If you want me to give you an honest introduction on how I even learned about Sengoku Basara, let’s just say it happened a long time ago. Well, maybe 2…3 years ago? Probably exaggerating on that, but anyways, it was an arc of Gintama where the characters were extremely concerned with their character ranking in Jump. In one of the episodes, a whole bunch of references were thrown about, but one ended up involving Hijikata and Tae, where “Let’s Party!” was used.
Hijikata’s voice actor happens to be the same as one of Sengoku Basara’s main characters, Date Masamune. You know, the guy with the eye patch wearing blue armor and yelling stuff in English.
And that’s how I outwardly learned about Sengoku Basara, a franchise that started as a console game, and has exploded into multiple mediums. With the release of Sengoku Basara: Judge End, I decided to talk to one of the series’s biggest fans, Raindrops, who covers just about anything regarding the series, by email last week. It only makes sense to lead off with a legitimate concern.
Organization ASG: So I think the first question to ask is what’s up with everyone being unsure of what Sengoku Basara: Judge End is based off of? How does this happen?
Raindrops: This is a long story, so I’ll start at the beginning.
As many anime fans will already know, the Sengoku Basara series is first and foremost a series of console games. Since Capcom created the first game in the series back in 2005, the series has been adapted to a variety of formats back in Japan: there have been novels, manga, audio dramas, a long-running stage play series, a Takarazuka musical, mobile games, a live action drama show; the list goes on! Each of these adaptations has its own continuity and can be considered an ‘alternate universe’ reimagining of the basic scenario from the game series.
It was only a matter of time before the series received an anime adaptation, of course, and Production I.G. created a very high profile Sengoku Basara television show back in 2009, which in turn spawned its own sequel series and a movie. The movie officially ended the original storyline that Production I.G. had created especially for the anime.
While the Japanese announcements have always treated Sengoku Basara: Judge End as another of these distinct ‘alternate universe’ series, this time based on the game Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes (Sengoku Basara 3 in Japan), something’s been lost in translation when it comes to the English-speaking media. Sengoku Basara: Judge End is a brand new project with a completely different studio behind it and a continuity which sticks much closer to the game series than before, but many of the major news sites have been treating it as a sequel to the previous adaptation.
Unfortunately, this is leading to a couple of problems. Some anime fans are avoiding Judge End because they think they need to see the earlier anime first, while at the same time established fans are going into it with the expectation that they’re going to see a follow-up to the older anime and coming away disappointed by the lower budget and darker plot.
I’m desperate for this misconception to be cleared up so that people can judge the new series on its own merits. Please think of the new story as a completely separate timeline, like the Fullmetal Alchemist or Black Butler reboots.
OASG: What has stood out so far about Judge End compared to prior adaptations, or is it too early to say?
Raindrops: At the time of writing this two episodes have aired in Japan. The story is much, much darker than it was the previous adaptation, establishing a dramatic atmosphere right from the first episode. I think that fans whose only experience of the series is with the Production I.G. anime are going to be shocked by some of the revelations.
My personal impression is that there’s much more focus on the individual characters this time. The staff behind the previous adaptation put a lot of effort into establishing huge battlegrounds with crowds of soldiers and a sweeping musical score; it felt grand and emotional even though most scenes ended in a bunch of crazy battles.
With Judge End, the setting seems to be taking a back seat to the drama, which has been driving the story at a furious pace. We’ve already been introduced to what’s shaping up to be a very large cast of characters – all of whom have complicated relationships with the four leads. Though complete newcomers might find it hard to keep track of everyone at first, it’s an exhilarating experience!
OASG: So hey, you watch anime aside from Judge End! What’s caught your eye so far this Summer season?
Raindrops: It’s early days yet but so far I’m really enjoying Aldnoah Zero, Tokyo Ghoul, Free! -Eternal Summer-, Terror in Resonance and Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun. Together with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Haikyuu! from the Spring season, I’m currently following sixteen simulcasts – it’s really tough when there’s so much Sengoku Basara news coming out at the same time!
OASG: How did you get into anime?
Raindrops: I’ve been a fan since my teens, so although I’d been exposed to anime in mainland Europe when I was growing up I relied on the UK press and video industry at first. After a few years of being desensitised to the kind of violent, objectionable content you could only find in Manga Entertainment’s classic VHS catalogue, the show which got me hooked on the quirkier side of anime was Urusei Yatsura, strangely enough. I’ve never looked back since.
OASG: How did you discover Sengoku Basara, and what moment (or moments) made you become a fan of the series?
