2004 episode
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Hiroyuki Okuno
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
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This seems to be the last of the transitional episodes, finally locking all our characters in place for what will be one hell of a finale. Emperor Ukyo has the flying Capital aimed at the farming village of Kanna, wishing to celebrate its victory over the bandits by burning it to ashes, and our heroic samurai have realized that the merchants can no longer be in control and vow to take the Capital down. Things so easily could have been contrived here, but the twist of bringing the struggle right back to the film's core concept of defending a lone village from attackers is marvelously well played and feels like a true extension of the original story.
The thread of Rikichi and his estranged wife continues to play out nicely, with him trying to convince himself that her "betrayal" is due to the understandable lure of fine clothing and food, but it's Mizuki, a young hand-maiden who was also kidnapped by the empire, that sets him straight, going off on a gripping little speech about how the girls were merely being used as farms for the emperor's seed. Twisted food for thought, but presented without a flinch.
And then there's Katsushiro, who continues his growth by returning to Kanna and starting a single-handed line of defense (amazing action scene) against forces that are likely to quickly overwhelm him if the others don't get there soon. A little tidbit about his character, that I've noticed but have yet to comment on, is how, through his costume and demeanor, he seems to employ many elements of Kyuzo, the lone swordsman, from the original film, even more-so than that character's namesake here. I'm wondering if this was intentional on the part of the creative team, merging the fledgling student with the stoic master so as to explore the journey taken from one to the other. If it's intentional, then bravo to them.
One problem, if I may, comes just after Ukyo is confronted by dying bandits, huge mechanical monoliths that he just betrayed. It's a great scene, topped by a classic bit with the Capital's main cannon, but then comes the notion that they can strip the "souls" out of the remaining bandits and make them mindless robotic warriors fully under the Emperor's control. I don't like this. Not only is it a plot device frequently explored, but it will rob the bandits of their last remaining dregs of personality, and characters without personality is so very against what Kurosawa was about.
But I'll wait and see how that plays out. It's a fantastic episode filled with great little moments (a game of croquet, an assassin slowly rotating his mechanical hand as he speaks, Kikuchiyo and Komachi playfully bounding from side to side on a barge as our remaining heroes plot in the foreground), and there's a particularly striking bit in the first half. Just after our heroes agree to take down the Capital, they pause and we take in a shot of our supporting cast, seeing these familiar faces as if for the last time. It's a perfect, honest moment of soldiers setting off to a battle they may not win.
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November 17, 2009
November 12, 2009
Samurai 7 #22: The Divide
2004 episode
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Toshi Saga
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
In a slight nod to Kurosawa's YOJIMBO, it seems Ukyo's strategy as the new emperor is to play both sides of the coin for his own mutual benefit. To the bandits he gives orders to raid the towns out of season, plucking up any stray bales of rice the farmers have hid away. To the farmers he sends militias of hired samurai to follow the growing legend of our heroes and cut the bandits down. Thus, he creates a conflict that weeds out potential rivals while the farmers just hand over the rice in gratitude. It's a nice, Kurosawa-esque way to carry on the plot, showing once again that Ukyo is not to be underestimated, and I especially like the added touch of the villagers seeing right through the plan, but going along because it's no worse for them than it's ever been in the past.
And another ploy is that he holds our lead Samurai and the village of Kanna up as heroic icons, while still quietly trying to wipe them off the map. After all, once peasants start fighting for themselves, who knows where they'll stop. It's when a group of assassins fall before our heroes that Kambei, Katsushiro, and Kikuchiyo finally hook up with Kyuzo again, with Shichiroji and Heihachi coming across them soon afterwards. Our remaining heroes are thus reunited, realizing that the job they signed up for is still escalating in ways that need to be dealt with. But, alas, there's still tension in the ranks.
Young Katsushiro is starting to see the chinks in Kambei's armor, certain restraints and hesitations that may be the key to the older samurai's frequent losses of the past. I was a little miffed at their division the last episode, but it's interesting how they're spinning it in a way that finally adds a few shades of grey to Kambei's character. As for Katsushiro, I'm impressed to see how much he's grown, but he breaks away from the team in what still looks to be the last dregs of youthful impulsiveness, so it'll be interesting to see where he goes from here. My only problem is that it looks like everybody else (sans Kikuchiyo) is taking Kambei's side, which feels a tad too uniform.
