With the massive September release of Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword, one could say the franchise has actively regained its former glory. As the hurricane of hype winds down, it’s the perfect time to look back at a piece of franchise history. One that many fans may have completely overlooked. An Onimusha anime.
Back in 2023, Capcom and Netflix co-developed a criminally overlooked, 8-episode anime based on the former’s long-dormant Onimusha franchise. At the time, the samurai epic had been on ice for nearly two decades. It makes dusting off the game series for a shot-in-the-dark anime quite the bold move.
Two Projects, One Protagonist, Two Versions
Apparently, both the Onimusha anime series and Way of the Sword had completely separate development cycles internally at Capcom. With neither team aware of each other’s projects, it’s pretty crazy to imagine how similar they wound up in scope. Having devoured the anime three years ago and currently playing through Way of the Sword, I can’t help but notice the pulse-pounding brutal action, gorgeous set pieces, and excellent leads. An easy feat when you share the same protagonist.
Today, I’ll cover how this overlooked adaptation honors the series’ roots, mirrors Way of the Sword’s plot, and, more importantly, expresses how this world is big enough for two Miyamoto Musashis:
A Breakdown
The Fated Hero: Breaking the Franchise Timeline
- The Departure: Three years before Way of the Sword was released, the 2023 anime was the first project to take a gamble by jumping ship from Japan’s war-torn Sengoku period. It moved forward nearly 30 years and into the early Edo era. An era where central Japan transitions to peace, and the series follows a significantly older version of Musashi. The battle-weary sword master navigates the provincial outskirts where wartime holdouts aren’t keen on sheathing their blades.
- The Prophetic Trap: Bound by a dark pact, this older Musashi is granted the franchise’s iconic Oni Gauntlet and a 33-day deadline to investigate and quell a suspected Genma uprising. The anime’s heavy narrative focus on a legendary swordsman, struggling against a weapon that actively consumes his humanity, serves as the exact thematic foundation Capcom borrowed for 2026’s Way of the Sword.
The Visual Homage: A Cinematic Masterstroke
- The Likeness: Studio Sublimation modeled Musashi’s face to the likeness of the late, legendary Japanese film icon Toshiro Mifune. Famous for period epics such as Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, Mifune’s likeness anchors the new timeline in a gritty, cinematic reality. This move was later implemented with a younger version of Mifune in 2026’s Way of the Sword.
- The Mirror: Seeing Mifune’s older, disciplined Musashi cut ribbons through Genma with desperate efficiency provides an unbelievable mirror image to his brash, younger, razor-sharp self featured in the new game.
Direction and Style
The Direction: Takashi Miike Respects Horror
- The Choreography: In the hands of legendary director Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Blade of the Immortal), fight scenes are a savagely brilliant affair. They’re bloody, fast-paced, and brutally grounded in realism. The legendary director makes audiences feel the weight and tonal shift between human and demonic encounters. It shows how even a master swordsman must adapt in the face of overwhelming odds.
- The Atmosphere: Miike knows his source material. Each entry in the Onimusha franchise does a great job of differentiating the gap in strength between the supernatural and the mundane. Instead of the Oni Gauntlet being an all-powerful McGuffin, it serves as a narrative bridge and a necessary force multiplier in combating Genma. The series mixes intense action with long stretches of quiet, claustrophobic dread. The atmosphere of high stakes and genuine anxiety expertly pays homage to Onimusha’s survival-horror roots.
The Style: A Beautifully Imperfect Hybrid
- The Amalgamation: The anime pulls off a unique blend of CGI character animations paired with truly beautiful, hand-drawn painted backgrounds. It’s safe to say Studio Sublimation succeeds in the blend where many other studios have failed in the past. I’m looking at you, 2016’s Berserk.
- The Hiccups: Is it completely flawless? No. The hybrid style suffers from occasional frame-rate stutters and moments where the 3D models don’t quite anchor to the static environments. Yet, these slight imperfections give the show a raw, stylized charm. It stands out from typical modern animation.
The Final Verdict: (9/10) – A Must-Watch Companion
The Onimusha anime is not a shot in the dark, but a vital companion piece to its modern revival. Director Takashi Miike understands the lore and masterfully blends series fundamentals with classic survival horror tension. His Musashi commands battlefields both demonic and mundane. The Onimusha anime delivers the precise, high-octane combat that fans expect.
If you are currently slicing your way through Way of the Sword, do yourself a favor: load up Netflix and give this overlooked gem the attention it rightfully deserves. You’ll quickly realize this world is big enough for two Miyamoto Musashis.
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