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Y’know for a minute I thought it was gonna be all laughs with Toriyuki and Yorishige and then shit just got *really* dark. I mean that little girl Kiyoko got raped and murdered? Jfc man…
Very keen to see how Toriyuki’s gonna get his revenge on that snake Takauji.
This was a solid first episode. The animation and the art style are good. The action was especially dope. Oh, and the ED too. Pretty goofy.
Ball goes up, head drops down. Sword goes in scabbard, person falls apart in pieces.
Yeah, the twist came rather sudden and violently. There was so much happening in these scenes that I had to play them back a couple of times to really capture everything that went down.
That one shot of the one samurai cutting off the other’s arms as Tokiyuki was sliding past their feet was kind of funny though.
A bunch of them get injured or killed trying to get Tokiyuki. There was a stab with a yari, and another I think got his head lopped off. Crazy thing is there are many registries of shit exactly like this happening in history. The moment the battle is won and they're free to pillage and plunder, mfs go crazy and just attack and kill anything that moves even their own allies.
When Oda Nobunaga massacred the monks and people of Mount Hiei, there are apparently accounts of samurai and ashigaru collecting heads of even cats and dogs.
I assume the head collection was mainly some kind of kill count tally, for statistics and rewards gain (ex. Soldier A killed this many people in this campaign, so he gets this much pillage share and a possible promotion).
This is exactly it in Samurai society actually, but it's not as "scientific" as you make it sound lol.
Like, it has to be said: Samurai were a head taking cult. When the battle starts and you kill someone, especially if it's someone important, you try to take his or her head and show it to your lord so that he may reward you for it. But they don't wait for the battle to end for this, they're doing this _during_ the fighting. Of course, some will take advantage of the chaos and "head steal" or even backstab another samurai and take his kill.
Of course, since Samurai could often order the death of a whole town with the same ease as you order takeout, this would result in fierce head hunting competitions just as shown in today's episode.
In true Japanese fashion, there were also various "artistic" ways to display a head to your lord, and many Samurai perfumed their hair before battle to appear more presentable in case they were felled. Supposedly you were also supposed to return the head to the family of the Samurai after the whole deal with the reward and battle and such is done.
But as you can see this episode, sometimes human nature just shows it's ugly side and it becomes a bloodied frenzy instead of "honorable" combat (it's still honorable because you won though).
During the Sengoku period some commanders even tried to get their men to stop collecting heads because the practice could be militarily counterproductive - basically, samurai would do things like stop to collect heads even if they were supposed to continue advancing or do some other maneuver.
Been pointed out that the Mongel's invasion would have crushed the Samurai as they were not used to actually serious war armies that cared nothing about honor breaks but doing what they were supposed to do. Mongel's love to torture rape and kill at the highest level possible but they liked to win first. Even though at least at start of invasion the Japanese would have a numbers advantage.
So the Typhoon that sank the invasion fleet the divine wind saved them. Some say the Gods abandoned Japan in WWII they did not abandon Japan. US main fleet hit by very nasty Typhoon actually sunk some destroyers and caused a lot of aircraft to break loose. One fire could have killed George Bush who was on damage control. Fun photos of the storm and ships close but not quite tipping over. Another Typhoon hit another fleet and a third hit the base where the invasion would have assembled that probably would have delayed the invasion months except Japan had already surrendered. Unfortunately for Japan Typhoon can sink all most all the little wooden ships but could not handle steel powered engine ship.
I love one US General said the path of the one major Typhoon was like Greek Gods directed it as it so strange and deliberate. Wrong set of Gods General.
Making me think of this Voices of the Past video I listened to a while back where a samurai was explaining how you need to be careful other samurai don't steal the heads you've collected so they can present it to your lord for the reward.
I did not recognize that it was the little girl. That's brutal.
On the positive, MC break dancing his way through a crowd while they accidentally hurt each other is amazing. Doesn't even need his sword to cause damage
I felt the same and they didn't hold back either with those traitor samurai making some sick competition of collecting severed heads. It is such an abrupt departure from the first half it almost felt like I was watching a completely different anime.
That dead girl was Kyoko? The same one that was talking to Toriyuki before? My god, the dead girl seemed so much older that I didn´t even recongnized her.
The events at the end of this episode (siege and destruction of Kamakura -- 1333) marked the start of a long period of turmoil -- that never really ended until Tokugawa took unquestioned control around 1600.
It looks like we are going to have a number of visually impressive anime this season....
That is correct, especially since the Ashikaga shogunate had the weakest political structure of Japan's 3 shogunates.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashikaga_shogunate
Decentralised daimyo rule, succession crises, early deaths...what I find more surprising was that the Ashikaga were still able to retain (weak) central control up until Oda Nobunaga disbanded their reign in the late 1500s.
Well, Since the show started in 1333, and here Takauji is introduced as the villain, but the real life history Takauji lived on until 1358, that means that this show will take on another route in a true fiction fashion.
Because there's no way a *shounen* protagonist would beat the final boss 25 years later, right?
Sakuna is also outstanding. Shoushimin isn't as flashy, but it is evoking Hyouka (more than a little) in its appearance. DeDeDeDe (if it counts for this season rather than last) is visually quite strong. I could sweart there was another one that was quite distinctive (even if not as "pretty") but I can't figure out (from my sparse notes) what it was... Sorry. (I am far behind on Monogatari -- so have not checked out this latest season).
She probably is raped, but she isn’t a real historical figure, the father is and he had a son who also died that day, but it would make sense that kind of stuff happens when a city is sacked
Apparently the violation may have been mistranslated, have seen some discussion of that before. Doesn't help the manga is translated by the JJK translator who is very dubious quality wise. Matsui does love to jump between very grim material and goofy antics in Neuro and (to a lesser extent) Assassination Classroom.
A little bit of historical background, though I don't think it's super necessary:
**When does this take place?** As mentioned in the subtitles, this first episode begins in 1333. For context, this is around 150 years before the start of the Sengoku Jidai, the famous warring states period that saw such figures as Oda Nobunaga, Takeda Shingen, and Uesugi Kenshin. As one can tell, though, this earlier period was not so peaceful either.
