is a Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series written and illustrated by Masaki Segawa. Based on the 1958 novel ''

The Kouga Ninja Scrolls is a historical fantasy novel about ninja written in 1958–1959 by the Japanese author Futaro Yamada. It is the first installment in Yamada's ''Ninja Scrolls'' series, which he wrote until his death in 2001. The book was translated into English ...

'' by

Futaro Yamada was the pen name of , a Japanese author. He was born in Yabu, Hyogo. In 1947, he wrote a mystery short story and was awarded a prize by the magazine . He was discovered by Edogawa Rampo and became a novelist. He wrote many ninja (忍法帖 ''Ni ...

, it was serialized in

Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

's ''

Young Magazine Uppers was a semimonthly seinen manga magazine, published in Japan from April 1, 1998, until October 19, 2004, by Kodansha. List of serialized manga * ''Piano no Mori'' by Makoto Isshiki (1998-2004), (moved to Weekly Morning after the cancellation of ...

'' from 2003 to 2004. The story takes place in the year 1614. Two ninja clans,

Iga Iga may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Ambush at Iga Pass, a 1958 Japanese film * Iga no Kagemaru, Japanese manga series * Iga, a set of characters from the Japanese novel '' The Kouga Ninja Scrolls'' Biology * ''Iga'' (beetle), a gen ...

of Tsubagakure and the Kouga of Manjidani, battle each other to determine which grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu will become the next shogun. The deadly competition between 10 elite ninja from each clan unleashes a centuries-old hatred that threatens to destroy all hope for peace between them. A 24-episode anime television series by Gonzo was broadcast in Japan from April to September 2005. Segawa continued producing serialized adaptations of Futaro Yamada's novels with ''

The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls is a period-themed seinen manga by Masaki Segawa that was serialized in Kodansha's '' Weekly Young Magazine'' from 2005 through 2007 and compiled into 11 collected volumes. Like the author's previous title ''Basilisk'', ''The Yagyu Ninja S ...

'' in 2005, ''Yama Fu-Tang'' in 2010 and ''Jū: Ninpō Makai Tensei'' in 2012. Additionally, a two-part novel sequel titled , penned by Masaki Yamada, was published in 2015 with illustrations by Segawa; a manga adaptation, , illustrated by Tatsuya Shihira with character designs by Masaki Segawa, was serialized between 2017 and 2019, and an anime adaptation by

Seven Arcs Pictures is a Japanese anime production company and former studio, established on May 31, 2002, by former Pierrot staff. The studio made its first animated television series, ''Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha'', in 2004. Since then, the company has produced a ...

aired in 2018. ''Basilisk'' won the 2004

Kodansha Manga Award is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, the event is sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in three categories: '' shōnen'', '' shōjo'', and general. The awards began in 1977, initially w ...

for general manga.

Plot

At the dawn of Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period (the late 16th century) two rival ninja clans, the Iga Tsubagakure and Kouga Manjidani, are engaged in a bitter blood feud that has spanned for centuries. The fighting finally ends when Hattori Hanzō the 1st succeeds in forging a cease fire between the two clans by conscripting both into the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu (the man who seized power to become

Shogun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

and form Japan's first truly stable form of centralized government). Regardless, hostilities and bad blood remain between Kouga and Iga, ensuring a tenuous co-existence at best. Fast forward to the year 1614; Ieyasu has retired from power (although he still wields considerable influence within the government) and passed the torch to his son Hidetada. Unfortunately, a succession dispute has risen concerning which of Ieyasu's grandsons are destined to take up the reins of power when their father finally decides to step down. The various government retainers are beginning to take sides and the Tokugawa Shogunate is on the verge of tearing itself apart. In order to solve the problem before it spirals out of control, Ieyasu orders the no hostilities pact between Kouga and Iga canceled and promptly commands each clan to send 10 of their best ninja to enter a ruthless and bloody competition of kill or be killed. Each clan will represent one of the two factions supporting Ieyasu's grandsons; the names of their selected fighters recorded on two identical scrolls to be marked out in blood upon their death. The clan that slays the chosen ten of the other will be given favor for a thousand years while the grandson they represent will be pronounced the undisputed heir to the Shogunate. Prior to the conflicts renewal, Kouga and Iga's two young heirs (Gennosuke and Oboro respectively) were betrothed to each other in the hopes that their union would finally dispel their clan's long-seated animosity toward each other. Forced headlong onto separate sides of a conflict they want no part of, Gennosuke and Oboro must now choose whether to kill the person they love or lead their entire clan to annihilation.

Publication

Written and illustrated by Masaki Segawa, ''Basilisk'' is based on the 1958 novel ''

'' by

. It was serialized in the ''seinen'' manga magazine ''

'' from February 4, 2003, to June 15, 2004. The publisher,

, collected the individual chapters into five '' tankōbon'' volumes between April 30, 2003 and August 7, 2004. The manga was published in English by Del Rey Manga from May 2006 to May 2007, and then digitally by Kodansha USA in September 2014. A sequel manga series, ''Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls'', based on a 2015 novel by Masaki Yamada, with character designs by Masaki Segawa and illustrated by Tatsuya Shihira, was published in Kodansha's '' Weekly Young Magazine'' from July 24, 2017 to April 8, 2019 and collected in seven volumes.

Anime

The first series (''Basilisk: The Kōga Ninja Scrolls'') premiered in Japan on the television stations TV Saitama, TV Kanagawa, Chiba TV, Mie TV, KBS, AT-X, Jidaigeki Senmon Channel, and others between April and September 2005. The second series, ''Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls'', premiered in Japan on January 8, 2018. It is set 10 years after the original series and focuses on a group of young ninjas who endeavor to carry on the ninja traditions and techniques.

Notes

References

External links

Official Japanese website

Kodansha USA publishing pageOfficial Funimation website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Basilisk (Manga) 2003 manga 2005 Japanese television series endings 2005 anime television series debuts Anime and manga based on novels Anime series based on manga Battle royale anime and manga Comics set in the 16th century Cultural depictions of Oda Nobunaga Del Rey Manga Historical fantasy anime and manga Funimation Kodansha manga Manga adapted into television series Martial arts anime and manga Ninja in anime and manga Odex Seinen manga Seven Arcs Winner of Kodansha Manga Award (General)