Despite initial appearances, Onechanbara's appeal is not in its fanservice, of which there is remarkably little other than a few outfits, but rather the pure, unadulterated id it delivers. Zombies, samurai swords, bikinis, and a handful of chuuni tropes for good measure compose this game, with hardly any rationale given for how these elements are intended to work together beyond the coolness factor. This would be a problem if Onechanbara didn't have its tongue planted firmly in cheek, only taking itself seriously in the way a horror-comedy B-movie does as it blatantly refuses to acknowledge the ridiculousness of it all even as it is glaringly obvious to the viewer. Not only is it id, it is camp as well.

As a character action game, Onechanbara will never match the level of technicality that pedigree series such as Devil May Cry demand, but it's certainly come such a long way as a series and is plenty fun in its own right. The swords have just the right amount of weight to them as you slice through zombies resulting in comically large amounts of blood splatter that it feels satisfying in an incredibly rudimentary and raw way. There are a few issues, namely that parries are rarely useful outside of a handful of situations due to perfect dodges being both easier to execute and more rewarding, but there is just enough depth present to be worth practicing and getting better at without overwhelming the player with an overabundance of systems. There's an unfortunate dearth of content, a reminder that despite how much the series has grown, this is still a budget game at heart. Still, for what it is, it's some pretty enjoyable junk food and I wish this series would get at least a little more recognition.