Orient

How would you feel if your forefathers were champions of justice and the people for whom they fought now regard them as outcasts? What if the teachings of the current society teach that your ancestors were not the liberators they claimed to be? Would you hide and hope no one notices, or would you rise to the highest echelons and liberate the oppressed while defeating the oppressor who corrupted the way of thinking in your homeland? Even if you tried, what if few rejoiced in your doing so?

Shinobu Ohtaka is the author and illustrator of the Japanese manga series Orient. From May 2018 to January 2021, it ran in Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine. In February 2021, it moved to Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. Kodansha USA licensed the manga for English release in North America.

The original manga series by Shinobu Ohtaka is still ongoing. The first twelve-episode season of Orient aired from January 6, 2022, to March 24, 2022. It was produced by TV Tokyo, Kodansha, AT-X, Avex Pictures, Bilibili, and Crunchyroll. A.C.G.T. Studios was tasked with handling the animation. They are best known for the anime Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World, which is a fan favorite.

The first 42 chapters of Shinobu Ohtaka's manga are used in Orient, which is split into three parts: the Tatsuyama Town Arc, the Kosameda Bushi Arc, and the Daito Mine Arc. The anime has a bumpy stately initially but picks up once we hit the middle arc. Directorial duties were handed off to Tetsuya Yanagisawa.

Tetsuya Yanagisawa is a longtime veteran in the anime industry and has been a part of a lot of well-known projects. I was surprised to see that he worked on Urotsukidōji IV: Inferno Road. Times were hard in the early nineties! Mariko Kunisawa is the series composer, Takahiro Kishida is in charge of character design, and Hirofumi Sakagami is in charge of art direction.

Here's how Orient's tale goes down: Musashi and Kojiro had been best friends since they were 10 years old, and they sat in rapt silence as Kojiro's father told stories of evil demons who preyed on the innocent and the brave warriors who vanquished them. While training with swords, the two make a pact to prove themselves to be the greatest warriors on Earth.

But as they get older, Kojiro becomes jaded, and Musashi realizes that he can't stop the demons from ruling Japan for 150 years just by himself. People say he's a genius with a pickaxe, but he's almost ready to give up and work for the rest of his life. But he can't get rid of the feeling that he still has something to do, and he knows that soon the wrongs in his world will force him to act.

When I first saw Orient, I was captivated by the premise. a world in which good is called evil and evil is called good. I was drawn in by the mixture of magic and Japanese culture. In fact, seeing Orient reminded me of the time I first watched Samurai Champloo. As a fun fact, Samurai Champloo is said to have taken place during Japan's Edo period, while Orient takes place in the Sengoku period. During the Sengoku period, there was a constant civil war, which might explain why the anime is sometimes set in a desert.

Musashi is the main character of the story, and Kojiro is the other main character in this series. Due to their connection with the Bushi, Kojiro’s father was a Bushi before his death, and Masashi's parents' being kind to them brought these boys together. Without giving much of the story away, I'll only say that their paths are disheartening. Nevertheless, it is through struggle and loss that one finds strength.

Musashi is best described by his fiery red hair, which matches his personality and foreshadows what is to come. He is unique in that I believe he is the only character in the series to don red hair. He shows his bravery in the first two episodes when the mine in which he works is overrun by Oni. Evil beings from Buddhist folklore who are also called "Kishin" and are the strongest type of Oni (demons) get tribute from the many people who live there.

When the Oni come to collect their spoils, Musashi rebels and attacks the interlopers, much to the protest of the brainwashed denizens he works for. His reasoning was to fulfill a dream he and his childhood friend set out to do, which was to form a Bushido band. His dreams are further etched in his skull when, with Kojiro, he fights a losing battle against a powerful Oni. When the leader, Naotora Takeda, and Takeda Bushi (Bushi clans are named after the leader) appear, they both know what must be done. As they are official outcasts, they set off to fulfill their destiny.

In my opinion, the anime does a good job of establishing our two protagonists; although Musashi dominates, it's easy to overlook his counterpart and write him off as just a sidekick. While much of his character on the surface comes off as glossy, it is he who is sort of the tie that binds things together. When we first meet him, we notice how jaded he is. This is because he was never able to fit in with society as a whole, while his counterpart was. At one point, he calls his brother a liar after overhearing him in class denouncing the Bushi along with his peers.

After the death of his father, Koijiro becomes a bit of a recluse, and it is obvious he misses his father both in spirit and in legacy, as the sword he was gifted by his father holds significant meaning for him. Being alone, however, isn’t all bad. Koijiro is, in many ways, more mature and independent than his counterpart. Except in the case of females.

When they meet Tsugumi Hattori, our resident waifu and ecchi candy for you shonen boys, Koijiro immediately falls for her charms. Speaking of her charms, Crunchyroll really allowed her to almost bare all. My man Musashi was unfazed, as he prefers his women more mature (insert MILF fetish here). Tsugami's character development at first was great, but like in much shonen anime, her role was changed to that of a general sidekick.

What is an anime without its villains? We get a lot of them. First, there’s the obvious society at large; second, there are the effects of trauma, abuse, and neglect; and lastly, there's the villain lurking in the shadows.

I have realized that when you meet this villain trope, the protagonist should be on guard. They are generally light-colored-haired and muscular, but not Kenshiro muscular, and they might generally be pleasant to be around for the unsuspecting novice. These dudes appear in anime (also hentai), and they cozy up to you until their trap is set. Such is the case with Shiro.

Shiro is a tall, chiseled young man with light skin. His silver hair is short and spiked, and both his eyes and face are covered in freckles. He is a collector of Kitetsu blades, which are the blades necessary to kill oni. When he meets Musashi, he is secretly in search of the Obsidian Goddess. Shiro is seen with his subordinate Nanao, who is wearing various masks, meaning the trickster is near. Hiro Shimono does a delicious job of voicing Shiro. Hiro is best known for voicing Conny Springer in the AOT series.

That aside, I thought the voice acting overall was good, with a few standouts. I am a fan of good villains, and Azumi Waki doesn’t disappoint. As this is shonen anime, expect a great deal of screaming and yelling. The music throughout the series is complimentary to the overall story. though the villains get the best treatment, which they should! "Break out" by Da-iCE set the opening mood, though the ending theme felt out of place. You can't have it all…

Unless it's the animation. The colors are vibrant, and watching Orient reminded me of Rust Eater Bisc or the Magi series. Orient and the Magi series have the same mangaka, and some have asked if Orient is part of the larger Magi universe. If I have one complaint, it would be that I prefer fight scenes that aren’t short and include a greater range of movement. I guess I should either send them money or shut up!

Orient is a delicious romp; it's not anything spectacular, but it has the potential to grow into a greater series. I remember One Piece having a bumpy start but growing into the beloved series it is now. Where the money goes, so goes the series, and one thing that is true about the Japanese is that they are great at refinement. Just ask the good folks at Toei Animation.

Some people might not like it when anime is based on real-life events, unless Unfotable makes it. Orient has performed well in Japan, but the series has had a rather disappointing performance with fans around the world. A quick glance at the scores on MAL or IMDB can attest to that.

Nevertheless, Shinobu Ohtaka has proven she can create a superb series with Magi, and I believe she will accomplish the same. Hopefully, the adaptations will continue (Cour 2 is already done) and maybe someone will look back and adapt the rest of Katsura Hoshino signature works.