Aníkúlápó Rise of the Spectre is a Nigerian fantasy period drama released on Netflix. Directed by Kunle Afolayan and co-written with Shola Dada, the series is said to be a sequel to the 2022 film, Aníkúlápó. Set in the pre-colonial era in the 17th century of the Old Oyo Empire, there are 6 episodes with a runtime of about 60+ minutes.
The cast of the series includes Kunle Remi as Saro, Bimbo Ademoye as Arolake, Sola Sobowale as Awarun, Taiwo Hassan as Alaafin Ademuyiwa, Gabriel Afolayan as Akin, Owobo Ogunde as Bashorun, Lateef Adedimeji as Awolaran, Titi Kuti as Adigun, Faithia Balogun as Ojumo Queen, Eyiyemi Afolayan as Omowunmi and others.
In the series, embarking on a race against time, the determined traveller Saro sets foot once again in the land of Ojumo. His orders are to complete a task that appears almost impossible. But with his last chance to life put on the line, Saro is ready to take on this challenge and returns to where he escaped.
Aníkúlápó Rise of the Spectre Review
In the movie Aníkúlápó, we get to know that the Akala bird has the power to make the dead people alive and when it resurrects Saro to know the reason for his death, a flashback reveals how his affair with Queen Arolake led to his demise. Instead of walking toward his afterlife, Arolake interferes at the moment and shoos away the akala bird. The bird drops a black-coloured gourd with which it can bring the dead alive. With the help of it, Arolake and Saro start a new life and the magic gourd gives them the power to make money & fame, by bringing other dead people back.
But the newfound glory and respect change Saro and he starts to mistreat Arolake, the way the Ojumo King used to. Ultimately, Arolake leaves him but also empties the magic gourd, making it like an ordinary one. Thus, when Saro tries to bring the Village Prince to life, he can’t do so and is beaten down by the King’s men, who once again leave him dead in the open under Akala bird’s mercy.
The series, Aníkúlápó Rise of the Spectre, takes off at the same point when Saro is finally walking off to the afterlife. But right at the gate, he is stopped by the presumable creator and he denies him an entry. He tasks him with the mission to bring back all the souls that he brought to life with Akala’s gourd. He interfered with their destiny and he has to rectify it by killing the 20 people he saved and walking them back with him – to the gates of the afterlife. If he fails to do so, he will be turned to stone and his soul will never ascend. Saro is given an amulet, which helps him see the ghosts.
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While Saro gets onto his task of visiting the people he saved & killing them again, Arolake is seen treading along forests and villages, without a rest. She is searching for a place to settle but can’t seem to find the one. Until, she comes across some forest spirits, who gift her a pouch of unlimited wealth. With that pouch and a kind man who takes a liking to her, Arolake starts a new life again but with better choices and abundant wealth. However, a troubled past never leaves behind as the Ojumo King is urged to bring her back by the village Priest. To set things right, a ritual must be done by her to seek forgiveness from the Akala bird.
After going through everything and dying twice, one would expect Saro to change a bit and seek redemption. But Saro remains to be a greedy, vile man who can see nothing ahead of wealth and beautiful women. Many might have expected the series to act as a saving grace and make the audience like the character of Saro, but that’s not going to happen. Also, with the gourd’s magical sand thrown away by Arolake, the significance of the Akala bird and Anikulapo, which means one who holds death in his purse, loses. There aren’t as many fantasy-based elements but rather become a drama about karma.
Be it Saro or even Arolake, each character in the show finally gets the repercussions of all their past actions. Amongst them, Owobo Ogunde as Bashorun stands out the most. He is the embodiment of a person blinded by power & wealth and who goes to greater lengths to have it all. His character arc stands true to the quote “What goes around comes around” and becomes the core plot of the show. While it’s great to see the characters back on screen with intricate details, extensive set design and fascinating cinematography. It’s hard to understand what the creators really want to portray.
The movie was about stealing Akala bird’s powers and how it affects Saro’s life. But in the series, there’s hardly any mention of the bird or even any significance in the story anymore. At first, it seems like we will see Saro making his wrongs right, but that plot is abandoned in the middle and even Saro become a secondary character. Much of the plot revolves around Arolake but it’s difficult to understand what exactly she aspires to get in life. No matter how much she tries to do good, she is bound to suffer at the hands of the men she chooses. While Saro is one lucky man, who can cheat his way out of any grave situation.
If one regards the show as just a drama about human greed for wealth, power and even love, then Aníkúlápó Rise of the Spectre is truly an interesting show to binge-watch. One gets to witness the rich Yoruba culture and their way of life with intriguing characters, beautiful visuals and astounding sound design/music to match. But if you expect it to be similar to the 2022 film, you might be disappointed as the show takes a different plot route. Even leaves many questions answered as the focus moves away from Saro, making us wonder about his fate and what exactly happened to him and his mission.
Rating: 3/5
Aníkúlápó Rise of the Spectre is available for streaming on Netflix.
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