the guests at their wedding. Sweet natured with a gentle disposition, Oboro lacks any real talent for either martial arts or ninjutsu and is also a bit of a klutz. This, along with her love for Gennosuke has caused most of Iga to view Oboro as a black sheep.

Hotarubi (Iga Clan)

A petite and slender young woman with straight dark hair that drapes to just below her shoulders; Hotarubi embodies the concept of the traditional Japanese beauty. Although she shares her clan's hatred for the Kouga, Hotarubi's prime concern is for her lover, Yashamaru, another member of the Iga ten. Her devotion to him is so great that even the suggestion that he's come to harm is enough to send her into a feral rage.

In combat, Hotarubi summons swarms of glowing pink butterflies that overwhelm and distract her opponents, allowing her to either strike a lethal blow through their dropped defenses with her tantō or escape to safety. She also maintains a spiritual link with her pet viper who acts as her bodyguard and scout. Hotarubi summons and controls her butterflies through a barely audible chant.

Yashamaru (Iga Clan)

A brash and cocky young man, Yashamaru's favored weapon are dozens of strands of garrote wires called Kokujou (black rope, or black binding) which are woven from the hair of young women and alchemically treated with natural oils harvested from wild animals, turning them as hard as steel. Yashamaru controls the Kokujou as though they are an extension of his own body, and can use them to tie an opponent up, slice them to pieces, flay them, or even stiffen the wires so they can pierce like needles. The wires are usually kept wrapped around Yashamaru's forearms, but extra wires are tied around his calves in the event his hands and/or upper body becomes immobilized. He also carries a cleaver in a sheathe on his back although his opponents rarely get close enough that he's required to draw it.

Unlike most of the Iga clan, Yashamaru had begun to consider the Hattori truce beneficial as it allowed him a chance to live a peaceful and quiet life with his lover and comrade, Hotarubi, whom he planned to marry before the treaty's cancellation resulted in all out war between the clans.

Kisaragi Saemon (Kouga Clan)

A specialist in stealth and infiltration; Saemon is able to assume another person's identity by pressing their face into a raised mound of mud or soft clay, forming a mold with which he can insert his own face into to assume their appearance. This, along with his talent for impersonating voices, makes Saemon a master of disguise. His technique however is only effective cosmetically. It doesn't bestow him with any of a person's memories or abilities and anything with senses superior to a human's (as Hotarubi's snake proved) are able to see through it. Saemon is also one of the Kouga's more capable fighters, at one point successfully defending himself against multiple Iga ninjas at once.

Chikuma Koshirou (Iga Clan)

Apprentice to Tenzen, Koshirou's technique enables him to create miniature whirlwinds with his breath which suck his enemies in and then shreds them to pieces. He also wields a pair of kama hand scythes, which he can use in close combat or throw like boomerangs.

Koshirou and Oboro grew up together. And despite the differences in their stations she sees him as an older brother. Koshirou himself is completely devoted to Oboro and is even suggested to have romantic feelings for her. Unfortunately, his loyalty to Tenzen compels him to follow his sensei's orders regardless of how he personally feels. He's also the love interest of Akeginu although he's more or less oblivious to it otherwise

Muroga Hyouma (Kouga Clan)

Gennosuke's uncle and the second in command to Danjo. Like Gennosuke, Hyouma possesses the Doujutsu technique and was the one who originally taught Gennosuke how to use it. Unlike Gennosuke, Hyouma's Dojutsu is always in effect so he must keep his eyes shut or else risk accidentally killing the wrong person at the wrong time. To compensate, Hyouma develops an almost radar-like sense of hearing that makes it impossible for him to be snuck up on. Although he distrusts the Iga; Hyouma understands that despite whatever differences may exist between people, they are still humans who live, feel, and die the same way. It was due to Hyouma's teachings that Gennosuke was able to see past his clan's hatred for the Iga and attempt to establish peace, which Hyouma supports whole heartedly.

_{Source: Wikipedia}

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In the end, all of them were just victims of the hatred that was solidified for centuries. They were victims of the fate and war no one ever knew how begun. They all lived and died under the shadow of the dark past they all have.

All they desperately needed in the end was love and care from the people around them. Like Akeginu and Kagerou who both loved a man they can never win. They were willing to give up their lives for them.

Udono Jousuke, Jimushi Jubei, Kazamachi Shogen, Amayo Jingoro, Mino Nenki and Azuki Rousai all died with hatred in their heart. Their talents and lives were wasted because they chose to remain under the shadow of the past.

Chikuma Koshirou on the other hand, was torn between his loyalty to his master and his secret love for Oboro. He knows that she sees him as a brother and yet, he stood behind her and protected her all the time.

Yakushiji Tenzen was so angry that even in his 200 years of life, all he wanted to do was to annihilate the Kouga. He is a son of a Kouga Ninja and an Iga woman but because of her mother’s death from the hands of his own father, he chose to live under the Iga and manipulated people around him making them hate the Kouga.

Kasumi Gyoubu who wanted to avenge his father’s death failed when he accidentally killed a father in front of his son. He saw himself in the boy and died with guilt in his heart. Okoi who has no grudge against the Iga died wanting to make his brother, Saemon, proud. Kisaragi Saemon who loved his sister so much chose to avenge her death. Even if he felt a strong emotion for Hotarubi after getting to know her and seeing her true colors, he discarded his feelings and killed her in the name of Kouga. He also showed sympathy towards Akeginu that he and Kagero killed. He felt for them and saw his sister in their eyes. He is a very understanding person yet the vengeance he wanted to make surpassed all the kindness in his spirit

Yashamaru and Hotarubi who only wanted to live a happy life with each other died because of the loyalty they have for their clan. Yashamaru only wanted to make his colleagues proud. He thought that the truce was not so bad after all because he never wanted to see Hotarubi hurt. But he died in vain leaving Hotarubi broken hearted. When she learned that he died in battle, she lived with great fury and dedicated herself in killing the one who killed Yashamaru. Because of that desire, she lost her concentration and was overwhelmed by her emotion, making it easy for Saemon to kill her.

When fate left Oboro and Gennosuke the last standing in their clan, they both thought of letting the other kill them. But Oboro realized that Gennosuke would never dare hurt her so she killed herself instead. She loved Gennosuke with all her heart and that was enough to make her forget all the death and hatred her clan has for the other. Gennosuke, who watched Oboro die in front of him, wrote in the scroll that Oboro was the last one standing and killed himself to join her. In the end, history repeated itself. Like Ogen and Kouga Danjo who loved each other and planned to get married before the conflict begun. The only difference is Oboro and Gennosuke loved each other so much that they are willing to stop the war no matter how others may see it. They sacrificed their lives rather than live in extreme abhorrence.

In the end, they were all just victims of destiny they never wanted to have.