The blade arts of the "Devil" tasked with striking down evils threatening a peaceful Edo! Heizou Hasegawa, upholding the role of chief officer protecting against crime and arson! In 1783, the heart of the Tenmei era, Hasegawa held the office of chief director of the department charged with sustaining safety in the region, suppressing the most vile of thieves and criminals, an individual largely feared, renowned as Devil Heizou...
(Source: MAL News)
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Adi
On one side of a brittle, canvas Shoji, lies a group of bandits—found in all shapes and sizes, though all donning the same, uniform black garments. Whispering to themselves in memorization the code of a true thief: to never kill, to never rape, and to never, ever steal from the poor whose earnings come from good work. More meaningless muttering occurs throughout the mob as they neatly organize their arsenal of tools; small daggers, picks for a lock, and of course their sharpened Katana—they don’t dare be spotted without one. On the other side of that same, brittle, canvas Shoji, lies a concealed troop ofSamurais, all taking one deep, collective breath, in preparation for the Chief of the Arson Control, the “Onihei” himself, to swiftly kick down this same, brittle, canvas Shoji.
“This is Heizo Hasegawa of Arson Theft Control!” the chief bellows, with his two hands now grasped tightly around his own Katana in position to fight, with that brittle, canvas Shoji now in pieces beneath his foot, over the soft tatami mat.
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With a uniquely gorgeous artstyle, an electric jazz accompaniment and a historical setting rich with character, “Onihei” traverses the Edo period through a series of episodic, Law & Order-esque stories that are stylish, exciting, and occasionally quite meaningful.
I mentioned Law & Order—that’s what this show really is. Law & Order with Samurais. Maybe with a little emphasis on the “Order” side, but not entirely neglecting the morally grey situations and ethical dilemmas that go without saying when dealing with detective work. The story follows the Chief of the Arson Theft Control, Heizo Hasegawa (otherwise known by his demonic moniker “Onihei”) and the unique crimes, circumstances and people that he inevitably has to deal with being in a position of responsibility.
The advantage of setting this type of episodic “cop/detective’ show of sorts in the Edo period is that it’s able to offer more unique versions of stories that you’d typically find in a regular detective show. Episodes about past comrades of Heizo, episodes about Heizo befriending good-hearted criminals he’s supposed to be after, etc. are all disguised as wholly unique and original stories that you’ve never seen before, but in reality if you swapped out the Samurais for cops and Heizo for a detective they may seem more familiar again. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with that, in fact it’s a credit to the show’s writers for coming up with a concept like that; but it doesn’t make the stories any more special than they seem.
This isn’t to say Onihei is full of uninspired stories, that’s not even close to the reality of it. Even when you spot some pretty blatant cop/detective show tropes they’re still executed in more than satisfactory ways. And this is where Onihei excels as a show, its execution is usually very impressive. The maturity of the characters and by extension their dialogue allows the interactions and plot developments to bloom organically, without feeling too contrived or repetitive. This is crucial in a detective show such as Onihei, as the whole premise of solving mysteries in storytelling is to be believable, you can’t have inexplicably genius characters solve everything with some inhuman foresight, but you can have intelligent characters who solve mysteries with experience and simple attention to detail. And Onihei does a fantastic job of highlighting this.
The show may falter at times with regards to this, and the first episode is a perfect example of that. It’s clear they were trying very hard to not only introduce the context of the show within the first episode, but also get one episodic story out of the way. This of course resulted in the first episode being jampacked with content and action that just made the whole thing feel very heavy-handed, with inexcusably rapid character developments that did leave a lot to be desired.
Onihei also differentiates itself from that whole cop/detective dynamic by not being so exclusive to one side of the dichotomy. It’s not just a “who did it?” crime story every episode, sometimes it’s just a story about the life of a thief, sometimes there is no crime involved at all and it’s about Heizo’s family, etc. The show isn’t dedicated to only presenting stories about criminals and thieves, it’s dedicated to presenting stories that Heizo Hasegawa would have experienced. The show is about him and everything around him, it just happens that he’s the Chief of Arson Theft Control.
