Orient part 2

 The fun fantasy samurai series is back, and in this second season it adapts the story of the Battle of Awaji Island.

 

 

And they are out to unravel what happened to Kojirou's father, together with the Kanemaki band they seek out the Uesugi band.

 

Arriving right before a battle being prepared,  he meets lord Uesugi who tells him he doesn`t want young Bushi to die pointlessly anymore.  In a duel with two band chiefs, he is defeated though even if he puts up a good resistance at first.  Now he is forced to follow the lead of a rude Bushi warrior.  When ambushed by lesser Oni, a mysterious man called Naoe, one of the three Dragons of the band of lord Uesugi, intervenes.  Taking out a hundred at once, Musashi learns he still has a long way to go, and how Bushi can combine their powers into stronger attacks.

After his poor performance in battle, Musashi gets seen as the lowest sort of fighter there is.  But Katsumi, leader of another band in his force, sees his potential.  But there is seemingly a spy amongst them, as Michiru is a daughter of the obsidian follower they face, and Musashi is framed to lure her out.  But during the rescue, servants of her father appear revealing her true nature. Mushashi runs off with her though, but the Oni catch up, challenging the Uesugi.  While they defeat them, the Uesugi lord is strikken down by the returning Shiro...

He gets challenged by the Uesugi, but as he is joined by another of the Obsidian Eight, the Uesugi can`t take them down.  As the castle is assailed, Musashi faces Michiru's father, learning there is more to it all then just taking lives or running away.  But her father turns her to obsidian as the attack on the castle and the bushi picks up pace, and resetting as a result Michiru's memories.  She helps defend Musashi though, just as Takeda comes to the aid of the Bushi.

The Bushi take the fight to the Obsidian Eight, in a battle that will be decided by the best tacticians on both sides to make the plans.  Uesugi of the Obisidan is struck down by the Red Blade Champion Naoe, as Takeda faces Shiro, who is revealed to be a White blade user, the rarest and strongest class of bushi there is.  But Takeda had secretly developped a technique against Shiro, whom he had faced in the past, to shatter his kitsetsu blade.

When the end game is upon them, the bands have to get together in order to be able to break it's horn and overcome them, but it comes at great efforts... and Musashi puts himself aside for the group to break through, realizing he could help even if he can't link up.  But they have been desceived, as the Oni wasn't defeated at all, growing ever stronger.

Akihiro and his band try to defeat the great Oni, but he falters in his resolve until his brothers rally around him, and they overcome the big beast at last, cutting it's horn.  And rescueing their lord, who wasn't killed after all but taken away to the island.

 

But the evil lord has one more ace up his sleeve: unleashing a monstrous sword-transformed Michiru upon the Bushi bands, wielded by her Kishin father.  This makes Musashi unleash the power of the Obisidan Godess again, but as he keeps her in control this time, his aura turns gold instead.  He defeats the lord, allowing Michuru to talk and make peace with her father.  But she realises he cannot be saved, and she must say farewell to Musashi as well.  But her father comes to insight, and saves Michuru from fading out of existence as well after he is defeated... for a short while so she and Musashi can enjoy some lovely time together.

This was a relaxing series to watch, and while perhaps not the most epic shonen series out there, it is one that I enjoy following.