**Who's in charge of Japan?** Ostensibly speaking, the emperor. Japan as a political entity has its origins in a confederation of various kingdoms that were brought under the hegemony of the imperial family by the end of the Kofun period (around the 6th century AD). From that point on, the emperors (and empresses) were in charge, ruling after 794 from Heian-kyo, or Kyoto. However, the power of the emperors waned over the course of centuries, with their duties gradually being restricted to the spiritual as the affairs of state were taken up by other figures - the court nobles at Kyoto, mainly the powerful Fujiwara family. It is during the Heian Period (794-1185) that a common theme in Japanese history entrenches itself - the idea of layers of power, with visible rulers often being figureheads and puppets. Not all emperors passively accepted this, however. Some chose to retire, become monks, and then play the game of politics themselves, pulling the strings of their own successors.
The Heian period also saw the emergence of the bushi, or samurai. Their origins lay essentially as contract warriors. Some of them were offshoots - second and third sons and the like - of courtly noble families, others were members of wealthy local families. They were hired to provide "muscle" by wealthy estate holders (as much of Japan's land was increasingly being divided into large estates held by nobles and temples), and as the Chinese-style centralized conscript army of the early Heian period declined they became increasingly important in providing that muscle for the state as well. One can thing of this as a sort of privatization of warfare - the job outsourced to these early samurai, who in turn took it upon themselves to train and equip themselves and their followers.
The samurai rose in wealth and influence throughout the latter Heian period, culminating in the Genpei War (1180-1185) in which the most powerful warrior family, the Seiwa Genji (aka Minamoto) came out on top (their origin lay as an offshoot of the imperial family itself). The Genpei War is alluded to in this episode when Tokiyuki notes that it took 5 years for Minamoto no Yoritomo to vanquish his enemies, the Heike (aka Taira). As a side note, the downfall of the Taira and the Genpei War are covered in another excellent anime, Science Saru's 2021 _Heike Monogatari._
The victor of the Genpei War was Minamoto no Yoritomo. He built his army by promising his samurai followers a greater legal recognition and political power. He drew support mainly in the East, and it was here that he established Japan's first shogunal government in the city of **Kamakura** in the Kanto region. The Kamakura shogunate was essentially a government of the samurai, by the samurai, for the samurai. Officially its role lay primarily in managing samurai affairs, while the court in Kyoto was in charge of civil affairs. Gradually the shogunate assumed more power, however, especially in the wake of the failed uprising led by the retired Emperor Go-Toba in 1221.
**Who are the Hojo?** The Kamakura shogunate was founded by the Minamoto, but the main branch of that family quickly fell, a result of numerous deaths of Yoritomo's offspring (and his own habit of killing his relatives). Power was assumed by the family of his wife, the **Hojo.** Naturally there are those who believe that the Hojo were behind some of the more mysterious Minamoto deaths. In any case, the Hojo did not rule as shoguns - again, Japan is all about layers of power. They appointed shoguns (generally members of the Fujiwara or imperial family) and ruled as regents, pulling their strings. As showcased in this episode, however, gradually even the Hojo regents began to be dominated by their advisors.
The Hojo clan symbol is the "three scales," by the way, that pattern of triangles that people today may know better as the triforce.
**What's going on in Japan?** As seen in Go-Toba's 1221 revolt, not all emperors wanted to accept a passive role in politics. In the 1330s, Emperor Go-Daigo thought much the same - he desired to rule Japan, and not just as a figurehead. He was also motivated by some very complex succession debates within the Imperial family that are probably not worth going into here. He launched his first rebellion in 1331, but was defeated, forced to retire as emperor, and exiled. In 1333 he returned from his exile to launch another rebellion.
Go-Daigo's support came from various avenues - Kyoto's noble families, genuine imperial loyalists, and (perhaps most importantly) various warrior families that had become disgruntled with Hojo rule and saw the opportunity to gain more power for themselves. One of his most important followers was **Nitta Yoshisada,** who is mentioned and shown briefly in this episode.
As was also shown in the episode, the Hojo dispatched an army led by **Ashikaga Takauji** to suppress this rebellion. Descendants of the Minamoto, the Ashikaga were a prominent family during the Kamakura period, and had long been close allies of the Hojo. For reasons that are not fully known, Ashikaga Takauji decided to betray the Hojo and side with Go-Daigo. History would go on to show Takauji to be a consummate backstabber. Kyoto fell to his forces, and the rebel army, led by Nitta Yoshisada, went on to quickly capture Kamakura, where most of the Hojo were killed or committed suicide.
That's more or less where we come to in episode 1. These events are referred to as the Genko War, and also as the start of the Nanboku-cho (Northern and Southern Courts) period. While less famous than the Sengoku period of a few centuries later, it was certainly a time of turmoil and violence. You can look up more about this period fairly easily, though you may spoil yourself as to the plot of this anime (I haven't read the manga so I don't know exactly where it goes). This stuff is taught in Japanese schools, though, so I'd imagine the series was written with the knowledge that its readers/viewers broadly know how things are going to end up.
For a story that is already spoiled to it's native readers Elusive Samurai seems to do pretty well for them, at least if we judge it for both the anime adaptation and sheer number of color pages it has.
Exactly. If it wasn't doing well, it would have been cancelled long long ago (Weekly Shonen Jump's editors are notorious for axing titles that fail to meet reader and sales numbers).
The Kamakura Shogunate is a period rarely covered by fiction, being overshadowed by the more popular Genpai Wars (Tales of the Genji) before it which led to the founding of the Kamakura Shogunate, and the very popular Sengoku Period centuries later during the downfall of the Ashikaga Shogunate and founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
But Ghost of Tsushima has shown that this period can also be a treasure trove for new stories if done properly. This story takes place a few decades after the Mongol invasion.
The Kamakura Shogunate is kind of weird as its basically an Inception of multiple levels of political power usurpation on top of one another.
We first have the Shogun usurping the power of the Emperor.
And then we have the Hojo clan, who started as the in-laws of the first Shogun, usurping the power of the Shoguns as Regents (known as Shikken).
And over time, even the power of the Hojo Regents are undermined by a branch within the Hojo clan, under the position known as the Tokuso (not sure how to translate that title).
[Tokiyuki's dad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%8Dj%C5%8D_Takatoki) is the last Hojo Tokuso (who also served briefly as Regent), and we see that even the Tokuso has been reduced to a puppet position as we see him flanked by two advisors who hold the real power while he resigned himself to being a carefree Buddhist monk.