Otherwise, though, it's still pretty damn great, with some nice spurts of action, continued development of Ukyo's fascinating plot, Rikkichi finally confronting his estranged wife (which they've only just begun, so I'll detail it later), and even the portly Aymaro, former magistrate of the city and adoptive father to Ukyo, hanging around as an odd little tag-along for our team.
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directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Toshi Saga
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
In a slight nod to Kurosawa's YOJIMBO, it seems Ukyo's strategy as the new emperor is to play both sides of the coin for his own mutual benefit. To the bandits he gives orders to raid the towns out of season, plucking up any stray bales of rice the farmers have hid away. To the farmers he sends militias of hired samurai to follow the growing legend of our heroes and cut the bandits down. Thus, he creates a conflict that weeds out potential rivals while the farmers just hand over the rice in gratitude. It's a nice, Kurosawa-esque way to carry on the plot, showing once again that Ukyo is not to be underestimated, and I especially like the added touch of the villagers seeing right through the plan, but going along because it's no worse for them than it's ever been in the past.
And another ploy is that he holds our lead Samurai and the village of Kanna up as heroic icons, while still quietly trying to wipe them off the map. After all, once peasants start fighting for themselves, who knows where they'll stop. It's when a group of assassins fall before our heroes that Kambei, Katsushiro, and Kikuchiyo finally hook up with Kyuzo again, with Shichiroji and Heihachi coming across them soon afterwards. Our remaining heroes are thus reunited, realizing that the job they signed up for is still escalating in ways that need to be dealt with. But, alas, there's still tension in the ranks.
Young Katsushiro is starting to see the chinks in Kambei's armor, certain restraints and hesitations that may be the key to the older samurai's frequent losses of the past. I was a little miffed at their division the last episode, but it's interesting how they're spinning it in a way that finally adds a few shades of grey to Kambei's character. As for Katsushiro, I'm impressed to see how much he's grown, but he breaks away from the team in what still looks to be the last dregs of youthful impulsiveness, so it'll be interesting to see where he goes from here. My only problem is that it looks like everybody else (sans Kikuchiyo) is taking Kambei's side, which feels a tad too uniform.
Otherwise, though, it's still pretty damn great, with some nice spurts of action, continued development of Ukyo's fascinating plot, Rikkichi finally confronting his estranged wife (which they've only just begun, so I'll detail it later), and even the portly Aymaro, former magistrate of the city and adoptive father to Ukyo, hanging around as an odd little tag-along for our team.
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Samurai 7 #21: The Rescue
2004 episode
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Kahoru Igusa
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
Picking up from the exciting cliffhanger of the last episode, Katsushiro and Kikuchiyo are racing through the flying Capital in search of both the kidnapped women and their leader Kambei, all while the wise samurai is picking his locks as an executioner's axe plunges towards his neck before a crowd of spectators. But there's a twist! Right as one would expect a huge action scene to break out and swords to flash in every direction, Ukyo, the new emperor, publicly pardons Kambei, orders the women to be freed, and opens his stores of stolen rice up for the populace to reclaim and enjoy. As I'm sure you can guess, his public facade of benevolence hides a scheming political mind, though I'm not quite sure what his endgame is as of yet.
With the women freed, Sanae, the stolen wife of farmer Rikichi, finds herself in an awkward position. She genuinely fell for the previous Emperor, her captor, and nearly bore him a child, so they go a long way here to establish the conflict and turmoil she'll likely experience when she faces down her estranged husband. Her fate was far from a happy one in the original film, so it'll be interesting to see if they mirror or depart from it here.
My main gripe this episode is aimed right at Kambei. Katsushiro's grown quite a bit over the series, and launched a raid that would likely have succeeded where Kambei appeared to be failing, but does he get any props for it? No! Kambei scowls a lot and shoots him down for no good reason. If there was some reckless impulsiveness there, I didn't see it, so what's the deal?