Raindrops: I think it was actually fan art from one of my favorite Japanese artists which first drew me into the series. Even then, I never expected that I’d end up becoming such a Sengoku Basara freak later on. I get a buzz whenever I’m playing or watching a Sengoku Basara title and thinking they can’t possibly get any more over the top – and then they go right ahead and do it, somehow. I can recommend the Sengoku Basara: Battle Heroes opening cinematic for a two-minute summary of why I love the series so much.
OASG: What is it about Sengoku Basara that attracted you to the franchise, and convinced you to start a blog concerned about all things involving this franchise?
Raindrops: For me, the characters are the lifeblood of Sengoku Basara. There are more than fifty of them now and every single one has their own group of fans ardently supporting them! That’s part of why Judge End is so important to me, because we’re finally getting to see some of the game-only characters animated for the first time.
As for why I started my blog, well, it’s technically an anime blog. At some point I decided that I would start posting about the latest Sengoku Basara announcements in Japan as an outlet for my enthusiasm, not really expecting anyone else to ever see them. When other fans began commenting and starting discussions I realised that I had stumbled upon a chance to hear from other fans all over the world instead of relying on my friends in the Japanese fan community. It’s a weird series; there seem to be fans in almost every country you can imagine, but we’re all spread out and desperate to see the community growing larger!
OASG: Has anything surprised you about covering Sengoku Basara, in any shape or fashion?
Raindrops: The folks at Capcom regularly surprise me with the crazy Sengoku Basara tie-ins that they somehow manage to arrange. There have been historical tours, museum exhibitions, hot spring resort collaborations… They’ve even promoted local elections and run a couple of campaigns with the police! Every time I go to read the news I’m nervously wondering what kind of stunt I’m going to hear about next.
On the fandom side, I’ve sometimes been overwhelmed by the personal messages that other fans have sent to me, especially those written by younger fans for whom English might be their third or fourth language. I can feel their passion in every word of their messages. When the latest game in the series (Sengoku Basara 4) was released in Japan earlier this year, there was a lot of disappointment over the fact that it wasn’t going to be released in the west. The whole of the small fan community has been pulling together to try to help those who don’t speak Japanese to enjoy the game; even those who can’t contribute translations have been helping with encouragement and sharing individual stories about growing up with the series. I’ve never experienced anything like it from the other fandoms I’ve participated in before; there’s an amazing community spirit out there.
OASG: How do you see the future of the franchise shaping up in the next couple of years?
Raindrops: I’m hoping that Sengoku Basara: Judge End will encourage a new wave of fans to take an interest in the series, and even though it’s not had much publicity perhaps it will do well enough to get a sequel. The release of the Sengoku Basara 4 game earlier this year means that there’s a whole new alternate universe waiting to be explored! I’d also love to see the super deformed Mame Sengoku Basara manga spin-off receive an anime adaptation one day, or perhaps the Gakuen Basara series, which reinterprets the series as a ridiculous school comedy. Either would be a wonderfully light-hearted next step.
Realistically speaking I don’t think it will ever be a huge hit in the west at this point, but I’d love to see FUNimation go all-out with the DVD/Blu-ray release and create some proper liner notes to explain the setting. A simple map showing where all of the different factions are based would make the show much easier to follow for fans in the US (who might not be familiar with the geography of 16th century Japan), and some simple background information would help people recognize the fascinating historical trivia hidden beneath all of the hot-blooded shouting. There’s a surprising level of depth hidden in the series which often goes unnoticed outside Japan.
OASG: Finally, in regards to Sengoku Basara, pitch the franchise! Why should people be interested in it and check it out?
Raindrops: Whether you’re someone who never got into the previous Sengoku Basara anime or simply someone who wants a show with dramatic samurai action which doesn’t always take itself too seriously, I recommend checking out the first couple of episodes of Sengoku Basara: Judge End with an open mind to see what you think. Furthermore, if you happen to be one of the people who played the US release of Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes and wished the previous anime had included more of the characters from the games, this new series is for you!
Capcom officially describes the games’ genre as ‘stylish hero action’. Judge End takes that theme and combines it with drama, real-world history, a magnificent seiyuu cast and a dash of ridiculousness to create an exciting adventure anyone can enjoy. If any of this has made you curious, you might end up becoming as addicted to Sengoku Basara: Judge End as I am!
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Justin
Justin is the founder of Organization Anti-Social Geniuses. Anime & manga fan that likes to blog about anime and manga, is addicted to sports, and weak to crossovers. You can follow Justin on Twitter @Kami_nomi.Latest posts by Justin (see all)
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