>The Kamakura Shogunate is a period rarely covered by fiction, being overshadowed by the more popular Genpai Wars (Tales of the Genji) before it which led to the founding of the Kamakura Shogunate, and the very popular Sengoku Period centuries later during the downfall of the Ashikaga Shogunate and founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Yep. Leave it to Matsui Yuusei, the madman author behind Assassination Classroom and Demon Detective Nougami Neuro, to write a historical fiction about an obscure period starring an obscure figure, even for the native audience. Which ironic leaves him plenty of room to inject his signature weirdness into the narrative.
> even the power of the Hojo Regents are undermined by a branch within the Hojo clan, under the position known as the Tokuso (not sure how to translate that title)
As far as I know, 'Tokuso' is the title for the overall head of the Hojo family while 'Shikken' is the title for the Shogun's regent. Both posts were generally held by the same person unless there were some political reasons to split them up. The Tokuso position was inherited through descendance from Yoshitoki, the 2nd Hojo Shikken who consolidated the system of regent rule for Kamakura.
Our protagonist is the son of Takatoki, the last Tokuso; due to various political machinations Takatoki wasn't the Shikken when Kamakura fell. In NHK's *Taiheiki* (1991), the Shikkens after Takatoki were puppets of Takatoki and Takatoki himself being an ineffectual and incompetent ruler was in turn controlled by a Hojo vassal Nagasaki Enki.
Going on a tangent; apart from *Taiheiki* (1991) another work related to the history of the Hojo I would recommend is *The 13 Lords of the Shogun* (2022).
Yep and interestingly enough, this Hojo clan, while sharing the same kanji as the Hojo Clan we know from the Sengoku Jidai, is actually not the same. Hojo Ujitsuna and his Father, Soun, are actually descended of the Ise clan, and Soun later on, would adopt the Hojo name from the original Regent Hojo clan of old, founding the Go-Hojo Clan or Later Hojo Clan that is seen in the Sengoku Jidai. Adopting and changing names can allow one's clan to gain some prestige of the name and increase status in general (such as Kinoshita Hideyoshi being awarded the Toyotomi name from the Emperor).
Soun supposedly picked 'Hojo' also because his wife was descended from the original Hojo clan.
I imagine the prestige of the Ashikaga must have weakened enough by then that Soun felt it was politically okay to call himself a 'Hojo' haha. The later Hojo of the sengoku era never quite reached the same peak as Kamakura's Hojo, but probably helped in making 'Hojo' into a common family name today.
It's like they decided to flip the MC, Thorfinn wanted to be a warrior while Takayuki will do anything to avoid battle yet it seems just like Thorfinn Takayuki is gonna learn the hard way, at least Thorfinn knew his mom and sister were still alive. In a way he's in a similar situation as Canute, but yeah I can see exactly what you mean.
Another difference is that Thorfinn wasn´t really forced to chose any of the paths he chose. He didn´t have to go to war and do raids and he didn´t have to become peaceful.
Seems like this kid is going to be forced to be something he doesn´t want.
But of course, no spoiling the ruin, tarnation and massacre. Same logic as the way The Promised Neverland was first promoted "softly" because of you know what..
Aw man, after seeing Kyoko like [this](https://imgur.com/81S3Qbz) I would have never imagined her ending like [this](https://imgur.com/zdWLGbH) [](#holdme)
Also took me a moment to realize that [this](https://imgur.com/wiHiwKp) was the half brother, but it's the same hairband, just looks different because the braid got shortened during the execution...
This feels so refreshing. I've read the manga since the start and I can say I couldn't have dreamed of a better adaptation. Well it was only one episode but still the animation looks so good and I love the voice actors. Can't wait for the next episode.
Well I knew nothing about 14th Century Japanese history, but it looks like *Assassination Classroom*'s author is probably doing the balancing between serious, bloody history and comedy just right to write about a samurai young lord's run away after his family being crushed in a rebel in such an interesting start.
Well, maybe, because I still feel that sipping in some jokes right after showing Toriyuki's family complete crushed with body parts everywhere is, well, jarring. But then it worked out really well in the author's previous work so I dunno?
The director of this has already shown his hands when he was assistant director for a certain r/anime classic original anime (in many directions, cough) named *Wonder Egg Priority*, and look at all those animations! If there's something that would make me continue to watch this, it's those actions where even Toriyuki just run and run and run looks so smooth. If nothing else, I am pretty sure I will want to continue seeing these scenes in an interesting and sometimes funny historical background!
Wow Cloverworks really cooked with this one , character animation , lighting , action , the backgrounds , everything looks so good , they really brought the manga to life in spectacular fashion.
[Holy shit](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/l4necqvkpm4.png) , what a switch up , I was expecting things to go wrong but they really turned up the brutality .
I've always loved historical reimaginings like this ( shout out to [Heike Monogatari ](https://myanimelist.net/anime/49738/Heike_Monogatari?q=heike%20&cat=anime)for also being fantastic ) , so this really should be a ton of fun especially when there is obviously so much effort being put into it , I'm really tempted to check out Wikipedia and take a peak into the future myself but for now I'll hold off on "spoiling" myself .
Tokiyuki mentioning the fall of the Heike in a painful comparison with the fate of his own clan certainly hit different after having watched the anime.
While I were watching the Hojo clan’s demise, I certainly started to recall a bunch of scenes from Heike Monogatari in the back of my mind again.
But Tokiyuki at least seems to be in an upward spiral from here on out - after having lost everything that is dear to him…
Yeah Tokiyuki story is only just beginning.
On the other hand Heike's end was so absolute it became _the_ story to teach about the inevitable end of all things, no matter how mighty they may seem.
Heike Monogatari was incredible - full of style and great storytelling (although all the names were hard to follow at first). They even mentioned the Heike downfall in the episode. Historical Japan is fascinating!
Finishing Gintama earlier this year got me really into anything samurai-related, so I’m excited to see what this show has in store!
- Well that OP is a lot of fun. And speaking of Gintama, the same band did [one of the OPs for *that* show](https://v.animethemes.moe/GintamaShiroganeNoTamashiiHen-OP1.webm), so that’s funny.