Aside from that, it's still a great episode as we see our group starting to pull back together, stray plot threads beginning to wind up, and there's that looming tease of the flying Capital making it's way towards Kanna village.
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directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Kahoru Igusa
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
Picking up from the exciting cliffhanger of the last episode, Katsushiro and Kikuchiyo are racing through the flying Capital in search of both the kidnapped women and their leader Kambei, all while the wise samurai is picking his locks as an executioner's axe plunges towards his neck before a crowd of spectators. But there's a twist! Right as one would expect a huge action scene to break out and swords to flash in every direction, Ukyo, the new emperor, publicly pardons Kambei, orders the women to be freed, and opens his stores of stolen rice up for the populace to reclaim and enjoy. As I'm sure you can guess, his public facade of benevolence hides a scheming political mind, though I'm not quite sure what his endgame is as of yet.
With the women freed, Sanae, the stolen wife of farmer Rikichi, finds herself in an awkward position. She genuinely fell for the previous Emperor, her captor, and nearly bore him a child, so they go a long way here to establish the conflict and turmoil she'll likely experience when she faces down her estranged husband. Her fate was far from a happy one in the original film, so it'll be interesting to see if they mirror or depart from it here.
My main gripe this episode is aimed right at Kambei. Katsushiro's grown quite a bit over the series, and launched a raid that would likely have succeeded where Kambei appeared to be failing, but does he get any props for it? No! Kambei scowls a lot and shoots him down for no good reason. If there was some reckless impulsiveness there, I didn't see it, so what's the deal?
Aside from that, it's still a great episode as we see our group starting to pull back together, stray plot threads beginning to wind up, and there's that looming tease of the flying Capital making it's way towards Kanna village.
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November 11, 2009
Samurai 7 #20: The Execution
2004 episode
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Jiro Fujimoto
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Natsuko Takahashi
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
The old emperor is dead. His cloned offspring, the sadistic Ukyo, is guilty of the crime and now declares himself emperor. Long live the emperor.
In the beginning of the series, Ukyo started off as little more than a reckless playboy goof who snobbed his way around town in typical aristocratic fashion, so it's been fascinating to see the change he's taken to an astonishingly intelligent and shrewd politician, albeit with the same smirk and strut as always. I'm still trying to figure out if he has an endgame, but he seems to be of the belief that if the people are happy, he's happy, so it's just a question of how to do so in a way he can control. He's already off to an interesting start, telling the bandits to keep doing what they're doing, after having just ordered samurai to each village to follow our heroes' example.
But, alas, Ukyo's still got the head of Kambei, the former leader of our samurai, on the chopping block because he needs somebody to take the fall for the crime that lead him to the feet of his late "father" in the first place. But Kambei's already got his fingers on a handy little hair-pin ...
And coming from another direction is the unlikely duo of Katsushiro and Kikuchiyo. They make a fantastic pair, with Katsushiro shedding the youthful uncertainty of earlier and becoming the focused planner Kambei was teaching him to be, and Kikuchiyo still rumbling through situations in his boisterous, temperamental way.
Though mostly setup for what will likely be a fantastic final arc, this was yet another excellent episode as all new dynamics and ideas fall into place. Oh, and we finally learn what all that stolen rice was for, putting the final touches on the deep cycle this society has sunken into.
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directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Jiro Fujimoto
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Natsuko Takahashi
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
The old emperor is dead. His cloned offspring, the sadistic Ukyo, is guilty of the crime and now declares himself emperor. Long live the emperor.
In the beginning of the series, Ukyo started off as little more than a reckless playboy goof who snobbed his way around town in typical aristocratic fashion, so it's been fascinating to see the change he's taken to an astonishingly intelligent and shrewd politician, albeit with the same smirk and strut as always. I'm still trying to figure out if he has an endgame, but he seems to be of the belief that if the people are happy, he's happy, so it's just a question of how to do so in a way he can control. He's already off to an interesting start, telling the bandits to keep doing what they're doing, after having just ordered samurai to each village to follow our heroes' example.
