[Onmyoji REVIEW NETFLIX] A bit of a Boys’ Love (BL) vibe, but the storyline demon-slaying is much more captivating.

OnmyojiAdapted from the mysterious supernatural novel by Baku Yumemakura, this story has undergone numerous transformations into various formats. It has now been adapted into its first anime series by Netflix, consisting of a total of 13 episodes.

The narrative revolves around the duo of Abe Seimei and Minamoto Hiromasa, who must unravel cases involving both humans and demons. This series draws inspiration from the original novel’s framework and introduces new legends and tales never told before.

Onmyoji Review (No Spoilers)

The anime series that focuses on a specific group target audience, telling the story of two good-looking male characters in a slightly “BL” (Boys’ Love) mood, directly through the close friendship they share. Despite the main plot revolving around demon-slaying, it consistently interweaves the emotional bond between the two male characters in a “BL” style. no scenes going beyond that, genuine male viewers can still enjoy it. However, they might feel a bit uncomfortable towards the end, as the narrative with this emotional orientation becomes clearer than the earlier parts that emphasized the pure friendship of characters with contrasting personalities. The protagonist, Abe Seimei, is indifferent to anyone’s goodwill until Minamoto Hiromasa accidentally enters his life, gradually melting his cold demeanor and leading to a friendship that transcends into a bit more “BL” territory.

However, if you remove the BL aspect, the content of this anime is quite impressive. The series delves deep into the psyche of every character, both on the protagonist and demon sides. In this story, each character has a backstory, and demons aren’t portrayed as purely evil entities that indiscriminately harm humans. Many demons in the series don’t harm anyone at all, such as those who enjoy composing poetry or those who accumulate human abilities.

Even the protagonist himself has a motive that leads to the occurrence of cases. All of these elements are cleverly resolved through the protagonist’s own methods, without relying much on action scenes. The storyline unfolds more like a detective solving cases rather than engaging in battles. It concludes with heart-wrenching drama, and surprisingly, not all demons need to be eliminated, which is a unique and strong point of this series.

The anime is divided into two parts: Episodes 1-6 gradually introduce each character in the story, including other Onmyoji counterparts who serve as rivals or adversaries. The main storyline mostly concludes within these early episodes. However, Episodes 7-13 present a longer narrative where all the characters come together to fight. It also reveals the protagonist Abe Seimei’s past, which was not disclosed in the initial episodes. This part helps viewers understand how he grew into a person with a cold demeanor, indifferent to others. Moreover, it focuses on the development of his romantic feelings, particularly his deepening BL connection with his significant other.

The visual aspects of the series still maintain the typical dynamic animation style commonly found in Japanese anime. Although it may not reach the level of some renowned series, especially in the later parts, it doesn’t pose any issues for viewers who are already accustomed to this style.

In general, it’s a Boys’ Love (BL) anime with a bit of a “Y” vibe that even male viewers can appreciate. However, it’s desired that the focus be placed on the content of the demon-slaying aspect, utilizing the characters’ analytical minds effectively. The series manages to convey the demon-related narrative well without heavily relying on action scenes. The demons in the story are portrayed with deep and dramatic elements, not evil seen in other works. This unique approach brings a fresh perspective, turning the storyline into a detective-style narrative, where the characters help demons rather than eliminate them. This distinctive take sets the series apart and gives it a feel-good atmosphere contrary to other works in the genre. 

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