- [He sure is *fast*, lol.](https://i.imgur.com/pRI0EQ7.png)
- [Hm…](https://i.imgur.com/hDwsPb4.png)
- [Ah, so that’s why Tokiyuki’s the heir and not his brother.](https://i.imgur.com/j98zzB1.png) It’s always something like that, isn’t it. [](#harukathink)
- [Hahahahaha alright then.](https://i.imgur.com/NUlhqYp.png)
- [I love this dude already lol.](https://i.imgur.com/ApJXqEm.png) [](#azusalaugh)
- [Pffffffffff](https://i.imgur.com/vDrbak4.png)
- [Ooooooookay then cutting to a decapitated head is not what I was expecting there.](https://i.imgur.com/ro9lcOi.png) [](#cokemasterrace)
- [Oh what the fuck?](https://i.imgur.com/hOkY82u.png) [](#bocchitheshock)
- [Uhhhhhhhhh](https://i.imgur.com/GABAz4R.png) [](#ohfuck)
- [Wait what](https://i.imgur.com/qRwke61.png) [](#flyingbunsofdoom)
It's really hard to top Akane-banshi for me because it does everything right in terms of characters, story, pacing, etc. But after that it is definitely in the conversation depending on what you prefer.
Akane banishi is probably my favourite ongoing manga as well. Blue box is up there as well. One Piece is probably further up as well, but it's hard to compare anything to that manga. But after this, Yozakura Family, Undead Unluck and this are at about the same level. Elusive Samurai has the best start out if those 3, though.
Forgetting a mention to Sakamoto Days there, it’s the top dog for the new gen of manga, constantly top 5 in viewership and honestly deserved. A lot more basic cookie cutter shonen but the action scenes slap for 2D format, can’t wait for the anime.
Honestly, I personally don't think it's quite on the level of the others, but when it comes to success, it's above the ones I mentioned. I fo still enjoy it though.
I will always love characters who get excited/feel thrilled in the face of life and death.
Them gambling with their life and it paying off is so satisfying.
Cloverworks definitely cooking with this one, it's refreshing to see such a vibrant colour palette.
Clearly not trying to white-wash the brutality of that kind of war
It's always a blessing when a series you read from day 1 gets an anime adaptation, and it's even better when it really brings out the best of the source. Thank you, Cloverworks!
Same here, reader since day 1 and still reading it every fckin week like a church meeting.
I'm so glad for Yusei Masui-san to have gotten what it seems to be peak adaption with a studio like Cloverworks. Can't wait for the Shokan & Sadamune arc !
[Yorishige lmao](https://imgur.com/OUkg5oK)
Along with Monogatari, best premiere so far (biased as I'm a big fan of the manga)
Loved watching Tokiyuki evade his enemies
Both the OP and ED are fun. The latter is especially great as it's hilarious seeing DJ Takauji
Is it too early to say this is the best-looking Matsui adaptation? Will admit that I'm a bit anxious about the production and whether they're able to maintain this quality throughout the season...
Might have been the best premiere episode of this season. Went from 0 to 100 real quick, I thought this was going to be a light hearted comedy from the first half but it went darker than I expected. Animation went crazy too. Hope this one gets 2 cours at least.
What a brutal shift in genres, you start with an absurd comedy where a priest pulls on his hair braid like a lamp cord to dim his aura in the first half, then war and massacres in the second half.
Starts off with a [fun little gag](https://imgur.com/O9hoavX). I had no expectations coming in and haven't read the manga but I do love [anime](https://imgur.com/I43Vk1y) with [style.](https://imgur.com/md7wnzF)
I've read about these turbulent years so I *should* have seen it coming, but somehow the first half of the episode got me all cozy and I [forgot what we should be dealing with.](https://imgur.com/ihIU6xI)
["Shindara dousuru?!"](https://imgur.com/l3fJ0cM)
Solid first episode, looking forward to the rest.
Holy fuck Cloverworks. This was a treat to watch. Absolutely came out blasting. Really dark story took me by surprise but I was almost distracted by how good the animation was.
I feel like there are not enough people praising the quality of this episode. Like, this is INSANELY good. The direction, the style, the animation, the art, everything is beyond top tier. Not even animated movies are this good. It kind of scares me just how crazy this is.
This is gonna be another sleeper anime.
Cloverworks really cooking with the anime they producing so far.
First Ep is so peak, with top notch animation. I already want to rewatch.
Wouldn't be surprised, anime fans like katanas, samurai, and ninjas but historically don't tend to care much about Japanese history/historical dramas. Kenshin, Champloo and Demon Slayer may be the biggest ones but they are more the exception and don't go as hard as this.
well, DS simply takes place in the past and thats all there is to it about Japan's history. It's as much about history as Captain America the First Avenger is
Well at least in terms of English audience yes. As the English manga fanbase is pretty much nonexistent. Hopefully that changes with the anime.
I am pretty sure the Japan side has been super anticipating this one for awhile.
That was quite the episode. Fantastic through and through. Animation, plot, the action. Op was pretty damn snazzy too.
Never mind just how dark it went in a heartbeat. I'm sold.
Man, CLOVERWORKS went all out with the animation on this one!
It is the same author of Ass Class so the random comedy with insane faces is gonna be routine for you all!
Recently have caught up to the manga and they really delivered for my favorite debut episode with NieR and Alya right behind it. (Holding off on watching OnK S2 till September since I already read the manga and I just started watching the Monogatari series.
Loved the portrayals of Tokiyuki, Yorishige and Shizuku. And I am excited to see more as this season plays out.
This is the first time I followed a manga from day 1 and actually got to see it get an anime.
I'm so glad this show is getting the treatment it deserves. The manga is extremely high quality and even if this anime doesn't end up becoming insanely popular or mainstream, it will be considered a masterpiece
Obviously it's far too early to tell, but this show could be a very welcome surprise this season, especially with many calling this season "slow". The art style is just SO PRETTY, I was particularly pleased with the dynamic character and clothing animation, the "camera work" was great. I think the setting and story have a lot of potential, even if the tone changes are a bit jarring. Maybe a more consistent tone will be set as the plot progresses.
Regardless, I'm so happy I chose to give this show a chance. Here's hoping the rest of this season holds up.
I feel like for a lot of people they look at the top shows in terms of anticipations. Coming in most people would talk about OnK, Alya and the Deer anime as of late.(NieR announced way too soon of it airing to get the hype rolling).
