Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse [Season 1 Episodes 1-12]

Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse Season 1 Review: A Summer Surprise That Stumbled at the Finish Line

Let’s cut to the chase: Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse wasn’t supposed to be the summer 2025 anime everyone talked about. With heavy hitters like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen dominating the season, this original David Production series slipped under most radars—until it didn’t. For 12 episodes, it swung for the fences with time-bending onmyoji battles, chaotic plot twists, and a protagonist who’d rather punch first than ask questions. Did it stick the landing? Well… let’s unpack the mess (and the magic).

First, the basics: Takeru Narihira is your average teen delinquent—until recurring dreams of a mysterious girl (Tsukimiya) and monster chases drag him into Denji Heian-kyo, a parallel world where onmyoji fight to save reality from the Great Timebird. David Production’s animation? Top-tier. The fight scenes? Think Demon Slayer’s fluidity mixed with a Power Rangers-level love for over-the-top energy blasts. When Takeru goes toe-to-toe with the Great Timebird in Episode 12, the screen practically explodes—bright, dynamic, and impossible to look away from. As one fan put it, “The animation and effects were awesome like Demon Slayer’s—10/10 for that alone.”

But let’s talk about the story, because that’s where things get wild. The first half plays it safe: Takeru teams up with onmyoji Yura and tech-nerd Atsunaga, bickers with grumpy mentor Seimei, and learns to control his “time-bending” powers. Then Episode 7 hits, and the show decides to throw every twist in the book at you. Seimei isn’t the villain? Tsukimiya is the real bad guy? The Great Timebird is actually a cosmic chicken (yes, really)? It’s a mindfuck on par with Higurashi, and for a while, it works. Fans called it a “surprise hit” because it leaned into its chaos—no holding back, no over-explaining, just pure “what’s gonna happen next?” energy.

The second half doubles down on the drama. Takeru’s friends start dying left and right, Seimei reveals he’s been manipulating everyone to save his dead lover, and suddenly the fate of all worlds is on the line. The final episodes are nonstop: Seimei fights Tsukimiya while Takeru dives into a parallel dimension to take down the Timebird. It’s a “double effort” that feels epic—until it doesn’t. The ending? Let’s just say it’s divisive.

Here’s the thing: Onmyo Kaiten didn’t know when to stop. The last three episodes are a slog of exposition dumps. Why did the fire hamster exist? How did Takeru time-travel without breaking reality? The show never explains. And don’t get fans started on the “power of friendship” climax. “Epic power of friendship/family/parents win,” one viewer joked. “Can’t believe I stuck with this till the end… but glad I did.”

Then there’s the romance. Every road leads to hetero couples: Takeru and Tsukimiya, Atsunaga and Yura. It’s predictable, and for some, it stung. “All roads lead to hetero couple,” a fan ranted. “It should have been more open-ended!” The final scene—Takeru freezing himself for 1000 years to save a child Tsukimiya—didn’t help. “Madlad tried so hard he got the Trumpstein loli ending,” another joked. It’s a weird, uncomfortable note that leaves more questions than answers.

But let’s not hate too hard. For every flaw, there’s a moment that works. The “never give up” motto hits hard when Takeru refuses to let Denji Heian-kyo fall. The side characters—even underdeveloped ones like Iruka—have charm. And the animation? It’s David Production at their flashy best. As one fan said, “It’s a mashup of different aesthetics and tropes which felt like too much… but this anime was for real entertaining.”

So who is this show for? If you’re the type who loves to turn off your brain, scream at plot twists, and gush over cool fight scenes, Onmyo Kaiten is your jam. If you need tight writing or logical worldbuilding? You’ll be frustrated. It’s a 6/10 for most—fun, messy, and unforgettable in all the wrong (and right) ways.

Will there be a Season 2? The ending feels definitive, but fans are begging for more. “I hope in the future, Takeru can be together with Tsukimiya,” one wrote. For now, though, Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse is a summer surprise that didn’t quite stick the landing—but man, did it make us feel something. And in a season of heavy hitters, that’s enough.

Final verdict: Watch it for the fights, laugh at the twists, and don’t think too hard about the ending. You’ll have a blast.