Orient

 A fantasy series from this winter season that picked my intrest as soon as I saw it appear.

Because well, oni and bushido in one series...

During the 12th century, the Kishin, an upperclass of Oni, appear in the human lands and take them over, but the bushi fight them still.  However, Bushi soon became outlaws as humanity was enslaved by the demons.  Musashi is a boy making a living as a miner, but actually dreams of becoming the founder of a Bushi band together with his friend Kojiro.

Lured to a slave labour camp for the Oni, he stands up to the monsters and together they start the fight against the monsters.  When one of the Kishin eats Kojiro's sword, Musashi mines it out of the beast's belly.  A great mobile fortress appears, as a Bushi force attacks the labour camp.  Guided by his friend's father teachings, Musashi takes on the huge Kishin but the Bushi can claim it as they save him from his rash attack.

As they progress on their road, a girl named Hattori Tsugumi steals their bike, leading them to a nearby Bushi band community.  However, they are imprisoned when it turns out they have no use for the leader, an abusive figure that wants to sacrifice the village in the next Oni attack.  As the attack apporaches, Tsugumi stands up against her lord, as the heroes break out of jail to fight them off.  She takes out the corrupt lord, allowing the villagers to flee, as she joins Musashi and Kojiro.

They arrive at a swordsman graveyard, where Musashi slays their very first true oni, experiencing the power of the defeated sucked into Kojiro's sword.  They go to a Kitetsu blade auction to learn their "colour" of power, where Musashi goes through strange visions before turning out a black aura, which nearly never appears.  It means he is Forsaken, repulsed by the blades and as such unable to use them.  Kojiro on the other hand can wield a blade without problem, swiftly passing his test.

Musashi meets another swordsman that emanates a black aura, together with his siter Nanao, who seem to be able to learn Musashi becoming stronger using the black aura.  He tosses Musashi in an abyss, where he faces the Obsidian Godess and presented with some hard choices.  Musashi survives though, as the sword hunter raveges the Bushi band as he goes after Kojiro.  Nanao steps in, trying to keep our heroes away using her seven swords technique, but Kojiro has a plan.

Using their combined strenghts, they try and sunder Nanao's weapon.  This results in her being discarded by her Master, as he takes the upperhand in the battle.  As he unleashes a strong attack, the Obsidian Godess appears once again to Musashi. Judging him worthy, she merges with him to fight the evil ones, greatly increasing his power.  He one shots the enemy, but they survive by slashing reality itself.  As more is learned about Kojiro's dad, Musashi retakes the sword test, passing it this time and turning out the powerful but rare red aura.

This was a fun little adventure series, and while it might be a pity there isn`t that much focus on Musashi's companions, I`m hoping a second season will be produced as there is so much more to the tale to go yet.