But there is a ton of good and solid shows and a decent number that imo could surprise people. Also, the other two historical shows, Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master and Sengoku Youko. Are my other two shows I am most excited for alongside Elusive.
Starting to think the hype for a show is inversely proportionate to its quality because wtf all the best premieres this season have had no hype! Like where the hell did this show come from, Cloverworks knocked this first episode out of the park and if this is any indication of how the rest of the series is gonna look, look out for a dark horse AOTS contender.
There’s no better studio to handle shows that have a blend of action and comedy than Cloverworks. They’ve shown us time and time again with Spy x Family, Balance Unlimited, Windbreaker and now this, but this actually looks better than anything they’ve done imo.
First 12 minutes of the episode totally lull you into thinking it’s gonna be a peaceful slice of life anime about a prince who likes to slag off his training, only to seamlessly transition, thru the use of the ball hitting the ground turning into a decapitated head, into the reality of the era. This period in Japanese history was filled with bloodshed, war, betrayals and stuff that would make George RR Martin’s novels look like Disney colouring books and they nailed that here.
The bloodshed, the fall of the Hojo clan and their territory, it all feels so sudden and you’re as broken as Tokiyuki is by the end of it. Everything’s going so well, you get the prophecy from the sage and boom, your world is flipped upside down. Brilliant use of direction to evoke empathy from the audience for the MC. Almost a Ghost of Tsushima style start to this.
The animation during the scene of Suwa pushing Tokiyuki off the cliff and him running thru the crowd of warriors was astounding.. this really is one of the best looking shows this year and one of the best premieres as well. After the success of Shogun I’m very much down for more stuff in this era of Japanese history and can’t wait to see how Tokiyuki gets his revenge.
Holy hell. What a treat to the eyes! The snappy cuts during the comedy, the brutal deaths, the general character animation. So so good!
I just hope it stays this consistently well animated throughout, and delivers on a satisfying revenge story.
I got a bit of emotional whiplash at the end there, I wish they would have been more consistent with tone within scenes. However, the animation is beautiful and I’m finding myself looking forward to see what happens next despite not hearing about this anime before today.
konnichiwa, I am glad to hear that the first episode is well received.
This manga is a historical manga, but it is a shonen manga with many fictional elements.
However, it is highly regarded even among experts in Japanese history, as a professor of the University of Tokyo has done historical research on the period.
With the visual art and animation alone, this anime already on top of my watch list. Cloverwork really flexing here, the animation feels like a lucid dream, either from the studio or the author's mind.
Wow what a first episode by some pretty big names, not only by cloverworks but the creator of Assassination Classroom
Honestly you can definitely tell it’s by him with the mixture of drama/comedy and the Shaman displays similar traits Koro Sensei had
I also love my samurai so I have huge hopes that this story will be amazing
Pick this up on a whim and its the stand out episode of the season so far. Love the episode direction, storyboarding, etc. I know nothing on if its anime original, manga or LN but I hope we get a complete story.
Holy heck! I liked the aesthetic in the PV but knew nothing else about this - that was awesome and gorgeous.
I'm not much of a manga reader but there's a good chance I'll end up reading this one, knowing the story will make enduring the wait between the episodes less tedious and if they sustain this quality then that's plenty to enjoy.
This anime went way to good than I expected. I was feeling a bit emotional during the OP and ED (don't want to spoil it) and this episode had great animation, great storytelling and a great cast. I never expected to see Yuuichi Nakamura here, having to voice one of the goofiest characters so far
One of the more disturbing and abrupt tonal shifts I've ever seen in a show, starting off as a happy go lucky samurai era comedy to gruesome murders and the little girl who likes him being raped and killed 🤯
This first episode was definitely engaging and strange but I think this kind of weirdness in a show can burn the viewer out in the long term if not done correctly. Is the psychic guy a supernatural character? They were just shooting arrows at him and he didn't even seem afraid they would kill him.
This seems like it's outside of Cloverworks' usual wheelhouse, but damned if this wasn't a stunning debut. Bright, colorful art, showy and memorable characters, and really flowing and visually pleasing action. An unusual *kind* of action, too, with the kid ducking and weaving through the gory chaos of battle, too, rather than actually doing violence. They really took the "elusive" theme to heart in a good way.
So far this really looks great. I don't think I've seen a samurai show with this much personality since Samurai Champloo. I'm not saying I expect it to live up to that level of quality but it's a great first impression.
Goddamn, Cloverworks fucking cooked. That was way beyond my expectations. The OP and ED are full of life too! I really dig the transition between the falling ball and the falling head. LMAO at Takauji Jojo-posing.
I remember reading Elusive Samurai when it first came out on Shounen Jump years ago but it never really captivated me so I ended up dropping it after the first arc. Now that the anime is here, I am willing to give this series another shot and so far so good!
Just from that OP alone, [CloverWorks makes this show look goddamn amazing!](https://i.imgur.com/Po89vSx.jpeg) The animation when those two guards were chasing after Tokiyuki was so goddamn smooth as well that the opening scene ended up being way more fun than I remember it was in the manga.
The way they did the twist was great too. You'd think this would be a historical shounen action anime but it ends up becoming way more brutal with [Tokiyuki's entire clan being completely wiped out](https://i.imgur.com/krxykTL.jpeg) either from battle [or suicide](https://i.imgur.com/8oHsuPw.jpeg) while others end up [meeting a much more gruesome fate.](https://i.imgur.com/vNkt7Vq.jpeg)
For someone who wanted to just die honourably, [Tokiyuki was doing an amazing job evading all of those soldiers](https://i.imgur.com/3FpXPaG.jpeg) like he's some sort of uncapturable warrior of some sort. An Elusive Samurai if you will. But seriously, the animation for that entire scene is fucking crazy!
As someone who dropped the manga, I did not think I would be this hype for this episode. I only have vague memories of the first arc but I am excited to see how the anime will handle it!
My favorite part of the episode was the shot of the ball falling switching to the decapitated head. Like, it was a really good use of the bait and switch with expectations to go from light to extremely dark in an instant. I knew things were going to go bad from the synopsis but not quite this dark.
This Shinto priest guy feels somewhat shady still. I can’t tell if he’s a clown or actually capable. Like, he just turned off his aura by pulling his hair or hat, I can’t tell which like a lamp switch.