But, alas, Ukyo's still got the head of Kambei, the former leader of our samurai, on the chopping block because he needs somebody to take the fall for the crime that lead him to the feet of his late "father" in the first place. But Kambei's already got his fingers on a handy little hair-pin ...
And coming from another direction is the unlikely duo of Katsushiro and Kikuchiyo. They make a fantastic pair, with Katsushiro shedding the youthful uncertainty of earlier and becoming the focused planner Kambei was teaching him to be, and Kikuchiyo still rumbling through situations in his boisterous, temperamental way.
Though mostly setup for what will likely be a fantastic final arc, this was yet another excellent episode as all new dynamics and ideas fall into place. Oh, and we finally learn what all that stolen rice was for, putting the final touches on the deep cycle this society has sunken into.
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October 28, 2009
Samurai 7 #19: The Mutiny
2004 episode
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Jiro Fujimoto
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Shuichi Koyama
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
With Kanbei and the team of Katsushiro and Kikuchio each on separate missions to locate the hidden Capital and recover the kidnapped women and children of several villages, steady Shichiroji and good-natured Heihachi have decided to stick with the town of Kanna for the moment, to help rebuild in the wake of their war with the bandits. Everything seems to be settling nicely, but then a conflicted Rikichi, still recovering from his injuries, tries to sneak past them with the swords of the fallen Gorobei. Earlier in the series, we saw the peasant take an unfamiliar sword in his hands and begin practicing in the art of a fighter, so it's great to see that thread continue to play out, suggesting he may follow in Kikuchio's footsteps as a farmer-turned-samurai. And it's great that the other two seem willing to join him on yet a third mission toward the same goal, but I wonder how our humble farmer will react when he learns his kidnapped wife is now the loving mistress of the Emperor ... and with child.
Speaking of the Emperor, we finally got to meet him in the last episode. Following the era of nonstop wars, he fell out of sight as the rule of merchants rose to unify the people in a corporation of peace. Of course, he's still pulling all the strings in the background, using the bandit raids on farmers to keep them in their place so they won't give the merchants competition. Oh, and it's also worth mentioning that he's trapped in a dwarfish, crippled body that moves and speaks through a mechanized capsule. It's implied that he's never once touched the outside world, which adds even more depth when ...
Ukyo, the gallant, sociopathic son of a magistrate, is brought before the Emperor for some intriguing revelations. As he's not physically capable of making love, it seems the Emperor, over time, had his seed implanted in dozens of women with the hope of one day finding the perfect heir: a clone of himself free from the disease that keeps him confined. So far, 48 of those offspring have attended a rite of inquiry, and all 48 have failed, leading to their executions. We learn Ukyo is the 49th, different from the others because he began life as a peasant; an intentional move to let him see the inner workings of life on the street. As his rite of inquiry begins, we learn just how deeply the young man's roguish recklessness has hidden a shrewd, politically ingenious mind.
All in all, yet another fantastic episode. We're completely out of the Kurosawa material by now, and the creative team once again shows just how thoroughly they studied the filmmaker by giving us original chapters that capture the same wit, layers, and flourish the master excelled at.
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directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Jiro Fujimoto
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Shuichi Koyama
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
With Kanbei and the team of Katsushiro and Kikuchio each on separate missions to locate the hidden Capital and recover the kidnapped women and children of several villages, steady Shichiroji and good-natured Heihachi have decided to stick with the town of Kanna for the moment, to help rebuild in the wake of their war with the bandits. Everything seems to be settling nicely, but then a conflicted Rikichi, still recovering from his injuries, tries to sneak past them with the swords of the fallen Gorobei. Earlier in the series, we saw the peasant take an unfamiliar sword in his hands and begin practicing in the art of a fighter, so it's great to see that thread continue to play out, suggesting he may follow in Kikuchio's footsteps as a farmer-turned-samurai. And it's great that the other two seem willing to join him on yet a third mission toward the same goal, but I wonder how our humble farmer will react when he learns his kidnapped wife is now the loving mistress of the Emperor ... and with child.
