History YMMV / Basilisk

** JerkAssWoobie: Hotarubi is totally crazy and VERY violent while fighting, but her last scene was totally heartbreaking. So much that [[spoiler: not even the guy who ''kills'' her can deny her a last flash of happiness before she kicks it.]]

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: Although the series has problems with this, the author is clearly trying to convey the message that on both sides of the conflict there are ordinary people who have family or friends and who are forced to become monsters under the pressure of xenophobia and circumstances.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Some fans were dissatisfied with the fact that the series portrayed Kouga more sympathetically compared to Iga, portraying the cynicism and cruelty of the former as something forced and gray, and similar actions by the latter as outright criminal acts. In this regard, in their view, the work could be more deeper and dramatic, if both sides were depicted neutrally.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: ''Hime murasaki'', the ED that is played in plot-critical episodes [[spoiler: like the ending.]]
** And of course there's the opening ''Kouga Ninpocho'' by Japanese power metal band Onmyo-za.

* CompleteMonster: [[ManipulativeBastard Tenzen Yakushiji]], the NumberTwo of the Iga Clan and the true BigBad, absolutely leaps heads and shoulders over any of his fellow ninja for sadism, cruelty, greed and monstrosity. Secretly [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld a centuries old former Koga himself]], Tenzen has nothing but loathing for the Koga and little use for his own Clan. When Princess Oboro seals away her mystic eyes, Tenzen attempts to rape her before being stopped by a Koga attack. Engaging the Koga ninja, Gyobu Kasumi, Tenzen hears how Gyobu's father was murdered by Iga and in their duel, tricks Gyobu into striking at a child, forcing the boy's father to take a fatal blow, solely so the child's pain rattles Gyobu enough for Tenzen to win. Tenzen sadistically toys with other ninja and abandons his loyal student Koshiro because [[EvenEvilHasStandards Koshiro had objected]] to his actions with Oboro. When Tenzen captures the beautiful Koga shinobi, Kagero, because her [[DeathBySex powers make raping her impossible]], he [[ColdBloodedTorture brutally tortures her]] by impaling her with needles, before attempting to rape Oboro with intent of forcing her to dispel Kagero's powers to force himself on her as well. When he faces off with the young Koga leader Gennosuke, Tenzen reveals his intent to destroy all in his path, end the war victoriously and force Oboro to be his bride while he [[TheManBehindTheMan rules Japan from the shadows]] through the young shogun.

!! The anime:
* CompleteMonster: [[ManipulativeBastard Tenzen Yakushiji]], the NumberTwo of the Iga Clan and the true BigBad, absolutely leaps heads and shoulders over any of his fellow ninja for [[{{Sadist}} sadism]], cruelty, {{greed}} and monstrosity. Secretly [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld a centuries old former Koga himself]], Tenzen has nothing but loathing for the Koga and little use for his own Clan. When Princess Oboro seals away her mystic eyes, Tenzen attempts to rape her before being stopped by a Koga attack. Engaging the Koga ninja, Gyobu Kasumi, Tenzen hears how Gyobu's father was murdered by Iga and in their duel, tricks Gyobu into striking at a child, forcing the boy's father to take a fatal blow, solely so the child's pain rattles Gyobu enough for Tenzen to win. Tenzen sadistically toys with other ninja and abandons his loyal student Koshiro because [[EvenEvilHasStandards Koshiro had objected to his actions with Oboro]]. When Tenzen captures the beautiful Koga shinobi, Kagero, because her [[DeathBySex powers make raping her impossible]], he [[ColdBloodedTorture brutally tortures her]] by impaling her with needles, before attempting to rape Oboro with intent of forcing her to dispel Kagero's powers to force himself on her as well. When he faces off with the young Koga leader Gennosuke, Tenzen reveals his intent to destroy all in his path, end the war victoriously and force Oboro to be his bride while he rules Japan from [[TheManBehindTheMan the shadows through the young shogun.]]

* {{Moe}}: Iga-no-Oboro

* EpilepticThrees: What is the degree of kinship between the characters? While most of the main characters are similar to each other not only within the clan, but on their opponents (Oboro and Gennosooke look like each other like HalfIdenticalTwins), the series never answers this question, revealing the family ties of only a couple of characters.

* WhatAnIdiot: [[spoiler: Kagerou]] would have stood a bigger chance to [[spoiler: escape from Tenzen and the Igas]], or at least [[spoiler: would've averted being tortured to almost insanity by Tenzen]]... had [[spoiler: she]] NOT suddenly decided to [[spoiler: stop in her way to freedom ''to try kill Oboro in her sleep''.]]

