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Netflix has unveiled the first images of an upcoming Netflix adaptation of a famous game title, Capcom's Onimusha. The anime is titled ONIMUSHA (all caps, apparently) and is the creation of Takashi Miike – the director of films such as Audition, 13 Assassins, Ichi the Killer, among many others – and anime specialist Shinya Sugai. Not much is known about the anime, and none of the images that Netflix released show any monsters, and it does appear to be quite a different take from the video game, Onimusha: Warlords, which first appeared on the PS2, beginning a series that became cult classics. Japanese-Taiwanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro (House of Flying Daggers, Hero, Chungking Express) lent his image and voice to Onimusha's protagonist Samanosuke Akechi, in the PS2 title. Although the central character changed in each Onimusha game, he was always a skilled swordsman on a mission through feudal Japan, facing off demons and supernatural enemies. The anime is also using the likeness of a real-life actor, with ONIMUSHA having as protagonist a swordsman named Musashi Miyamoto, who is based on a real historical figure, and modeled after the iconic Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune.
Mifune died in 1997 and appeared in over 150 films. He is most famous for his association with the films of legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, as he appeared in 16 of his movies, including Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo.
Musashi Miyamoto was a swordsman, philosopher, and ronin who is renowed in Japan as a sword-saint, founder of a style of swordsmanship, and for having an undefeated record in his 61 duels. Miyamoto lived between 1584 and 1645 and left behind two books, The Book of Five Rings, and The Path of Aloneness.
Meanwhile, the Onimusha games remain classics that younger players may be unaware of, since Capcom has more famous series such as Resident Evil to bring to modern audiences. While the original game was remastered for the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in 2019, the titles may have licensing issues since they used famous actors as models, such as Jean Reno whose likeness and voice appeared in Onimusha 3: Demon Siege.