Speaking of the Emperor, we finally got to meet him in the last episode. Following the era of nonstop wars, he fell out of sight as the rule of merchants rose to unify the people in a corporation of peace. Of course, he's still pulling all the strings in the background, using the bandit raids on farmers to keep them in their place so they won't give the merchants competition. Oh, and it's also worth mentioning that he's trapped in a dwarfish, crippled body that moves and speaks through a mechanized capsule. It's implied that he's never once touched the outside world, which adds even more depth when ...
Ukyo, the gallant, sociopathic son of a magistrate, is brought before the Emperor for some intriguing revelations. As he's not physically capable of making love, it seems the Emperor, over time, had his seed implanted in dozens of women with the hope of one day finding the perfect heir: a clone of himself free from the disease that keeps him confined. So far, 48 of those offspring have attended a rite of inquiry, and all 48 have failed, leading to their executions. We learn Ukyo is the 49th, different from the others because he began life as a peasant; an intentional move to let him see the inner workings of life on the street. As his rite of inquiry begins, we learn just how deeply the young man's roguish recklessness has hidden a shrewd, politically ingenious mind.
All in all, yet another fantastic episode. We're completely out of the Kurosawa material by now, and the creative team once again shows just how thoroughly they studied the filmmaker by giving us original chapters that capture the same wit, layers, and flourish the master excelled at.
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Samurai 7 #18: The Emperor
2004 episode
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Hiroyuki Okuno
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
Though they've already worked through the central plot of the film, there's one element they hadn't touched, and it's interesting that it would be the one to carry us into an original continuation of the story. Kanbe, having vowed to track down Rikichi's stolen wife, Sanae, set out by himself to find her and the hidden Capital that was the driving force behind the bandit raids. Taking the fall for a crime he didn't commit so as to gain entrance, Kanbe not only finds a content Sanae living in the lap of luxury, but finally comes face to face with the long-absent Emperor.
Meanwhile, back at the village, young Katsushiro and boisterous Kikuchiyo feel as though they've been excluded from Kanbe's plans and set out on their own to find the Capital and recover the kidnapped women. It's great to see the dynamics of the fellowship continue beyond their breakup, but I have a little problem with who they bring along. Kirara I can understand because she still feels in debt to the heroes and her powers of foresight may come in handy, but Komachi? I'm sorry, but the last person I'd bring along on an assault of the Emperor's hidden fortress is a rambunctious little kid.
Elsewhere, because you just can't have enough good plot threads, the psychopathic Ukyo continues taking advantage of his magistrate father's absence by holding our heroes' protection of Kanna Village up as an example of what society would be like under his rule. He rallies together dozens of samurai and orders them off to other farming villages to take out any bandit hordes that remain. Unfortunately, these are the jailed samurai who took advantage of our farmers early in the series, so I doubt they'll treat the villages with the same respect as our heroes.
Another great, great episode that gets the ball rolling on some fine original threads which cleverly pick up where the adapted material left off.
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directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Hiroyuki Okuno
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
Though they've already worked through the central plot of the film, there's one element they hadn't touched, and it's interesting that it would be the one to carry us into an original continuation of the story. Kanbe, having vowed to track down Rikichi's stolen wife, Sanae, set out by himself to find her and the hidden Capital that was the driving force behind the bandit raids. Taking the fall for a crime he didn't commit so as to gain entrance, Kanbe not only finds a content Sanae living in the lap of luxury, but finally comes face to face with the long-absent Emperor.
Meanwhile, back at the village, young Katsushiro and boisterous Kikuchiyo feel as though they've been excluded from Kanbe's plans and set out on their own to find the Capital and recover the kidnapped women. It's great to see the dynamics of the fellowship continue beyond their breakup, but I have a little problem with who they bring along. Kirara I can understand because she still feels in debt to the heroes and her powers of foresight may come in handy, but Komachi? I'm sorry, but the last person I'd bring along on an assault of the Emperor's hidden fortress is a rambunctious little kid.
Elsewhere, because you just can't have enough good plot threads, the psychopathic Ukyo continues taking advantage of his magistrate father's absence by holding our heroes' protection of Kanna Village up as an example of what society would be like under his rule. He rallies together dozens of samurai and orders them off to other farming villages to take out any bandit hordes that remain. Unfortunately, these are the jailed samurai who took advantage of our farmers early in the series, so I doubt they'll treat the villages with the same respect as our heroes.
