Every country has its own references for fantasy. Although Western fantasy is heavily influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien and, more recently, George R.R. Martin, it doesn’t mean that in Asia, and particularly in each of its countries, there aren’t other influential figures. There are writers and works that have created their own styles and idiosyncratic references, which have little to do with Arthurian myths, Norse mythology, or Celtic heritage. Now, Netflix is going to bring us a window through which we can peek into that reality, perhaps for the first time.
This is because Netflix has announced the anime adaptation of Onmyoji, a popular series of novels by writer Baku Yumamakura. These novels have shaped a very distinctive style of purely Japanese fantasy, blending history, mysticism, and epic battles against dangerous demons.
If you’ve never heard of Onmyoji, that’s normal. Although it’s extremely popular in Japan, it has never gained widespread recognition beyond its borders. Spanning fifteen books of short stories, three novels, and three illustrated books since 1986, it’s one of the most cherished fantasy works in Japan. So much so that it has been adapted into films in Japan and twice in China, with two different manga adaptations and three television series adaptations, this being the first one in the form of an anime. This anime adaptation was announced in September 2022 during the virtual event Tudum, but there hasn’t been new information about it until now.
Directed by Soubi Yamamoto and featuring an opening by Ling Tosite Sigure, the series promises to be packed with action while preserving the tone of the author’s original stories. At least, that’s what the newly released trailer suggests. It finally gives us a release date for the series: November 28th. A date that all fantasy fans should mark and highlight because Onmyoji is a series to keep a close eye on.