The content of Onihei’s individual stories also deserves recognition; the show could easily get away with embedding moderately complicated mysteries in each episode that Heizo solves with his wit and experience, but that would be playing it far too safe for a show with the kind of flare that Onihei has. During the Edo period, where laws are obviously more lax and authority less omnipotent, the number of “unique” crimes that are committed are at a tremendous volume—so with all the ethical dilemmas that naturally spawn from these situations, it would be a dumb oversight not to turn some of it into serviceable food for thought. With poetic lines of dialogue such as:
“At times we do evil things when intending to do good; And at time we do good things when intending to do evil—such is life.”
You can’t not think about that for a while. Is it really that profound? Probably not, but to find genuinely meaningful gems like this in a seemingly cheap detective show like Onihei, that’s operating on a shoestring budget, speaks volumes to the quality of writing the show possesses.
With that being said, consistency is an issue the show has. While it has its fair share of meaningful moments like that, often delving even into deeper territory with surprisingly accurate representations of heady topics like Stockholm syndrome and the long lasting effects of child abuse, it sometimes falls flat on its face. There are occassionally times where I feel like the show is trying to send a message to me, but often I just sit there thinking to myself what is the show trying to say? What’s the point of this episode? Is there even a point? It’s occasionally a bit aimless at times. For a show that peaks with realistic representations of potent psychological conditions, it sure can fall flat when it just serves up a filler-esque standalone story about a child Heizo used to know now being a thief.
The animation is straight up dreadful. If you were observant enough to notice me dropping the phrase “shoestring budget” earlier, this wouldn’t be that big of a surprise. It’s awful, and especially evident in the beginning episodes. CGI background characters that look creepily out of place, poorly drawn animations of running with limited frames, etc. the reality of the situation is that this is the first major TV show ever produced by studio “M2” and nobody gives enough fucks to sponsor this. Though, honestly, I’m not sure if either I got used to the dreadful animation or what, but I genuinely believe that the animators did a great job of covering up the bad animation. Without any second thoughts I have sat through entire episodes of Onihei, fully immersed, not noticing any wildly jarring animation errors that snap my immersion at all. And that’s a credit not only to the creativity of the staff for coming up with ways to disguise it it all, but also a credit to the uniquely gorgeous artstyle and the brilliant jazz orchestra composed of melodic flutes, brisk piano notes, smooth saxophones, classy trumpets and deep, humming drums. While the animation itself is subpar due to the clear low budget the studio received, the artstyle itself and the excellent soundtrack do a wonderful job of immersing you into the already enchanting, historical setting of the show, making you quickly ignore any minor animation funks that may otherwise break your immersion in a show absent of these two other great features.
Onihei is a show I personally enjoyed on multiple levels. It was not only very entertaining, often leaving me at the edge of my seat in anticipation and suspense, but its resolutions sometimes left me with some stimulative food for thought. And despite the mingy budget and poor animation, the art style itself and the soundtrack were well above amazing.
To see a show like Onihei in modern anime is inspiring. It’s not a stretch to say that most people would describe modern anime as generic and unoriginal, tropey, excessively pandering and all the other usual suspects. And is it really so wrong to say so? Just look at MAL’s “Seasonal Anime” tab up on the top—how many shows each season aren’t derivative off of something else, something better and more popular? How many shows each season are even remotely unique?
So when a show like Onihei—shoestring budget and all, with poor marketing outreach and poor distribution as well—is able to deliver something not only legitimately entertaining and meaningful, but fairly unique and creative as well, it gives me hope that there are some studios, however new and underfunded, that are willing to break away from the seemingly inescapable mold of anime that remorselessly copies and copies from within its own medium without any detectable iota of creative desire—creative desire to produce something truly unique and original.
I hope this review was informative and helpful.
