Sengoku Basara -01

Imagine, if you will, a battle crazy samurai in blue armor riding a horse with motorcycle handles. Then imagine him leaping off this horse, drawing his six katana, and lunging into battle against a dual trident wielder in red armor who shoots fire.  Then imagine that these are just two of the main characters.

Sengoku Basara is an anime set in the period of Japanese history defined by massive conflict between samurai warlords.  Classically this is done between massive armies masterfully positioned by expert strategists, but sometimes anime and video game titles will jazz it up a bit with over-the-top generals wielding crazy weapons and explosive power.

Sengoku Basara is no slouch in this area with a plethora of peculiar and powerful looking generals and warriors.  From the effeminate swordsman, to the giant axeman, to the scantily clad female ninja, this anime covers the rainbow of feudal era anime warrior archetypes.  Even Nobunaga, classically depicted as a demonic general that everyone inevitably fights against, appears as a...demonic general that everyone eventually fights against.

The action is just as surreal as blue samurai and red samurai literally fly around, strike each other faster than the human eye can see, then cause giant blue and red explosions.  In the first episode, one of their clashes of power causes an explosion that produces a mushroom cloud that conflicting armies a mile away could see.

While the story likely loosely (and I mean very loosely) follows the historical sets of conflicts, one really doesn't care much.  If you like swords, explosions, and the occasional really weird set of armor, then Sengoku Basara deserves a look.

Check it out on FUNimation's youtube account here.