Onmyouji

The Onmyouji is an anime adaptation of Baku Yumemakura's historical fantasy short stories and novels, it delves into the mystique of the Heian period, centering around the legendary onmyōji, Abe no Seimei.

The animation and music are quite good, but not groundbreaking, the quality is sufficient to bring the Heian period to life. The attention to detail in character designs and the depiction of the era's aesthetics is noteworthy. The music complements the atmosphere well, although a more impactful soundtrack could have elevated certain scenes.

The plot may lack the depth and complexity found in some other anime, but it compensates by being easy to follow, ... making it an enjoyable watch, particularly if you seek a more relaxing viewing experience.

One of the anime's standout features is its commitment to historical accuracy in portraying the Heian period. The clothing, makeup, customs, and architecture are meticulously depicted, offering you a glimpse into the cultural richness of this fascinating era. While the anime necessarily takes creative liberties, it succeeds in creating an immersive world that captures the essence of historical Japan.

In conclusion: Onmyouji may not be a groundbreaking anime, but it succeeds in providing a delightful blend of historical fantasy and entertainment. The animation, though not flawless, effectively brings the Heian period to life, offering a visually appealing experience. The narrative, while not the most intricate, is accessible and enjoyable. For fans of Japanese history and those looking for a more relaxed viewing experience, this anime offers a pleasant journey into the mystical world of onmyōji Abe no Seimei.

I knew going into this anime I would like it given that it's supernatural, historical, and based on stories. I was surprised how much I really truly enjoyed it. The characters were easy to like and easy to root for. The narrative had some comedy interspersed to break up the drama, and the ending was tonally sound. I found that it elicited emotional responses from me that a lot of anime hasn't lately. I devoured this in a few nights simply because I had to know what happened next, I was always eager to see more of it. I'm definitely hoping we will get more ... episodes in the future. I'm also looking forward if I can track down other adaptations or maybe the stories themselves to read.It of course was not without its weaknesses. It was pretty predictable in places but to me it wasn't a detriment and didn't throw me out of the experience.

If you enjoy historical fiction, supernatural fiction, or other works about Abe no Seimei, then you'll like this too.

Onmyouji is one of those anime that rely heavily on emotional payoffs at the end of the season. The beginning is a bit boring and the characters all feel one dimensional. Some, do get more depth. Others remain with that problem. It is for that reason that this story isn't winning any rewards. Despite that, I did enjoy it. While not entirely historical, the main character was a real person in history. That and some cool Japanese mythology gives the story a bump. Like I said though, it relies entirely on you, the viewer, understanding and appreciating the message it is trying to deliver. If ... that falls flat, then the anime falls flat. I cannot give it an higher score than a five overall. In fact, that may be too high. Nothing else about this anime is above average anyway. In fact, I would argue that the animation is really bad. Lots of still frames, weird character placements, and some mistakes. All of which were spotted on my FIRST and ONLY watch of this anime. This anime won't be remembered as it excels at nothing.

Despite all those things being true, my own personal enjoyment of this anime begs for me to reconsider. If I judged purely on my own enjoyment of it, a six would be warranted. That is because, even with the bland characters, the payoff did hit me at the end. I sort of just...understood. It made me think about the human experience and how negative emotions and thoughts can poison the good that we already have and make our lives more miserable. It may have been me over thinking it, but that is the way I saw it.

"Onmyouji" offers a mesmerizing blend of historical fantasy and profound character-driven storytelling, set against the backdrop of ancient Japan. The series follows the enigmatic onmyouji, Abe no Seimei, whose wounded past and reluctance to trust others are gradually unraveled through his unlikely friendship with the straightforward court noble, Minamoto no Hiromasa.

At its core, "Onmyouji" delves into the complexities of relationships, trust, and the healing power of friendship. Through the evolving dynamic between Abe no Seimei and Minamoto, the anime explores the depths of inner conflict and the transformative journey towards opening one's heart to others. Minamoto's gift of music serves as a poignant catalyst for ... Abe no Seimei's emotional growth, highlighting the profound impact of genuine connection and empathy.

While the series may initially appear to be a historical anime with fantasy elements, it transcends genre conventions to deliver a deeply resonant narrative with universal themes. From moments of heart-wrenching emotion to exhilarating encounters with demons, "Onmyouji" captivates viewers with its richly textured character arcs and nuanced storytelling.

The animation quality and art style of "Onmyouji" complement its atmospheric setting, immersing audiences in the mystique of ancient Japan and its mystical undercurrents. While the fight scenes with demons may be relatively mild, the true beauty of the series lies in its exploration of Abe no Seimei's character arc and the profound emotional journey it entails.

In conclusion, "Onmyouji" is a masterful anime that transcends its genre trappings to deliver a poignant and thought-provoking tale of friendship, trust, and redemption. With its deeply resonant themes, compelling characters, and immersive world-building, this series is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who embarks on its captivating journey.

This anime had the potential to be great, but Netflix didn't allow it to reach that level, and it ended up falling flat.

The story had a cool power system, the demons were intriguing, and the overall vibes were spot on. However, despite these strengths, the adaptation missed the mark, and several major flaws stood out.

1) Lack of Character Development: The characters don't have any background stories that would make me, as a viewer, care about them. I barely know anything about the MC, and honestly, he looks more like a background character in both appearance and personality. He's incredibly dull, and the only notable ... thing about him is that he plays the flute, which barely serves any purpose in the story.

2) Pacing Issues: The pacing of this anime is all over the place. At times, it was so slow that I literally fell asleep (not joking). This is surprising, considering they had a complete manga to work from, yet they somehow chose not to use it effectively.

3) Poor Animation Quality: The animation is horrendous at times. You can barely see the characters’ mouths move, and the overall animation feels cheap and lackluster.

Altogether, these issues create a recipe for disaster. If it had been done right, it could have achieved the same success as *The Apothecary Diaries*, which I feel is quite similar. The key difference is that *The Apothecary Diaries* featured a fun main character with actual depth, a solid backstory, and stunning animation—all areas where this anime fell short.

It's a Netflix anime, what more can I say about it? I love historical animes, don't get me wrong, but this one did not have what it took to grab my attention and keep me invested. I watched it dubbed so that I could do other things like clean or do homework while watching it. It did not need my full attention, which I consider important when reviewing an anime. Personally, I like the shows where I am 200% invested and cannot do anything except watch it when it is on.
Onmyouji is not bad by any means, I did like the show, and I ... saw small instances of BL undertones, which I always appreciate, but, that is to say that it is a quintessential Netflix anime, meaning that it will never be downright amazing.
The story is okay, and the animation is super mid, but the dialogue is what makes it tolerable. If you are going to watch this show, I highly recommend watching it while doing other things, like scrolling social media or cleaning, because that is when I like it most. Sorry.

Story: The story has great potential because the Japanese culture and folklore are rich. There's so much they could have gone with and would have been way more interesting than what they decided to portray. A positive about this story is the origin of the creation of demons. I think there's a lot of folklore and lessons in this method of demon-making and if they made the characters a bit deeper they would have struck gold.

Characters: Characters were kind of one-dimensional. There was no reason it was so shallow. We have no idea about any of the character's backgrounds or upbringing and that was a ... huge black mark on the series.

Art: Art was flat-out cheap. From the character's mouths not moving while they spoke, to using copy-paste faces in certain scenes that didn't make sense (Seimei smiling during a sad portion of the story but then when he's speaking he's not smiling).

Overall: Cheap, boring, puts me to sleep which was sad because it had potential.