LaLeLuLiLo
Onihei is a series of japanese hitorical novels that have been adapted into many forms such as live-action TV, Movie, Manga, and even a theater play. Now the story has been adapted into Anime format, and not only that, but is also the first anime that the new studio M2 has created. The story of Onihei is set during the Edo period in Edo(tokyo) , and revolves around Heizou Hasegawa the chief officer protecting against crime and arson. him and everyone else in the department hold a duty with keeping peace and safety with in region, and bring down any criminal or thieves.the entire anime itself is episodic which sometimes focuses on Heizo, our main character, or other people who work for him. each episode also focuses on a moral message or life lesson for the viewers based on what has transpired during the episode. any semblance of plot or progression in the story comes from new characters that are added into the roster who are usually involved in an episode later down the road. even then the story just boils down to a cop story with a criminal-of-the week formula. some of the episodes follow the same beats to the point that it becomes repetitive and annoying, and makes watching the show a drag to watch at times. i can't say much for pacing since it's an episodic show, but each episode does a good job at filling out their time. however in terms of writing, the show fluctuates from being good to being rather dumb , questionable, and sometimes uninteresting
the show has a somewhat big cast of characters which split of into two categories. the main cast that stays through out the whole show, and the episodic cast that just stays for one episode and are never to be seen again. nonetheless it doesn't really matter when none of the characters really do stand out from the rest other than Heizo. Heizo is a rather interesting character who is fleshed out decently throughout the story either by flashbacks, or by the interactions he has with people and environment around him which shows off a multi-faceted personality. other characters also get time to be fleshed out with their given screen-time and backstory, but it's usually for one episode and is used only for the story of that episode. there are no character arcs , and no one really develops as a character. in the end there is no point to get invested in the characters other than the main character.
the art style is good even when considering that this is the studios first show. the character designs are decent for the most part with some looking rather nice and detailed while others...they look like they needed a lot more work. the background art is good as well capturing the look of edo period japan, but i can't say it brought a lot of atmosphere to it. there's noticeable use of cgi when it comes to the background characters with how the city crowd contrasts itself with the background and foreground characters. there's also the lighting with a noticeable amount of minute flickering which i guess comes from the candle flames, but become annoying to the eyes, but the rest is good. the animation is done pretty well to say the least, but a large chunk of this show is just walking, sitting , and talking. the action scenes are decent if it's two people fighting, but becomes confusing when it's large police raids and the "camera" is moving all about.
the voice acting for the show was decent enough with everyone sounding there part. the soundtrack is pretty much absent or at least it goes in one ear and comes out the other with the only thing worth noting is the jazz that plays during the action scene, but that's about it
honestly i felt like dropping this show more than once. some episodes were a bore to watch even more so than a slice-of-life series. nothing got me invested. however there's nothing quite like this show in anime, but that still doesn't it make it good. overall for a first time show the production value is fine with slight hiccups, the stories had their ups and downs, and the characters filled their purpose.
jsmrcrzgrdl_
ONIHEI ANIME REVIEW Onihei tells the story of Arson Theft Control's chief, Heizo "The Oni" Hasegawa on how he captures and deals with the thieves. I'm declaring that this anime is the best hidden gem of Winter 2017. Everything about this anime is enjoyable to watch. The story's great because you learn the underlying reasons and secrets of every thief. Every episode you will learn a new thing. The art's good as well. It was set on traditional Japan so every bit was great especially the soundtracks. It's like I've been to Japan after listening to that opening song. It was damn great. The character development in each episodewas also outstanding. You can view yourselves in their shoes after you finish an episode. You will feel their story. Just the narration in each episode was damn excellent.
Overall, it was great anime to me though I really wanted more than 13 episodes. It is highly recommended to those who don't have an anime to watch yet.
RESOLVING_POWER
I watched Onihei. Here are my thoughts: I dropped this halfway through but picked it up again a few months later and managed to complete it. Overall it was pretty mediocre but did have a couple positive qualities. Foremost, this show does a good job of depicting the 18th-century Japan setting, both visually and from a sociological perspective – many social themes that prevailed during that time period are featured in the writing (ex. caste system, prostitution and infidelity, criminality and law enforcement, gambling and drinking). This anime can be interesting from a sociological perspective. That said, I found the constant focus on burglaries became boringand repetitive, even from early in the runtime. The screentime used to demonstrate the thievery (like sneaking in, etc.) is often quite dull and repetitive, as well as lacking creativity. The low-budget undynamic animation also certainly did not complement these burglary scenes. Although there are many frames in which the setting (ex. building architecture) looks nice, the animation is not dynamic at all – it often feels like a Powerpoint presentation. There are certainly some nice static shots in here, but the character animation feels very low effort, including during the short-lived action scenes.