Another great, great episode that gets the ball rolling on some fine original threads which cleverly pick up where the adapted material left off.
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October 27, 2009
Samurai 7 #17: Remembrance
2004 episode
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Hiroyuki Okuno
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
As our last episode came to a close, the village suffered much damage and some striking losses, but, through the actions of the samurai as well as the bravery of the farmers themselves, the bandits were vanquished. But not without the samurais' number now dropping to six as Gorobei, the street performer who could deflect arrows, tried the same with a bullet and failed. As the rains clear from the heavens and the villagers pick up the pieces, we find ourselves treated to a clipshow.
Now, normally, I loathe clipshows and find the dedicating of an entire episode to recapping past events to be a terrible waste of time and resources; here, however, it largely works. With Kanbe mysteriously disappearing, the other samurai decide to help the villagers with repairs, and the old footage brings to life everybody's reflection of past events and uncertainty of where to go from here. The boisterous, mechanical Kikuchiyo is especially jaded by Gorobei's death and sincerely asks one person after another "What is a samurai?"
And it seems we've finally gotten to the end of Katsushiro's main arc of learning to deal with his chosen profession as bringer of death. He now knows what it means and the consequences of his actions, but there seems to be a determination there we haven't seen in a while, and it'll be interesting to see how things go as he and Kikuchiyo, the first two samurai we met, though the last pair to be recognized by the larger group as such, team up for a future course of action.
And we also get a little peek back to the city we haven't seen in a while. It seems that Aymaro, the magistrate, is being brought up on charges for the death of an imperial envoy under his guard. His potential replacement? The psychopathic young Ukyo, who still has his sights set on Kirara. This will not end well.
I agree that it's a controversial decision for the series to have already covered the entire plot of the film with nine episodes left to go, but the creative team has pulled everything off with exceptional skill so far and I'm very intrigued to see where they go now that all we have left are elements of their own creation.
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directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Hiroyuki Okuno
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
As our last episode came to a close, the village suffered much damage and some striking losses, but, through the actions of the samurai as well as the bravery of the farmers themselves, the bandits were vanquished. But not without the samurais' number now dropping to six as Gorobei, the street performer who could deflect arrows, tried the same with a bullet and failed. As the rains clear from the heavens and the villagers pick up the pieces, we find ourselves treated to a clipshow.
Now, normally, I loathe clipshows and find the dedicating of an entire episode to recapping past events to be a terrible waste of time and resources; here, however, it largely works. With Kanbe mysteriously disappearing, the other samurai decide to help the villagers with repairs, and the old footage brings to life everybody's reflection of past events and uncertainty of where to go from here. The boisterous, mechanical Kikuchiyo is especially jaded by Gorobei's death and sincerely asks one person after another "What is a samurai?"
And it seems we've finally gotten to the end of Katsushiro's main arc of learning to deal with his chosen profession as bringer of death. He now knows what it means and the consequences of his actions, but there seems to be a determination there we haven't seen in a while, and it'll be interesting to see how things go as he and Kikuchiyo, the first two samurai we met, though the last pair to be recognized by the larger group as such, team up for a future course of action.
And we also get a little peek back to the city we haven't seen in a while. It seems that Aymaro, the magistrate, is being brought up on charges for the death of an imperial envoy under his guard. His potential replacement? The psychopathic young Ukyo, who still has his sights set on Kirara. This will not end well.
I agree that it's a controversial decision for the series to have already covered the entire plot of the film with nine episodes left to go, but the creative team has pulled everything off with exceptional skill so far and I'm very intrigued to see where they go now that all we have left are elements of their own creation.
(series trailer)
(opening)
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(purchase)
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Samurai 7 #16: The Storm
2004 episode
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Toru Yoshida
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
As the early morning sky is drowned out by a raging storm, the bandits make their move. Despite their strength and intelligence and skill, not even the samurai could have planned for an assault from multiple fronts by enemies with the unanticipated arms of grenades and napalm.
