Anime on Radar: Basilisk

"To the one I love, please die"

Sounds kinda Shakesperean when you look at that statement. If you like blood, beauty, story, and action, then Basilisk is the title for you.

This is the telling of the story between the Iga and Koga ninja clans. A fragile peace was all but shattered by a dishonorable act of deception, causing all hell to break loose between the warring clans. Let me tell you that the body count stacks up quick in this anime. More bodies hit the floor than in Ninja Scroll and Blood Reign (a.k.a. Curse of the Youma) combined.

The central characters of this series are Gennosuke of the Koga and Oboro of the Iga. Both are intertwined in a Romeo and Juliet love war that members of both factions will never give their blessing for marriage. Anyone who's ever read Shakespeare can only guess how this will turn out.

To the ninja fan, this is a definite pick up, or something to put on your radar, at least.