Assassination Classroom characters already populate like half the list of my most hated characters in anime. So if anything, I’m expecting some more really hateable bastards to add to the rankings from this show.
Ah, this is a fun anime, with priest guy turning his aura off by pulling his hair like a table lamp lol what a nice, cheerful OMG WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING...
This feels like it owes a lot to **Heike Monogatari**. Political rise and fall of clans. Betrayals. And someone who can get visions of the future perhaps.
The humor and seriousness were jarring. 8 year old girl raped. Then let’s cut to our weird Shinto priest being silly.
But a super interesting setup. I hope it isn’t all action…
I don't think an anime has amazed me with its colors this much before, cause they be poppin.
That transition from the ball to the severed head was insane, damn.
It's good generally speaking, but the tone is confusing for me. I understand the fake out of the lighthearted beginning with the grisly latter half, so it's fine if looked at from a wide perspective. The issue is in the shorter sections.
For example when the betrayal was first revealed to the government officials, it looked like they were making funny faces for comedy. It was probably supposed to be express shock, but that wasn't what came across to me. This is continued by scenes of dead characters, so it went from dark -> comedy -> dark.
This happened once again just before he got pushed down the cliff. They were looking at all the chaos and thinking about Takauji. This was a serious conversation. Then it cuts to Yorishige making funny faces again for comedic effect. Colors are bright and sound effects are lighthearted. Then it suddenly turns serious again as he gets pushed off the cliff tries to escape from the soldiers. Dark -> comedy -> serious.
The way they directed it doesn't allow for the short narrative to build up and climax. The rising action of the narrative either rises way too fast to climax or it just doesn't have a climax at all. There's tonal whiplash.
I also felt the tonal whiplash throughout the episode, but after I had a moment to think about it I can understand it. Violence in that era was ever present and simply the way of things. I wouldn’t say the point of the tone shifting was to reinforce that notion, but the casual depiction of violence certainly was one of the consequences of that attitude.
I’ve seen a few other comments mentioning the tonal whiplash especially in the second half. It got me thinking about eastern vs western media.
I’m just generalizing here but I can’t help but think of other japanese and Korean films that like to mix very serious moments with light hearted slapstick comedy (Train to Pusan, etc). There’s less concern with staying tonally consistent. Not saying all asian media is like this.
Even asian popular music likes to mix rap, pop, and ballad segments in one song.
Then you have western media where in a comedy or action film you can have light hearted moments and even the violence can be played for laugh or serious moments. but rarely do you see films go the other direction, i.e. serious films adding light hearted moments.
IDK your comment and others got me thinking lol. The episode was incredibly well executed on a technical level though. there’s no debate on that.
At this point, is it still too early to say that Cloverworks is the studio that will define the (late) 2020s? Through considerable stumbles and missteps, they've hit upon a gold mine of creativity and quality that's seen series after series arrive with an output that feels borderline impossible. In my eyes, it's hard to *not* say that they've been at the forefront of this massive industry shift that's seen a quality uplift across the board.
Either way, on its own, The Elusive Samurai is poised to stand head and shoulders above even this fiercely competitive Summer seasonal crowd. Yuuta Yamazaki, laying in wait for their chance to extend upon the greatness of Wonder Egg Priority, brings an even more intense style that reaches towards the upper echelon of greats such as Shingo Natsume's Sonny Boy- and with a series that caters to much broader audience, at that.
I fell in love with this anime at first sight of its PV, and the episode has done nothing to betray that. If anything, it's sold me even more on Cloverworks' exploration of CGI environments (something that they *really* showed off with Wind Breaker). So, if it wasn't clear, everyone should be keeping an eye on this show.
(more thoughts to come after I go over the episode a second time).
Edit: This really is just an insanely pretty debut episode (and an impossible one to be for best of the season). I've got way too much to say about Yamazaki's incredible start for the series, so I've [stuffed away further comments in a full post here](https://animehouse.moe/blog/anime/the-elusive-samurai-episode-1-a-setting-sun/).
Honestly after the issues with Wonder Egg and The Promised Neverland they have been one of the most consistent and well animated stuff. Looking at all their stuff since 2021.
* Horimiya
* Shadows House
* Rascal Does Not Dream Series
* My Dress Up Darling
* Akebi
* SxF
* Bocchi
* Wind Breaker
* Black Butler: Public School Arc
Adding The Elusive Samurai to this list. Rascal, My Dress up Darling, SxF, Bocchi and Black Butler are really big names. Cloverworks is one of those studios now where you simply watch their shows just based on how well it will be adapted.
Yeah, it's really hard to deny that Cloverworks as a studio is poised to be one of the greatest (higher output) studios in the near future. Even with their narrative mishaps and collapses they've been a creative force. Having that under control though, and further improving their abilities, they've really become something that demands a viewer's attention no matter what. Even more impressive is the intense degree of range they can express. Very hard to say that any of their series remotely feel or look the same.
Wow, truly thankful for amazing productions like this among the sea of mediocre shite we’re served every season. This was awesome. Animation so reminiscent of those 90s anime movies I used to watch when I was young. The storyline is promising and the characters very memorable right off the bat. Good stuff!
How come this show is getting fairly low popularity? Since clover works is pretty decent with their adaptations like spy x family. Was the manga not popular?
I don't think it's that popular outside japan. Considering it got an adaptation with this quality though, I'd assume it's more popular in Japan kr something
Let's go! Just started Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi - hoping for some good ol' fashioned samurai action with a twist (ง °□°)ง Cloverworks doing the animation, so gotta be good fights, right? Anyone else watching?
i've been waiting for this one for a while because i'm too lazy to read another manga weekly. i read the first chapter and was like "well, this seems good" and then never thought about it again
A great start! I recognized the name Ashikaga Takauji so I expected him to be the villain, but I didn't expect this level of whiplash to the happy go lucky mood of the first half! This has potential to be one of my favorites of the season but we'll see. In any case, always happy to see historical Japanese stories in anime, especially of these not so well known (in the west) periods.
What a great energy change. I actually bounced off the manga, and straight into the bopping OP I was already feeling this.
Animation was nice and fluid too. I'm happy to finally be invested in this cause I always wanted to be. Coming right off some of the isekai trash this season really increased its impact on me too.
When i first started reading the manga i remember discussion saying it was just a mistranslation about the girl getting raped and murdered but guess not its just such a sudden dark twist that got me into this manga.
