Asura - Reviews

Potential spoilers in my review, so please read at your own risk.

This anime is utterly gutwrenching in despair, if you like sad sad movies, this is for you. The main character, Asura, a boy who is as feral as the wolves in the woods struggles to learn compassion and humanity, or at least enough to be saved.

The supporting cast, The Monk and Wasaka aide him in learning how to trust people and what is and isn't acceptable for humans to do.

Contains copious amounts of blood, cannibalism, despair, starvation and death. About the only thing I have seen like it was Grave of Fireflies. Still a great movie.

The metamorphosis the main character, Asura, makes is astounding, the development is gradual and comes with a very forceful hand (Literally and figuratively once you watch it you will know what I mean by this).

The animation is very very smooth and the scenes are all very bland and depressing, but it aims for that, not a nock against it in the slightest. The story is complex enough to not be linear, and not too complex to lose the simple minded who do watch it. The soundtrack was phenomenal and fitting.

I recommend it if you like character driven plots.

"Asura" - A Dark Exploration of Humanity - 6/10

Please note: "Asura" contains graphic content and is intended for mature audiences.

Story: 7/10 "Asura" by Toei Animation is an unapologetically dark and challenging exploration of the human condition. Set in a harsh and unforgiving feudal world, the story follows Asura, a young boy cursed with a monstrous appearance, as he navigates a society plagued by cruelty and despair. The narrative delves deep into themes of survival, desperation, and the consequences of societal cruelty. While it can be emotionally draining due to its unrelenting brutality, "Asura" succeeds in delivering a thought-provoking and impactful story that forces viewers to confront the darkest aspects of humanity. Storytelling receives a solid 7 out of 10, acknowledging its ability to provoke deep reflection.

Animation: 6/10 The animation in "Asura" effectively conveys the harsh and brutal world in which the story unfolds. Character designs and backgrounds capture the gritty atmosphere and hardships faced by the characters. While the animation quality may not match that of higher-budget productions, it serves its purpose by immersing viewers in the bleak and unforgiving environment. "Asura" prioritizes storytelling over visual spectacle, resulting in animation that is functional but not outstanding. Animation receives a fair rating of 6 out of 10, reflecting its utilitarian approach to visual storytelling.

Sound: 6/10 The sound design in "Asura" contributes significantly to the oppressive atmosphere of the narrative. The music and sound effects effectively enhance the sense of desolation and emotional turmoil experienced by the characters. However, the soundtrack's repetitive and melancholic nature can become overwhelming over the course of the film. Voice acting, while competent, doesn't deliver standout performances that would leave a lasting impact. Sound receives a balanced rating of 6 out of 10, acknowledging its ability to support the narrative without exceeding expectations.

Characters: 5/10 The characters in "Asura" are vessels for suffering and despair, serving as conduits for the story's exploration of the darker aspects of humanity. While their struggles are meant to elicit empathy and provoke contemplation, the relentless brutality and limited character development hinder genuine connections with them. Asura, the central character, embodies the story's themes but lacks substantial depth beyond his physical deformity and suffering. The supporting cast, while portraying various facets of human cruelty, remain one-dimensional and fail to evoke deep empathy or interest. Characters receive an average rating of 5 out of 10, reflecting their limited development and emotional resonance.

Overall: 6/10 "Asura" is a challenging and thought-provoking film that unapologetically explores the bleakest aspects of the human experience. Its graphic content and unrelenting brutality are not for the faint of heart, but for those willing to engage with its themes, it offers a profound and impactful journey. While it may not appeal to a broad audience, "Asura" earns a respectable overall rating of 6 out of 10, recognizing its ability to provoke deep reflection and emotional response in those who dare to watch it.

I was just looking for something to watch with less runtime that's why I started watching it.

------------------ THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ONWARDS --------------------

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Right off the bat, I started feeling bad for the pregnant lady and her kid. How hungry one must be to feed off a rotten human body. She even tried to eat her newborn baby, it broke my heart. But it really was just the beginning. At this point, it was getting hard to keep watching. It might have even triggered my anxiety. 

The story revolves around a boy later named "Asura" from birth. From his birth, he lived a tragedy. It was heartbreaking to watch. I think the movie did well in capturing the "beast" residing in the human heart which comes out in extreme situations, for example, poverty; not having anything to eat or drink. 

The ending tho was unexpected, I didn't see it coming and it was absolutely heartbreaking. 

The characters of the movie look straight out of horror films xd. But it does suit the mood. The animation style is gloomy and dark which is just perfect for this movie. 

For a movie with 75 min runtime, it was not too bad. 

When I started this movie I had little to no expectations since I haven't heard of it at all and the average rating made me expect a mediocre movie at best, but little did I know that what I actually found was a surprisingly good movie.  

Asura is a dark tale that takes place in medieval Japan during a severe famine and people is desperate for food. Enter Asura, a child who was almost eaten alive by his mother when he was a baby, and soon after abandoned. 8 years later he's shown as a child fiercer than any beast  who would try to eat anything to survive; birds, rats, and even other people. During his journey he'll meet different people who will teach him in one way or another how to communicate and became a human.

The movie is a journey through Asura's life in which the strongest part of it are the characters themselves. There's the titular character which Asura become less and less feral and more human during it's development with the help of Houshi, a monk who resorts to buddhism to help Asura to evolve, and Wakasa, a girl who adopts him in secret and teaches him how to speak. There are also some other important characters, but they aren't as relevant as the aforementioned ones.

Animation-wise the movie opts for a CG-like style (not the videogame-like kind of CG though), which might bother some people at the beginning but, as the movie progresses, one ends up adjusting to it. Though it doesn't mean it's perfect, since there are times where it looks a bit choppy, but for most of it's runtime it's fluid and the characters and backgrounds are depicted well.

The OST does it's job well but it's not really memorable.

In short, this is a movie which fans of dark, character-driven stories will definitely appreciate. Keep in mind it's fairly bloody, but if that's not a problem for you then go ahead and give it a try. You won't regret it.

This rewiew was done as part of Daily Anime Marathon Club.

Don't watch this if you don't like sad stories with lots of blood and gore. This movie had like 10mins max of happiness. Apart from that, it was quite good with a very different story from all the others. I enjoyed this movie but it's not for younger chidren because of all the blood and sadness.