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The Onmyoji anime, which was released on Netflix this week, is made by Marvy Jack Studio and received a positive reception. It focused on adapting a series of Japanese folk tales that were turned into novels and manga by several authors since the 80s. However, it is the character of Abe no Seimei, a divination expert solving supernatural cases, who connects all these different stories as he is trying to figure out what is happening across Japan.
It's no surprise that the Onmyoji anime has been a moderate success thus far, although there are a lot of people asking questions about the nature of the ending. There are questions about what happened to Seimei at the end of the series as well as some characters and friends he made along the way. This is something that perhaps some viewers didn't grasp at first.
Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers for the Onmyoji anime.
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Explaining what happened in the ending of the Onmyoji anime
Part of the confusion people have with the ending of the Onmyoji anime is after the moment that Hiromasa died, much to Seimei's disgrace. It is after Hiromasa's death that Seimei finally understands that he actually meant a lot to his friend, which fills his heart with regret. However, he discovers that he can perform a Lord Taizan ceremony to bring his soul back to life since the former hasn't fully left the mortal real yet.
At first, it seems that Seimei has succeeded with the ceremony and has brought Hiromasa back to life, but it comes with the cost of the former giving his own soul in the process. However, it turns out that the Ashiya Doman had used his own dark magic to create a decoy of Seimei, based on all the hatred that the Court had for him, thus being almost a realistic version of the man in question.
Meanwhile, recently brought back to life Hiromasa had to deal with the threat of a demonic Atsumi. It is worth noting that the latter, after a long battle, begins to heal and move on from his jealousy and resentment towards the former. This eventually leads to Atsumi shedding away his evil, demonic nature. All three men manage to survive after all the obstacles they face, trying to live their lives after so many tragedies and battles.
The appeal of the series
The appeal of the Onmyoji anime is centered around how it combines classic anime tropes with the allure and mystical feeling of Japanese folk tales. This has led the anime to have a very enjoyable concept. The character of Seimei is very similar to the likes of Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, or Conan the Barbarian. They are all consistent characters who go through episodic adventures that are self-contained.
In that regard, its episodic nature is perhaps what makes this series so different from other anime out there. While is true that there are some consistent plot threads across the series, it is an adaptation of several stories that were turned into novels and manga over the years. That is why every episode can be somewhat accessible to a lot of people out there.
Final thoughts
The ending of the Onmyoji anime shows Seimei making a selfless sacrifice for his friend and also shows the world, in a way, rewarding him after all the good he did throughout the series. It is a fitting conclusion to a man who traveled across his country to save people.