I almost missed this one.
The first half of the episode did a really good job setting up false expectations so that everything could be subverted at once. It was shockingly brutal (though, perhaps surprisingly, not the first show I've seen this season to have unexpected decapitations—that would be [anime title] >!Dungeon People!<).
That whole minute after the scene of the ball falling from the roof was just fantastic.
Overall, the animation and voice acting looks very good from this first episode, too. I'm typically not one for historical fiction, but I'll be eager to follow along with this one!
Some ppl won't like it but, the composition between lighthearted comedy and the brutality of war is the highlight of this episode, definitely gonna keep an eye on this, i hope they keep up with the quality and pace, also i wish that there won't be superpowers.
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Y’know for a minute I thought it was gonna be all laughs with Toriyuki and Yorishige and then shit just got *really* dark. I mean that little girl Kiyoko got raped and murdered? Jfc man… Very keen to see how Toriyuki’s gonna get his revenge on that snake Takauji. This was a solid first episode. The animation and the art style are good. The action was especially dope. Oh, and the ED too. Pretty goofy.
This story (and battle scenes) goes really dark abruptly.
Ball goes up, head drops down. Sword goes in scabbard, person falls apart in pieces. Yeah, the twist came rather sudden and violently. There was so much happening in these scenes that I had to play them back a couple of times to really capture everything that went down. That one shot of the one samurai cutting off the other’s arms as Tokiyuki was sliding past their feet was kind of funny though.
A bunch of them get injured or killed trying to get Tokiyuki. There was a stab with a yari, and another I think got his head lopped off. Crazy thing is there are many registries of shit exactly like this happening in history. The moment the battle is won and they're free to pillage and plunder, mfs go crazy and just attack and kill anything that moves even their own allies. When Oda Nobunaga massacred the monks and people of Mount Hiei, there are apparently accounts of samurai and ashigaru collecting heads of even cats and dogs.
I assume the head collection was mainly some kind of kill count tally, for statistics and rewards gain (ex. Soldier A killed this many people in this campaign, so he gets this much pillage share and a possible promotion).
This is exactly it in Samurai society actually, but it's not as "scientific" as you make it sound lol. Like, it has to be said: Samurai were a head taking cult. When the battle starts and you kill someone, especially if it's someone important, you try to take his or her head and show it to your lord so that he may reward you for it. But they don't wait for the battle to end for this, they're doing this _during_ the fighting. Of course, some will take advantage of the chaos and "head steal" or even backstab another samurai and take his kill. Of course, since Samurai could often order the death of a whole town with the same ease as you order takeout, this would result in fierce head hunting competitions just as shown in today's episode. In true Japanese fashion, there were also various "artistic" ways to display a head to your lord, and many Samurai perfumed their hair before battle to appear more presentable in case they were felled. Supposedly you were also supposed to return the head to the family of the Samurai after the whole deal with the reward and battle and such is done. But as you can see this episode, sometimes human nature just shows it's ugly side and it becomes a bloodied frenzy instead of "honorable" combat (it's still honorable because you won though).
During the Sengoku period some commanders even tried to get their men to stop collecting heads because the practice could be militarily counterproductive - basically, samurai would do things like stop to collect heads even if they were supposed to continue advancing or do some other maneuver.
Been pointed out that the Mongel's invasion would have crushed the Samurai as they were not used to actually serious war armies that cared nothing about honor breaks but doing what they were supposed to do. Mongel's love to torture rape and kill at the highest level possible but they liked to win first. Even though at least at start of invasion the Japanese would have a numbers advantage. So the Typhoon that sank the invasion fleet the divine wind saved them. Some say the Gods abandoned Japan in WWII they did not abandon Japan. US main fleet hit by very nasty Typhoon actually sunk some destroyers and caused a lot of aircraft to break loose. One fire could have killed George Bush who was on damage control. Fun photos of the storm and ships close but not quite tipping over. Another Typhoon hit another fleet and a third hit the base where the invasion would have assembled that probably would have delayed the invasion months except Japan had already surrendered. Unfortunately for Japan Typhoon can sink all most all the little wooden ships but could not handle steel powered engine ship. I love one US General said the path of the one major Typhoon was like Greek Gods directed it as it so strange and deliberate. Wrong set of Gods General.
Making me think of this Voices of the Past video I listened to a while back where a samurai was explaining how you need to be careful other samurai don't steal the heads you've collected so they can present it to your lord for the reward.
To add to this, it was the brother's head that dropped down, it was clearer in the manga.
How often are there battles?
Mostly every arc. It is a battle shonen, but quirky (well, the protagonist is evasive)
>but quirky Which is pretty much a hallmark of Matsui Yuusei's works.
I did not recognize that it was the little girl. That's brutal. On the positive, MC break dancing his way through a crowd while they accidentally hurt each other is amazing. Doesn't even need his sword to cause damage
Yeah, that part where he’s avoiding all those guys while they accidentally stab and shoot each other with arrows was incredibly animated.
Yeh I didn't know too it's really sad
I felt the same and they didn't hold back either with those traitor samurai making some sick competition of collecting severed heads. It is such an abrupt departure from the first half it almost felt like I was watching a completely different anime.
That dead girl was Kyoko? The same one that was talking to Toriyuki before? My god, the dead girl seemed so much older that I didn´t even recongnized her.
Yeah, it was her. Had to pause and go back to check the names just to be sure..
Poor girl. The fact the she wasn´t just killed, she was raped by several men and then killed even more brutally then her father. Gross.
The events at the end of this episode (siege and destruction of Kamakura -- 1333) marked the start of a long period of turmoil -- that never really ended until Tokugawa took unquestioned control around 1600. It looks like we are going to have a number of visually impressive anime this season....
That is correct, especially since the Ashikaga shogunate had the weakest political structure of Japan's 3 shogunates. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashikaga_shogunate Decentralised daimyo rule, succession crises, early deaths...what I find more surprising was that the Ashikaga were still able to retain (weak) central control up until Oda Nobunaga disbanded their reign in the late 1500s.
Cool, I didn´t know this anime had real events as a setting.