The plot is mostly episodic with stories that are self-contained within their respective episodes. However, there is a core set of characters who persist across episodes. Unfortunately, these recurring characters are underdeveloped and not particularly likeable or memorable in any way. The episodic plots usually involve the characters reacting to some kind of conflict (i.e. generic burglary scheme #9001 + ratchety hoodrat drama that belongs on Jerry Springer), leaving little room for any kind of character development – this issue is compounded by the large size of the cast. Overall I found the storywriting tedious and repetitive. The episodic plots are quite generic and felt like they came off an assembly line – there was nothing in here that I hadn't already seen many times before in fictional writing. Like, a third of the episodes somehow involve a guy falling in love with some dumpy hooker bitch – this gets tiresome very fast, yet the theme gets repeated over and over in the writing; it was eyeroll-inducing.
I personally am not at all fond of the jazz-like OST and this is another major reason why I'm lukewarm on this show. This is a matter of personal taste though, and other people may like it. Also, the voice acting was nothing special, except for maybe the MC himself who has a deep handsome voice.
My overall rating: 5/10
This anime is basically a combination of Cops + Jerry Springer: Feudal Japan Edition. Similarly to these iconic American TV shows, Onihei explores many sociological issues in a highly dignified manner. Seriously though, somebody interested in historical Japan society would likely appreciate this show. Onihei's best aspect is how it depicts its setting, not only visually but in the way that so many sociological phenomena are featured in the writing. Unfortunately, the episodic plots themselves and the characters they involve are nothing special. Much like the animation itself, there are some appreciable moments but the overall execution is repetitive and lacks dynamism.
lovelyangel666
~*Background of Onihei:*~ Onihei (lit. "Demon Hei(zo)") is based on Ikenami Shoutaro's novel by the same name, "Onihei Hankacho", set in the Tokugawa period. The novels have also spawned several movies, TV series and manga as well. ~*Rundown on the show:*~ Set in feudal Japan, the story tells the adventures and misadventures of Hasegawa Heizo, chief of the special police controlling arson and robberies in Edo. The police forces are composed mainly of reformed thieves and spies, many of which still have ties with their pasts, which makes the story all the more interesting. The anime itself is in a criminal-of-the-week format and each episode tells the storyof a different person (or people), many of which are entangled with Heizo's life one way or another. So as the story progresses, we glimpse more and more of Heizo's past and his character.
~*Important characters*~
Heizo
The protagonist of the series, he is a stern man with a strong sense of equity, enforcing justice without mercy. He is also an excellent swordsman and possesses a detective's intuition, making him able to easily read the intentions of almost anyone. However, Heizo also has a mild side to him and at times overlooks the crimes of people with good resolutions, or of those who are kind in nature.
Hisae
Heizo's wife. A good-willed and attentive woman, she appears in almost every episode as a minor character, but also has an episode dedicated to her and her past. Most of the time she attends to their mischievous adoptive daughter, Ojun, and is sometimes seen talking to Heizo about worrying matters, to which she's always concerned and empathetic.
Hikojyu
One of the most comical characters in the show, Hikojyu is an old man, small of stature, which makes him perfect for a spy, thus he is often sent on recon missions and many times the success of the mission depends on him.
Omasa
A woman with ominous past, she is loyal to Heizo and infatuated with him. Omasa is a strong, fearless woman and tends to take great risks, at times resulting in the police having to save her afterwards.
~*Animation and soundtrack*~
Albeit not with the highest of budgets, Onihei's visuals maintain a certain level of quality and a unique style. The OP and ED theme synchronise quite well with the atmosphere of the show, both in musical composition and in animation. One of the key instruments to bring out the atmosphere in Onihei is the flute, accompanied by fast-paced stings. Those two elements are predominant in the BGM as well.