* WhatAnIdiot: [[spoiler: Kagerou]] would have stood a bigger chance to [[spoiler: escape from Tenzen and the Igas]]... had [[spoiler: she]] NOT suddeny decided to [[spoiler: stop in her way to freedom ''to try kill Oboro in her sleep''.]]

* CompleteMonster: [[ManipulativeBastard Tenzen Yakushiji]], the NumberTwo of the Iga Clan and the true BigBad, absolutely leaps heads and shoulders over any of his fellow ninja for [[{{Sadist}} sadism]], cruelty, {{greed}} and monstrosity. Secretly [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld a centuries old former Koga himself]], Tenzen has nothing but loathing for the Koga and little use for his own Clan. When Princess Oboro seals away her mystic eyes, Tenzen attempts to rape her before being stopped by a Koga attack. Engaging the Koga ninja, Gyobu Kasumi, Tenzen hears how Gyobu's father was murdered by Iga and in their duel, tricks Gyobu into striking at a child, forcing the boy's father to take a fatal blow, solely so the child's pain rattles Gyobu enough for Tenzen to win. Tenzen sadistically toys with other ninja and abandons his loyal student Koshiro because Koshiro had objected to his actions with Oboro. When Tenzen captures the beautiful Koga shinobi, Kagero, because her [[DeathBySex powers make raping her impossible]], he [[ColdBloodedTorture brutally tortures her]] by impaling her with needles, before attempting to rape Oboro with intent of forcing her to dispel Kagero's powers to force himself on her as well. When he faces off with the young Koga leader Gennosuke, Tenzen reveals his intent to destroy all in his path, end the war victoriously and force Oboro to be his bride while he rules Japan from [[TheManBehindTheMan the shadows through the young shogun.]]

* CompleteMonster: Tenzen Yakushiji, the Number Two of the Iga Clan in the Ninja War series Basilisk absolutely leaps heads and shoulders over any of his fellow ninja for sadism, cruelty, greed and monstrosity. Secretly a centuries old former Koga himself, Tenzen has nothing but loathing for the Koga and little use for his own Clan. When Princess Oboro seals away her mystic eyes, Tenzen attempts to rape her before being stopped by a Koga attack. Engaging the Koga ninja, Gyobu Kasumi, Tenzen hears how Gyobu's father was murdered by Iga and in their duel, tricks Gyobu into striking at a child, forcing the boy's father to take a fatal blow, solely so the child's pain rattles Gyobu enough for Tenzen to win. Tenzen sadistically toys with other ninja and even abandons his loyal student Koshiro because Koshiro had objected to his actions with Oboro. When Tenzen captures the beautiful Koga shinobi, Kagero, because her powers make raping her impossible, he brutally tortures her by impaling her with needles, before attempting to rape Oboro with intent of forcing her to dispel Kagero's powers to force himself on her as well. When he faces off with the young Koga leader Gennosuke, Tenzen reveals his intent to destroy all in his path, end the war victoriously and force Oboro to be his bride while he rules Japan from the shadows through the young shogun.

!!The live-action version

* PuritySue: Please, please, PLEASE someone else tell me they were as annoyed with how incredibly [[IncorruptiblePurePureness innocent]] they made Oboro in the anime? She went from being a WideEyedIdealist in the novel/manga to a TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth. It's like they [[UpToEleven changed]] her just so we'd [[TheWoobie pity her more]]. Her "We'll be together in the next world" changed to "Even in the afterlife, he'll never forgive me". Then there's how she had to apologize for Jingorou's actions when Gennosuke was still in Tsubagakure, how Akeginu admitted to how Oboro was right after angrily stabbing [[spoiler:Hyoma's corpse]] . This list could go on and on. Gennosuke's no exception either, but that was more of an [[AdaptationalWimp Adaptational Wimpification]]. Then again, this could just be the troper being [[TheCynic cynical]].

* CompleteMonster: Tenzen performs SEVERAL acts that easily qualify him like [[spoiler:trying to rape Oboro so he can impregnate her, using the flautists to trigger Gyoubu's BerserkButton and finish him off too, killing Saemon in a specially bloody manner for daring to impersonate ''him'', raping and torturing poor Kagerou into insanity, trying ''again'' to rape Oboro in front of Kagerou to see if that would trigger Kagerou's powers, and finally telling the truth about Gennosuke being still alive to his mooks ''[[MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning during his death scene]]''.]] Princess Oeyo and Lady Ofuku may also count, given [[spoiler:Oeyo trying to kill ''[[OffingTheOffspring her eldest child]]'' so the younger becomes heir, and young Ofuku killing her husband's mistress ''[[KickTheDog and her baby]]'' to [[HonorBeforeReason get back at him for bringing both of them home]], humiliating her for being barren. (The ONLY thing that may save Ofuku is that she's the caretaker of Takechiyo, the aforementioned eldest child that Oeyo tried to kill.)]]