What follows is the ultimate battle. Kambei leads the charge. Kyuzo tries to keep him alive for their pending duel. Gorobei tries to slice a bullet from the air. Heihachi supervises the farmers' meagre munitions. Kikuchiyo fights so hard that he shatters his massive sword. Katsushiro dashes from place to place, taking down the enemy as he spreads orders. Rikichi and several other farmers try to make use of one of the massive enemy guns. And Kirara uses the powers of her pendant to see and explain the horrific sounds to the women and children who are hidden away.
There truly is some spectacular stuff in here, and I fully applaud the creative team for realizing that the film's strategy of funnelling the bandits into a disposable line simply wouldn't work this time around, and coming up with a plan of attack that's intelligently vulnerable for both sides. My one gripe is a bit in the middle where we cut through each of the samurai as their ferocious fighting plays out in slow-mo to a soundtrack of little more than their heavy breathing. It's an interesting idea and could have been a very poetic image, but they never fully animated it, leaving it choppy and awkward.
But that's my only complaint. It's a fantastic episode as our heroes lose that gloss of perfection in the face of devastating odds. Come next episode, the samurai will no longer stand at seven.
(series trailer)
(opening)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(anime news network)
(internet movie database)
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Toru Yoshida
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
As the early morning sky is drowned out by a raging storm, the bandits make their move. Despite their strength and intelligence and skill, not even the samurai could have planned for an assault from multiple fronts by enemies with the unanticipated arms of grenades and napalm.
What follows is the ultimate battle. Kambei leads the charge. Kyuzo tries to keep him alive for their pending duel. Gorobei tries to slice a bullet from the air. Heihachi supervises the farmers' meagre munitions. Kikuchiyo fights so hard that he shatters his massive sword. Katsushiro dashes from place to place, taking down the enemy as he spreads orders. Rikichi and several other farmers try to make use of one of the massive enemy guns. And Kirara uses the powers of her pendant to see and explain the horrific sounds to the women and children who are hidden away.
There truly is some spectacular stuff in here, and I fully applaud the creative team for realizing that the film's strategy of funnelling the bandits into a disposable line simply wouldn't work this time around, and coming up with a plan of attack that's intelligently vulnerable for both sides. My one gripe is a bit in the middle where we cut through each of the samurai as their ferocious fighting plays out in slow-mo to a soundtrack of little more than their heavy breathing. It's an interesting idea and could have been a very poetic image, but they never fully animated it, leaving it choppy and awkward.
But that's my only complaint. It's a fantastic episode as our heroes lose that gloss of perfection in the face of devastating odds. Come next episode, the samurai will no longer stand at seven.
(series trailer)
(opening)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(anime news network)
(internet movie database)
Samurai 7 #15: The Gun and the Calm
2004 episode
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Makoto Sokuza
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
Having totally wiped out the first wave of attackers, destroyed the bandits' massive pair of floating headquarters, and killed several of their main generals, the last thing our heroes want to do is let the villagers get complacent. This was far from a final victory as they know the bitter bandits will quickly regroup to seek revenge.
After the non-stop action last episode, this is yet another necessary little breath-catcher in the wake of the looming war. The samurai force themselves to down a bitter farming dish as they give over their rice to the villagers. The children race around with the boisterous Kikuchiyo. Kirara prays to the spirits of her parents. And Kyuzo goes scouting to get a sense of the enemy's current strength, and see if he can do anything about one of their rare guns.
The thread about Katsushiro accepting the death he's brought takes some nice new steps as he gains some important lessons about perception from Heihachi who, despite being a bit older and having taken part in the great war, had never killed anybody before this day's events, either. Though I'm sure some see this little character arc as dragged out, I find it quite necessary. The lessons Katsushiro is absorbing are important for the path he's chosen, and we get the sense that all the older samurai were once in his shoes.
It's another great episode. And as people get what sleep they can and huddle away from the approaching rain clouds, the tension of the gathering storm looms over all.
(series trailer)
(opening)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(anime news network)
(internet movie database)
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Makoto Sokuza
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
Having totally wiped out the first wave of attackers, destroyed the bandits' massive pair of floating headquarters, and killed several of their main generals, the last thing our heroes want to do is let the villagers get complacent. This was far from a final victory as they know the bitter bandits will quickly regroup to seek revenge.