~*Should I watch it?*~
The main points of this anime are the historical setting, the characters' appearances in a variety of situations and the story-of-the-week format. If you are into historical dramas, spiced with a few detective elements; or you like police shows and would also appreciate a not-so-engaging storyline, you should watch Onihei.
maxiburger
In tone and structure, Onihei is kinda similar to Cowboy Bebop. Both use self-contained episodes about crimes with sobering and melancholic conclusions that get solved by the maincharacters who carry on the weight of their work with an optimistic stoicism. What's missing almost entirely is the comedy, so in that way it's basically a less goofy Samurai Champloo. Maybe it's no coincidence that even the OP and ED are relatively similar tone setters to Tank and the Real Folk Blues. So if you're a fan of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, or mature samurai dramas in general, you should definitely give this anime a shot. Most ofthe time, the focus of the plot lies on the criminals and their sympathetic motivations while the titular police chief Onihei takes a backseat and sometimes only shows up at the very end for the cathartic confrontation with the law. For a detective story, this format can get a little confusing, especially in the first episode when you have no idea where the plot is gonna go. When the more traditional investigations kick in, they mostly get carried out by Onihei's spies, a recurring cast of former thieves who gather information, which often gets personal when they used to be involved with the episode's perp in their respective past. It's the information gathering that I find most fascinating, since the story is set in a bureaucratic metropolis from an era when communication worked overwhelmingly by word of mouth, and there are no supernatural or anachronistic elements whatsoever. It always comes down to who knows who, and I'm grateful that the characters pretty much always know immediately who did it based on those informations without having to grope in the dark for obscure clues.
Now I don't know how faithful the anime adaptation is to the original novels, but considering how unavailable the show is online and how nobody is ever talking about it, you're probably coming to the show like me with no familiarity to the franchise. In my opinion, the anime can definitely stand on its own - and I wish it had a second season.
bridgetheman
NOTE: I don't like giving a show a number to go by because I find people take them too seriously so my opinion will just be who should watch and who will enjoy it. Now with that out of the way lets talk Onihei. The show as a whole was enjoyable the, slapstick humor and episodic style served the show well (really similar to Gintama). It is set in feudal Japan which I was relieved to see, not many shows are willing to brave a true historical take on an anime with out throwing in time travel or beat boxing. Everything from the story, to music,to art were fantastic. But you will notice I don't mention characters. From the start of the show they are who they are at the end. There is no true development, they just exist as a supporting cast to the main character who doesn't evolve except from the point of flash backs. However with that small negative out of the way I have to say the show itself was enjoyable, at only 13 episodes I finished it quickly and didn't lose interest. Now should everyone watch this? Short answer. No. This is a accurate time piece some people don't care for that, and its episodic I have heard people say maybe too much so. Well who should watch this then? I believe anyone who is a fan of shows like Gintama, or samurai champloo, or any fans of the historic japan setting will truly enjoy this series. Id give this 3.5 stars (P.S I really hate the 1-10 system!)
SamuraiSteve
Onihei (10/10) **Spoiler-free review** This was an interesting show to watch. Reading reviews on here, and elsewhere, I thought I'd be in for "just another samurai show". Let me explain what I mean by that. Anime typically adapts novels, manga, and other forms of literature into animation. Thus, the medium tends to have MANY various shows, and MANY various flavors of the same material we've seen before. Since the Japanese have a culture that focuses heavily on history and the essence of things past, many shows inevitably fall under the radar. Don't let this one. Now, I'm not saying everyonewill find this to be a gem. I can see that many may criticize its slow, perhaps meandering plot for being just that. I however find it refreshing. For those who are familiar with Mushishi's relaxing tone: chronological tales that seem unified, yet paradoxically serial, and enjoy it for being so, you will like Onihei. I personally found it to be a masterpiece, in that it told a story in a deeper way than many similar shows have done. It's always nice when people act like people, because a script is good enough, and when a tone is established, and a mood fastens the viewer to the screen as if by a sort of magical thread. Above all, Onihei tells a different tale in a common setting. It's ultimately distinguished by the detail the creater's put in taking a chance to humanize thieves and those who bust them (especially in a mostly corrupt society). It suggests that kindness can be found in anyone, even for those who are in positions to abuse power.
I will now finalize my description of the show in the upcoming paragraph. The main character, Onihei, is a generous humanist, uncommon in feudal Japan. He is progressive, kind, funny, and the kind of person you would like to be. He seems like a friend; he is the reason the show works so well. What is Cowboy Bebop without Spike? Empty. The same can be said for this show, as it is a character study. In our age of junk TV, modern-classics like this are a treat to find. It's a modern show, yet it plays out like Anime shows of yesteryear. Expect greatness, fans of Mushishi, Cowboy Bebop, and Ghost in the Shell.