* PuritySue: Please, please, PLEASE someone else tell me they were as annoyed with how incredibly [[IncorruptiblePurePureness innocent]] they made Oboro in the anime? She went from being a WideEyedIdealist in the novel/manga to a TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth. It's like they [[UpToEleven changed]] her just so we'd [[TheWoobie pity her more]]. Her "We'll be together in the next world" changed to "Even in the afterlife, even in the afterlife". Then there's how she had to apologize for Jingorou's actions when Gennosuke was still in Tsubagakure, how Akeginu admitted to how Oboro was right after angrily stabbing [[spoiler:Hyoma's corpse]] . This list could go on and on. Gennosuke's no exception either, but that was more of an [[AdaptationalWimp Adaptational Wimpification]]. Then again, this could just be the troper being [[TheCynic cynical]].

* CompleteMonster: Tenzen performs SEVERAL acts that easily qualify him like [[spoiler:trying to rape Oboro so he can impregnate her, using the flautists to trigger Gyoubu's BerserkButton and finish him off too, murdering Saemon in a specially bloody manner for daring to impersonate ''him'', raping and torturing poor Kagerou into insanity, trying ''again'' to rape Oboro in front of Kagerou to see if that would trigger Kagerou's powers, and finally telling the truth about Gennosuke being still alive to his mooks ''[[MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning during his death scene]]''.]] Princess Oeyo and Lady Ofuku may also count, given [[spoiler:Oeyo trying to kill ''[[OffingTheOffspring her eldest child]]'' so the younger becomes heir, and young Ofuku killing her husband's mistress ''[[KickTheDog and her baby]]'' to [[HonorBeforeReason get back at him for bringing both of them home]], humiliating her for being barren. (The ONLY thing that may save Ofuku is that she's the caretaker of Takechiyo, the aforementioned eldest child that Oeyo tried to kill.)]]

* WorldOfWoobie

* PuppyLove: Oboro and Gennosuke originally meet at around the age of 5. And are completely ADORABLE together. In no small part due to Oboro being a chibified GenkiGirl... Who is introduced tugging on Tenzen's hair-spikes.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: From the same flashback above, Oboro gets so nervous about meeting Gennosuke that she develops the hiccups. After Akeginu tries to cure her (making her drink from a teacup with chopsticks across the top) and fails, Rousai and Nenki, arguably two of her most grotesque minions, do their part to help by [[MundaneUtility leaping out and giving her the scare of her life.]] And it ''still doesn't work.''
** The entire episode in question is also CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming. Considering that [[spoiler: half the cast is dead by the point we see the flashback episode, and even the characters who appeared to be in CompleteMonster territory are extremely sympathetic here.]]
* HighOctaneNightmareFuel.: Every-fucking-where.

* TearJerker: So, so many...

* CompleteMonster: Tenzen performs SEVERAL acts that easily qualify him like [[spoiler:trying to rape Oboro so he can impregnate her, using the flautists to trigger Gyoubu's BerserkButton and finish him off too, murdering Saemon in a specially bloody manner for daring to impersonate ''him'', raping and torturing poor Kagerou into insanity, trying ''again'' to rape Oboro in front of Kagerou to see if that would trigger Kagerou's powers, and finally telling the truth about Gennosuke being still alive to his mooks ''[[MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning during his death scene]]''.]] Princess Oeyo and Lady Ofuku may also count, given [[spoiler:Oeyo trying to kill ''[[OffingTheOffspring her eldest child]]'' so the younger becomes heir, and young Ofuku killing her husband's mistress ''[[KickTheDog and her baby]]'' to [[HonorBeforeReason get back at him for bringing both of them home]], humiliating her for being barren.]]

* NightmareFuel
** Some of the death scenes and powers fall directly in HighOctaneNightmareFuel.
* PuppyLove: Oboro and Gennosuke originally meet at around the age of 5. And are completely ADORABLE together. In no small part due to Oboro being a chibified GenkiGirl. Who is introduced tugging on Tenzen's hair-spikes.

* ToyShip: Oboro and Gennosuke originally meet at around the age of 5. And are completely ADORABLE together. In no small part due to Oboro being a chibified GenkiGirl. Who is introduced tugging on Tenzen's hair-spikes.