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Sengoku Basara
Show us how it's done, boys
"Miseteyaruze... SHOWTIME!!"
— Date Masamune

Sengoku Basara is somehow a copycat of Samurai Warriors, only made by Capcom. The main difference is the over-the-top presentation of characters, designs, and history, which make the game even more loosely based real life than Samurai Warriors. While still slightly based on history, they decided to throw most historical accuracies out the window and just have an original, fun story. They don't want a history simulation like KOEI, they just want a new-generation Hack And Slash with Sengoku characters! Expect a lot of Flanderizations here, good or bad, and lots lots of famous seiyuu voicing the characters (Soichiro Hoshi and Mamiko Noto, for example). Still, it manages to hold a strong fanbase, especially in Japan, and has been considered quite good competition to Samurai Warriors.

When you think about it, it's essentially Samurai Warriors on crack.

Capcom attempted to bring this to the States by giving it a Macekre treatment in the form of Devil Kings, which changed the characters' names and removed all Sengoku Period references. Safe to say, it bombed and Capcom has been scared to bring the Sengoku Basara sequels to western audiences (perhaps they should have left in the 'Samurai Warriors/Sengoku' and not just the 'crack'...)

So far two games have been released, Sengoku Basara in 2005 and Sengoku Basara 2 in 2006. An extension, Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes was also created for the second game, and a 2-D fighting game Sengoku Basara Cross followed. Another 3-D fighting game, Sengoku Basara Battle Heroes was released early 2009. Sengoku Basara 3 has been announced and is scheduled for a 2010 release.

An anime adaptation of the series started airing on April 1, 2009. A second season is being planned for 2010. FUNimation has announced that it is picking up the first season to be dubbed...as Sengoku Basara rather than Devil Kings.

And in the wake of that, recently Capcom announced that Sengoku Basara 3 shall be brought to US once more, now properly instead of revamping it as Devil Kings, the title will be Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes.

There is also a manga adaption, Sengoku Basara Ranse Ranbu. The first and second games have also been made into manga.

Also kindly look at the Characters Sheet.

This game provides examples of:

The Anime Of The Game includes examples of:

  • Absurdly Sharp Blade
  • Animation Bump: The animation seems to change a little every single episode.
  • Anyone Can Die: Safe to say that if you're not named 'Date Masamune', 'Sanada Yukimura' or 'Maeda Keiji', then just be ready to get killed under the banner of Oda. This may as well take a jump to the other territority.
  • Apologizes A Lot: In the anime, it is eventually revealed why Oichi thinks everything is her fault. Turns out Nobunaga married Oichi to Nagamasa to act as The Mole in preparation for an eventual attack on the Asakura and Azai clans. She really fell in love with Nagamasa and was trying to strengthen their bond, knowing the entire time that her brother was planning to kill Nagamasa all along.
  • Battle Aura: All the time. Takeda even disintegrates an opponent in a giant wave of Battle Aura, in what may be a Shout Out to Kittan's death in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
  • Battle In The Rain: Episodes 2, 3 and 9
  • Beam O War: Happens a lot. Particularly between Masamune and Yukimura.
  • Big No: Episode 9, courtesy of Kasuga.
  • Call On Me: Subverted. After Sasuke realizes he can't stop Kasuga from trying to pull a one-woman Roaring Rampage Of Revenge on Nobunaga, he instead gives her a flute and tells her to blow it should she find herself in danger. When the time does come to use it, it turns into a rocket-powered glider instead of summoning the other ninja.
    Kasuga: I thought you were supposed to appear when I blew into it.
    Sasuke: Well, that's obviously impossible. But hey, I'm here now!
  • Cool Horse: Masamune's infamous Harley Davidson Motor-Horse.
  • Crowning Moment Of Funny: Episode 5: Naoe Kanetsugu getting WTFPWN'D by Tadakatsu.
  • Crowning Music Of Awesome: The anime soundtrack.
  • Cue The Sun: Happens twice. The first time is in Episode 1 when Yukimura and Masamune battle each other to a standstill. The second is Episode 12, after Nobunaga is finally defeated.
  • Dancing Theme: The OP
  • Deadly Closing Credits: Episodes 5 and 11.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Episode 10. Until Masamune comes along. Then it's a different matter.
  • Diabolus Ex Machina: Does the anime loves this or what?
  • Dramatic Thunder: Whenever Nobunaga is on the scene.
  • Dramatic Wind: Where would we be without it?
  • Ducks In A Row: Takes this one further by introducing the entire cast in the first episode!
  • Elite Mooks: Four of Date's retainers (Bunshichi, Yoshinao, Samenosuke, and the fat one) get quite a lot of attention in the anime.
  • Empathic Environment
  • Enemy Mine: Kenshin, Shingen and a reluctant Masamune form a temporary alliance against Big Bad Nobunaga. The theory is that with him out of the way, they can be free to fight amongst themselves.
  • Eye Scream: In Episode 12, when Nobunaga has Masamune cornered, he torments the poor boy by threatening to gouge out his other eyeball with his finger.
  • Face Palm: Sasuke, whenever Yukimura does something particularly stupid.
  • Foe Tossing Charge: Seriously, this is the only reason those Mooks exist at all...
  • Foe Yay: While the games were rife with this, the anime practically makes it canon. Of particular note is the moment in the fourth episode when, after Yukimura declares his desire to fight Masamune again, Sasuke comments that it:
    Sasuke: "Looks like you've fallen for him. And he for you".
  • Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Sasuke hauls off and slaps Kasuga in Episode 10.
    • Later on in the same episode, Masamune is forced to beat some sense into Yukimura after he becomes too scared to fight.
  • Glowing Eyes Of Doom: Shingen, as well as Masamune when he gets excited.
  • Heroic BSOD: Yukimura has one after Mitsuhide wounds Shingen badly enough that his survival is questionable, which he blames himself for not being able to prevent. Only a manly Rousing Speech from both Masamune and Kojuuro is able to snap him out of it.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Honda Tadakatsu. Twice.
  • Hollywood Healing: Subverted with a gunshot wound Masamune obtains in the anime, which renders him bed-ridden for two episodes and serves as a major handicap in the Final Battle.
  • Honor Before Reason: This trope basically explains why Nagamasa and Ieyasu remain allies of Nobunaga despite being an Obviously Evil Overlord.)
  • Human Shield: Mitsuhide attempts to use Ranmaru as one against Kojuurou. It doesn't work. Kojuurou just throws Ranmaru out of the way and kicks Mitsuhide's ass.
  • Leave Him To Me: Kojuurou vs Mitsuhide, Episode 12.
  • Lightning Reveal: How Nobunaga makes his anime appearance.
  • Love At First Sight: Masamune and Yukimura's first meeting can be described as nothing but this. Afterwards, Yukimura even falls to his knees and tells Sasuke that he has a funny feeling in his chest:
    Yukimura: "It burns"
    Sasuke: "What?"
    Yukimura: "My heart...it burns. Such force of will. Such fighting spirit. Such strength!"
    Sasuke: "Did you burn yourself?"