If you are on the fence, watch it and reserve judgment until after you are done, as you may find yourself a changed anime watcher. Now I need to go. Reviewing Onihei reminds me I need to get drunk on Junmai Sake.
geovannyboss
Thrilling, violent action crime drama, with a dose of humour and nostalgic poetic justice I found this series entertaining in every way. Although not a complicated tale by itself it does offer many points of view through out with different characters who are introduced in each episode. From past thieves gone rogue to innocent bystanders who also become victims from the very same thieves Heizou tracks down using his intelligence. Every episode becomes more interesting than the next as the story evolves. Good voice actors deliver touching dialogues between characters + sword fights are tense, e.g. Heizo the inspector/ protaganist fending off an assassin + no outof character behaviour: plot and decisions are driven by characters' consistent personality + promotes social justice, empathy towards inequity prevalent in Edo period society, and leniency / rehabilitation towards redeemable thieves, especially the Robinhood types + flashbacks show how Heizo grew from a bitter, impulsive trouble maker to a wise inspector with iron fists and a warm heart + violent scenes were plot driven, not gratuitous. Some cases are solved by simply tracking and arresting non-violent thieves; murderous criminals meet swift and violent end + social commentary / philosophical remarks, e.g. Heizo laments a female thief's downfall, "women, they have no paat or future; just survive in the present" elevates this series beyond a simple action crime series, because characters prompt viewers to observe the story and case in a humanized way with social context, making the episodes more meaningful
Opening song is jazzy with saxophones, which doesn't complement the period of the series, and took me some time to get used to
plot twists are few, since you can predict characters' decisions
some episodes include intense sword fights between robbers and police, with gore and dismemberment; there are also cases of sexual assault (hinted, not shown). These episodes are unpleasant, but realistic of the crimes committed in that period
* I enjoy the series because it partly reminds me of Samurai Champloo, the characters are interesting and likeable, Heizo is the chilvarous ideal friend, boss, and husband: he's fun and generous with his friends, fair and kind to his squad, empathetic and respectful towards women, youths and children; his virtues and awareness is almost ahead of his time.
* Highly recommended to viewers who enjoy detective shows such as this one.
WallahSous
I'll start with the anime's only and major flaw: It's very episodic without any substantial progress, except for some little character development. You could very well watch it in reversed order and it wouldn't be much of a problem. There's also no ending of course. Story-wise, it's an anti-criminal organization that fights off criminals, mostly thieves. Every episode is a new criminal they're stopping. You also see a very small family-household development between the chief and his family, but nothing too interesting. Character-wise, the main character is very likeable. He's very strict and benevolent. Good at fighting, confidant and rules with an iron fist while remaining likeable andcalm. The rest of the characters are fair, but nothing worth mentioning.
Art-wise, oddly enough I would characterize it as "Samurai Noir". The music, the colours, the art itself draws very close similarities to the Noir genre.
Combat-wise, the combat is well executed. It's mostly grounded in reality, with an extra edge (i.e. jumping high). Fights get very gory and merciless, there are no filters, which is a massive plus.
Music-wise, the music is very good. It sounds like a mix of oriental and Noir music.
Overall, enjoyable on all fronts, except the major flaw that it's entirely episodic. It could have been a 10/10 with a continuous story.
SenApai07
I watched this during my adolescence, a period in life where you're changing both physically, intellectually, psychologically, and socially, as well as the development of your own moral compass, and man did this Anime leave an impression. This might sound cheesy but the way Heizou carried himself really inspired me at a time when I needed it the most. And it's not like Heizou is this perfect 2-dimensional character, the show constantly reminds us of what he used to be and it's that character development that leads him from just being a strong student of Kenjutsu to a real master. Despite hisstrict demeanour, Heizou truly cares deeply for his subordinates, and his ability to read people's intentions truly shines when judging character and upholding justice, often putting himself in harm's way to protect them. Throughout the series, he investigates and solves a variety of crimes, ranging from arson to theft, all while facing his own personal demons and struggles that often stem from his past.
