© Matsui Yusei/Shueisha/Escape Artist Production Committee
If there is anything that will inevitably cause division The elusive samurai, which will be the tone of the show. When a story attempts to balance the seemingly opposing extremes of absurdity and outright horror, it can lead to an instinctive rejection of the thing altogether. Here’s a perfect example of what I mean in episode 2:
After the tragic events of the show’s shocking premiere, our hero Tokiyoshi finds nothing but death and destruction in the ruins of his old home. Ashikaga Takauji betrayed the Hojo clan, and even the children could not escape the fate of bloodshed. After learning that his gentle brother Kunitoki had been betrayed and beheaded by his treacherous uncle Muneshige, all Tokiyoko could do was collapse in vomit and tremble as he counted all he had lost…that is, until, Idiot-butt clairvoyant Suwa Yorishige’s appearance turns the whole thing into another one of his many Silly interjection In an instant, all the melancholy and dread that plagued the show disappeared, and we were back to the vibrant and gorgeous animated shenanigans as usual.
I understand why people might be concerned about how The elusive samurai forcing its characters to confront all the ugly cruelty of life in 14th-century Japan, even as it refuses to let anyone take it also Seriously for more than a few seconds at a time. Between Kiyoko’s ugly fate and the shocking scene of nine-year-old Kunitoki being beheaded, you might think the show would be a brutal and “realistic” affair that would please even the most callous of people. Will be shocked. game of Thrones Fans raised their hands and said, “Wait, do we need to go?” That Far? instead, The elusive samurai Is a Technicolor Feverishly dreaming of extremely beautiful actions and adventures is often one of the most unrepentant things to do pleasure The anime will premiere this year.
If you can’t tell yet, I fell in love with every frame of the first three episodes of the show (except for the horrific child murder part). What made me realize that I was 100% on a certain wavelength with this crazy show was the climactic battle between Tokiyuki and his uncle Munemo in the second episode. “Talent is used to describe the way he fights: Here’s an eight-year-old orphan fighting against the horrific ogre that killed his brother – even as he dodges and weaves in attacks that hit him instantly . an explosion. So no matter how scary something is, we should all do the same thing.
I don’t know whether Suwa is an actual prophet, a god, or just some weird time traveler with an almost fetishistic love of Japanese history—even though he insists on having his squad of orphans continue to play him in the tabletop version of Momotaro Dentetsu. I think “option C” is probably correct. Regardless, his over-the-top demeanor belies his cunning and strategic sense. The way he deploys his new retainers in battle is exactly what veterans of historical strategy games would do; first, you have to evaluate your different units and their unique skills, then you have to deploy them effectively to protect your Hero units and achieve mission objectives. It’s a very smart and layered approach to telling this otherwise simple hero’s journey story, and I can’t wait to see where the show goes from here.
Finally, let’s talk about the retinues, also known as the “elusive warriors.” This review is already long enough. I’ll briefly explain that their interesting battle with the ancient boar in episode three solidifies two important facts. The first fact is The elusive samurai Very good at creating compelling and likable characters despite their simplicity; all we know about Shizuku, Kojiro, and Ayako are their respective talents and the fact that they are all very nice, but that’s all we need to know for now all. This is due to the second fact that the elusive warriors are an adorable and perfect little band of heroes, and anyone who says anything bad about them is immediately dragged out into the streets and beaten mercilessly by your real-life counterparts.
Is everyone on the same page? OK I think so. Hojo Tokiyuki is a venerable young master on a dangerous path to destiny with three lords’ best friends and an incredibly ridiculous quasi-god. He demands our utmost respect and support. The boy would need it if he wanted to chop off the heads of all the traitors that awaited him on the road to revenge.
score:
The elusive samurai Currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop culture, which can also be found in Twitterhis blog and his podcast.