  • Mauve Shirt: Those four Date soldiers who are kidnapped in Episodes 7 and 8.
  • Mood Whiplash: Episode 5: After that Crowning Moment Of Funny above, we're presented with...Nagamasa's dramatically tragic death, all to make Oichi suffer.
    • And in the very next episode, Tadakatsu goes BOOM, much to Ieyasu's despair.
  • Neck Lift: Nobunaga does this in the last episode. Masamune must weigh about as much as a bag of sugar.
  • Never Trust A Trailer: "The Tiger of Kai Dies at Midaigawa," my ass!
  • No One Could Survive That: Notice that the smoking black crater where Honda used to be is suspiciously lacking a dead body at its center...
    • Also, Kenshin gets shot twice in the chest by Nouhime and lives to fight again. Sengoku Era medicine must be very good.
  • No One Gets Left Behind: After Hisahide kidnaps his men, Masamune is determined to rescue them, despite being wounded, on the grounds that the Date Army can't afford to lose anyone.
  • Nothing But Skulls: Nobunaga's throne is made up of a pile of skulls in the anime. He even uses one for a cup.
  • Not Quite Dead: Tadakatsu
  • Obvious Trap: In Episode 11 Masamune decides to walk into Nobunaga's trap, confident that he'll be able to figure something out once he gets there and kick butt. It turns out that the trap was actually set for Mitsuhide.
  • One Hit Kill: Shingen curb-stomping Hojo in Episode 2 with his flaming fist attack.
  • Post Dramatic Stress Disorder: Masamune is miles away from the battlefield before anyone even realizes that he was shot in the side after the fight with Nagamasa.
  • The Reason You Suck Speech: Nobunaga spends a good ten minutes informing Masamune and Yukimura how foolish they are for thinking they could defeat him. Naturally, they defeat him.
  • Rivals Team Up: Episode 12, when everyone comes together for the Final Battle against Nobunaga
  • Rousing Speech: "PSYCHE UP GUYS!!!!"
  • Scenery Porn
  • Shirtless Scene: Masamune received a rather obligatory shirtless scene in Episode 8, much to the viewers delight. The writers probably thought that with Yukimura going round half-naked all the time, they should give Masamune a chance to be shirtless as well (not to mention improve their ratings.)
  • Sparkling Stream Of Tears: Oichi and Ieyasu do this as they cry for Nagamasa and Tadakatsu, respectively.
  • Stuff Blowing Up: Oh hell yes.
  • Super Deformed: Mini Sengoku Basara: Chousokabe-kun and Mouri-kun. One night, Motochika invites Motonari over for a sleepover drink, and they decide to watch the anime together. Hilarity Ensues. See here.
  • Sword Limbo: Mitsuhide does this during his fight against the two heroes in Episode 11.
  • Sword Sparks: Complete with Shakeen!
  • What Do You Mean Its Not Awesome: So many to count, but most prevalent would be Shingen using two horses to ride to the battlefield, all while standing up, each foot stepping on each saddle. And he can get the horses to run on walls.
    • Speaking of horses, Yukimura rides only one, but to dodge bullets, he stabs the ground with one spear and spins around it, while still riding the horse.
    • Masamune rides without handlebars. On a motorbike-horse. He's that cool.
  • What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic: One of Uesugi Kenshin's nicknames was "Dragon of Echigo". His main rival in SB is Takeda Shingen the "Tiger of Kai". In Ancient Chinese mythology, the dragon and the tiger are depicted as bitter rivals, however their strength is evenly matched and neither is able to defeat the other. Coincidence? I THINK NOT! Incidentally, Sanada Yukimura is referred to as the "Young Tiger", and his rival happens to be the "One-Eyed Dragon" Date Masamune. In Episode 12 of the anime, leading up to the Final Battle, a blue dragon and a red tiger can be seen flying through the sky above our young heroes, guiding them to their destination.
  • What Were You Thinking: What Takeda asks Yukimura after learning that Yukimura let Kojuurou (who, along with Masamune, was under their care) confront Hisahide alone and with only half of the demanded ransom. He did not like the answer he got.
  • Worthy Opponent: A conversation between Shingen and Kenshin in the anime implies that the two of them collaborated to arrange for Masamune and Yukimura to meet in battle specifically in the hopes that the two of them would become Worthy Opponents.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: When Oichi tells Nobunaga that she has accidentally killed his wife, Nobunaga calmly responds by saying that a woman like Nouhime can only go so far. He then kills Oichi for the same reason.)
    • And this is after he has already sent Mitsuhide to die against the heroes by giving both him and them a false location of his stronghold. Though to be fair, Mitsuhide was going there to kill him as well.
  • You Fail History Forever: No one dies in the historically correct time, place or way. Also, everything else is just wrong. But hey, Rule Of Cool is God.
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