Despite being on a noticeable budget the art and animation were where they needed to be since the stories were the main focus. The music on the other hand really grabbed me, it was beautifully subtle with a hint of jazz and got exciting when it needed to like cowboy bebop or Samurai Champloo, it really complemented the story's historic noir tone.
NyarlatAnime
Onihei is quite an experience, from its bold use of color to its unique and realistic portrayal of its characters as actual people. The former isnt PARTICULARLY rare in anime, but the latter most certainly is.. It is held back from greatness, or true Masterpiece status, by the narrowest of margins. It follows quite a few characters, though the main focus is on Onihei himself. It is frequently categorized as something of a crime/cop drama. While that is accurate, it doesnt really “feel” like the typical experience of the genre. Personally, I think this works out for the better, but it may not for be thesame for everyone. The mystery and detective aspects are very secondary to the characters themselves. With such a strong, rich character like Onihei though, this ends up working exceptionally well.
General art is absolutely top tier, though the animation can be a bit lacking sometimes. Sound design and music is fantastic and adds a lot to the experience, albeit with quite a subtle touch. Many viewers may not even notice what its adding to the atmosphere, unless it wasnt there. Its very well done. Some of the scenes are so beautiful that they essentially serve as a master class in how to execute aesthetic in this medium. The characters, events, sound, and art frequently come together to create scenes that are remarkable and memorable.
All that said, the best part about this show for me was its constant revelry in moral grey areas. In a lot of anime, it tends to either be very black & white, or very melodramatic, forced ambiguity. In Onihei, it feels so true to life that its fantastically unique in the world of anime. Even further, Onihei himself is a character that I would even go so far as to call a role model. This might be one of the most unique aspects in an art medium where such things are very, very lacking.. to say the least.
Its so refreshing that I would recommend this show on that single merit alone.
For as great as this show is, however, there are definitely some issues. The fight scenes can be a bit janky, to the point that its distracting. I would still say that the studio worked well with what it had, but its noticeable. The CGI can be VERY apparent in some other scenes, and it can pull the viewer out of the immersion with an uncomfortable jolt.
The show is so strictly episodic that it might be an issue for those who dislike that. There isnt enough of an overarching narrative that pulls things together. Even when considering it as something of an episodic Slice of Life, its absence is felt. Perhaps its because some characters have so much depth, the events so intriguing, that it feels a bit off. Its not necessarily obvious “in the moment” of the viewing experience, but definitely becomes apparent under consideration. Some of the characters, namely Onihei, also stand out so much that some of the other characters can feel a bit flat. Unlike many shows though, this feels like it stems from low screen time coupled with a large cast more than them being filler.
Thats not to say that no overarching narrative exists though.. we learn a good amount of backstory to the characters, things happen that evolve the story, and some things carry over from previous episodes. Yet, you could probably set the episodes in a random order and watch it without much issue. In many shows, this isnt a big problem. Here though? It stands out since the shows strong points are so well done that I cant help but think What Could Have Been.
All the same, I am clearly giving it a high rating. I would recommend this show to pretty much anyone because of its characters & art. Though, viewers who have issues with episodic formats might struggle with it. And, despite quite frequent action and violence, its Slice of Life “feel” may be unappealing to some, or even boring.
Overall though, its an underappreciated gem of a show. Even with its issues, it feels so refreshing in so many ways. I absolutely loved it, and strongly enjoy any show that can pull off a Slice of Life aesthetic while also dealing with serious events frequently, up to and including quite a bit of violence/action.
RauLeCreuset
Onihei, this anime was just amazing. Mech, Samurai, Historical, Psychological. Are my favorite categories. And onihei was both a historical and a samurai anime, so two in one I received the best of both worlds and hit the jack pot with this one, the story line was very easy to comprehend, I love how the main character treated his fellow comrades or brothers in arms with both respect and was not afraid to be stern and set them on the right path, when they would go astray or veer off course, and is always willing to put himself in grave danger, just so those hecares for can escape unharmed, but, his fellow samurai are always there to back him up when he needed the most. Also, the action, beautiful scenery, and the constant action mixed with gore and dismemberment, were of course some of my favorite delights about this particular anime without question.