After the non-stop action last episode, this is yet another necessary little breath-catcher in the wake of the looming war. The samurai force themselves to down a bitter farming dish as they give over their rice to the villagers. The children race around with the boisterous Kikuchiyo. Kirara prays to the spirits of her parents. And Kyuzo goes scouting to get a sense of the enemy's current strength, and see if he can do anything about one of their rare guns.
The thread about Katsushiro accepting the death he's brought takes some nice new steps as he gains some important lessons about perception from Heihachi who, despite being a bit older and having taken part in the great war, had never killed anybody before this day's events, either. Though I'm sure some see this little character arc as dragged out, I find it quite necessary. The lessons Katsushiro is absorbing are important for the path he's chosen, and we get the sense that all the older samurai were once in his shoes.
It's another great episode. And as people get what sleep they can and huddle away from the approaching rain clouds, the tension of the gathering storm looms over all.
(series trailer)
(opening)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(anime news network)
(internet movie database)
October 21, 2009
Samurai 7 #14: Run Wild
2004 episode
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Futoshi Higashide
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
As our last episode came to a close, the villagers kneeled before the enraged bandit horde, pleading for forgiveness. Three of our heroes were missing, three were tied up, and Kikuchiyo's mechanical noggin was resting in a basket.
It was one hell of a cliffhanger, and a nice twist following our heroes' first strike, but, predictably, it was all a clever ruse as the samurai now infiltrate the enemies' massive, mobile fortress, pulling themselves together, making introductions to their foes, and striking one hell of a strategic blow. It's all great stuff, executed with the skill I've come to expect from this show.
A particular bit I'd like to note is Katsushiro, the young samurai-in-training. A few episodes ago, he was torn up after having to make his first kill. Here, he's still grasping with the course he's chosen as he has to dive into his first real "kill or be killed" battle. I love how they've played this element of his role up much more than the film, allowing the new character to grow beyond his namesake.
I must say, though, that I'm surprised we've yet to have a death among our heroes. That's not really a criticism as there's nothing wrong with keeping them alive, nor do I want to see any go so quick, but this was around the point in the film where Kurosawa stripped the seven of one number, just so we don't feel too certain of their likely victory. I'm sure something will happen in the next few episodes.
Anyway, great, great work all around. No complaints. And a nice big "LOL" at Kikuchiyo for running through the big battle, eagerly calling for his lost katana so he could join the fray.
(series trailer)
(opening)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(anime news network)
(internet movie database)
directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Futoshi Higashide
written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
(1954 film)
(previous)
(next)
As our last episode came to a close, the villagers kneeled before the enraged bandit horde, pleading for forgiveness. Three of our heroes were missing, three were tied up, and Kikuchiyo's mechanical noggin was resting in a basket.
It was one hell of a cliffhanger, and a nice twist following our heroes' first strike, but, predictably, it was all a clever ruse as the samurai now infiltrate the enemies' massive, mobile fortress, pulling themselves together, making introductions to their foes, and striking one hell of a strategic blow. It's all great stuff, executed with the skill I've come to expect from this show.
A particular bit I'd like to note is Katsushiro, the young samurai-in-training. A few episodes ago, he was torn up after having to make his first kill. Here, he's still grasping with the course he's chosen as he has to dive into his first real "kill or be killed" battle. I love how they've played this element of his role up much more than the film, allowing the new character to grow beyond his namesake.
I must say, though, that I'm surprised we've yet to have a death among our heroes. That's not really a criticism as there's nothing wrong with keeping them alive, nor do I want to see any go so quick, but this was around the point in the film where Kurosawa stripped the seven of one number, just so we don't feel too certain of their likely victory. I'm sure something will happen in the next few episodes.
Anyway, great, great work all around. No complaints. And a nice big "LOL" at Kikuchiyo for running through the big battle, eagerly calling for his lost katana so he could join the fray.
(series trailer)
(opening)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(purchase)
(official website)
(wikipedia)
(anime news network)
(internet movie database)
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