Netflix Reveals 'Onimusha' Trailer, November Release
Until recently video game movies and TV series have been said to be cursed. For a long time, any film or series which started life as a game seemed to have been doomed to poor reviews and box office. Now that curse seems to have been thoroughly broken with releases this year including the $1 billion earning Super Mario Bros Movie and The Last Of Us.
One earlier exception to the curse was Netflix's adaptation of the Capcom video game franchise, which has spin-off Castlevania: Nocturne arriving on September 28. Now Netflix has announced that they are teaming up with Capcom on another adaptation: Onimusha.
The game originated in 1997, born out of the idea of wanting to do a Resident Evil game set in Feudal Japan. It soon became its own thing, with the first game Onimusha: Warlords eventually releasing on PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2001. It went on to span four main-line games and a couple of spin-offs. The original game was rereleased in a remaster in 2018.
The game is considered a classic, renowned for its gripping survival action and historical backdrop of Japan tumultuous Warring States period. This will be the first anime adaptation since the game was originally released 22 years ago.
In a surprising development, the series's supervising director is live-action director Takashi Miike. The incredibly prolific film-maker has helmed over one hundred films, but most relevantly that includes Samurai action films 13 Assassins and Blade Of The Immortal. Miike is teaming up with director Shinya Sugai, known for his work on another video game CG anime Dragon's Dogma. Together with animation studio Sublimation, they aim to revolutionise the landscape with the unique take on Onimusha. The anime is written by Hideyuki Kurata (Goblin Slayer, Made In Abyss).
The focus of this adaptation is Miyamoto Musashi, whose likeness is modelled on the late Japanese cinema icon Toshiro Mifune. Set in the Early Edo Period, a time when Japan was transitioning towards peace, and away from a state of constant war. An ageing Musashi embarks on a covert mission. Armed with the mythical Oni Gauntlet, Musashi embarks on an epic quest to vanquish the lurking demons. The main theme song The Loneliest by Maneskin adds even more emotion and depth to the spellbinding saga. The score is written by Koji Endo (13 Assasins, Blade Of The Immortal).
Onimusha is made in a groundbreaking way that features a fusion of cutting-edge 3D CGI character animations with beautifully hand-drawn backgrounds. Which is ironic, as the original games featured pre-rendered backgrounds (as in the early Resident Evil games). With this amalgamation of traditional and modern animation techniques, Netflix hopes to bring a fresh, immersive experience and reach long-time fans and newcomers alike.
Onimusha will stream on Netflix everywhere from November 2, 2023