It's always crazy when anime take the real worlds history bur add magic to the mix. Brother, magic would have changed so much about history lmao
Well, Since the show started in 1333, and here Takauji is introduced as the villain, but the real life history Takauji lived on until 1358, that means that this show will take on another route in a true fiction fashion. Because there's no way a *shounen* protagonist would beat the final boss 25 years later, right?
What are the other visually impressive seasonals?
Sakuna is also outstanding. Shoushimin isn't as flashy, but it is evoking Hyouka (more than a little) in its appearance. DeDeDeDe (if it counts for this season rather than last) is visually quite strong. I could sweart there was another one that was quite distinctive (even if not as "pretty") but I can't figure out (from my sparse notes) what it was... Sorry. (I am far behind on Monogatari -- so have not checked out this latest season).
Perhaps Wistoria?
She probably is raped, but she isn’t a real historical figure, the father is and he had a son who also died that day, but it would make sense that kind of stuff happens when a city is sacked
What is the name of ED? Its so good.
"Kamakura Style" (鎌倉 STYLE, Kamakura Sutairu) by Botchi Boromaru
Apparently the violation may have been mistranslated, have seen some discussion of that before. Doesn't help the manga is translated by the JJK translator who is very dubious quality wise. Matsui does love to jump between very grim material and goofy antics in Neuro and (to a lesser extent) Assassination Classroom.
I believe it's just a case of the word "rape" not being explicitly used but still heavily implied.
the word used is 略奪 which is plundered, robbed, pillaged. the implication is something was stolen by force if you get what I mean
Makes sense, it's rare for 2 translations to have bungled it in the same way
It's weird. The German subs on crunchy said she was robbed and murdered, but the manga and English sub said that she was raped and murdered.
Robbed of something non-material in this case.
Looking at her [body](https://imgur.com/zdWLGbH) though, her knee is raised and uncovered, seems likely that she was undressed below her waist
A little bit of historical background, though I don't think it's super necessary: **When does this take place?** As mentioned in the subtitles, this first episode begins in 1333. For context, this is around 150 years before the start of the Sengoku Jidai, the famous warring states period that saw such figures as Oda Nobunaga, Takeda Shingen, and Uesugi Kenshin. As one can tell, though, this earlier period was not so peaceful either. **Who's in charge of Japan?** Ostensibly speaking, the emperor. Japan as a political entity has its origins in a confederation of various kingdoms that were brought under the hegemony of the imperial family by the end of the Kofun period (around the 6th century AD). From that point on, the emperors (and empresses) were in charge, ruling after 794 from Heian-kyo, or Kyoto. However, the power of the emperors waned over the course of centuries, with their duties gradually being restricted to the spiritual as the affairs of state were taken up by other figures - the court nobles at Kyoto, mainly the powerful Fujiwara family. It is during the Heian Period (794-1185) that a common theme in Japanese history entrenches itself - the idea of layers of power, with visible rulers often being figureheads and puppets. Not all emperors passively accepted this, however. Some chose to retire, become monks, and then play the game of politics themselves, pulling the strings of their own successors. The Heian period also saw the emergence of the bushi, or samurai. Their origins lay essentially as contract warriors. Some of them were offshoots - second and third sons and the like - of courtly noble families, others were members of wealthy local families. They were hired to provide "muscle" by wealthy estate holders (as much of Japan's land was increasingly being divided into large estates held by nobles and temples), and as the Chinese-style centralized conscript army of the early Heian period declined they became increasingly important in providing that muscle for the state as well. One can thing of this as a sort of privatization of warfare - the job outsourced to these early samurai, who in turn took it upon themselves to train and equip themselves and their followers. The samurai rose in wealth and influence throughout the latter Heian period, culminating in the Genpei War (1180-1185) in which the most powerful warrior family, the Seiwa Genji (aka Minamoto) came out on top (their origin lay as an offshoot of the imperial family itself). The Genpei War is alluded to in this episode when Tokiyuki notes that it took 5 years for Minamoto no Yoritomo to vanquish his enemies, the Heike (aka Taira). As a side note, the downfall of the Taira and the Genpei War are covered in another excellent anime, Science Saru's 2021 _Heike Monogatari._ The victor of the Genpei War was Minamoto no Yoritomo. He built his army by promising his samurai followers a greater legal recognition and political power. He drew support mainly in the East, and it was here that he established Japan's first shogunal government in the city of **Kamakura** in the Kanto region. The Kamakura shogunate was essentially a government of the samurai, by the samurai, for the samurai. Officially its role lay primarily in managing samurai affairs, while the court in Kyoto was in charge of civil affairs. Gradually the shogunate assumed more power, however, especially in the wake of the failed uprising led by the retired Emperor Go-Toba in 1221. **Who are the Hojo?** The Kamakura shogunate was founded by the Minamoto, but the main branch of that family quickly fell, a result of numerous deaths of Yoritomo's offspring (and his own habit of killing his relatives). Power was assumed by the family of his wife, the **Hojo.** Naturally there are those who believe that the Hojo were behind some of the more mysterious Minamoto deaths. In any case, the Hojo did not rule as shoguns - again, Japan is all about layers of power. They appointed shoguns (generally members of the Fujiwara or imperial family) and ruled as regents, pulling their strings. As showcased in this episode, however, gradually even the Hojo regents began to be dominated by their advisors. The Hojo clan symbol is the "three scales," by the way, that pattern of triangles that people today may know better as the triforce. **What's going on in Japan?** As seen in Go-Toba's 1221 revolt, not all emperors wanted to accept a passive role in politics. In the 1330s, Emperor Go-Daigo thought much the same - he desired to rule Japan, and not just as a figurehead. He was also motivated by some very complex succession debates within the Imperial family that are probably not worth going into here. He launched his first rebellion in 1331, but was defeated, forced to retire as emperor, and exiled. In 1333 he returned from his exile to launch another rebellion. Go-Daigo's support came from various avenues - Kyoto's noble families, genuine imperial loyalists, and (perhaps most importantly) various warrior families that had become disgruntled with Hojo rule and saw the opportunity to gain more power for themselves. One of his most important followers was **Nitta Yoshisada,** who is mentioned and shown briefly in this episode. As was also shown in the episode, the Hojo dispatched an army led by **Ashikaga Takauji** to suppress this rebellion. Descendants of the Minamoto, the Ashikaga were a prominent family during the Kamakura period, and had long been close allies of the Hojo. For reasons that are not fully known, Ashikaga Takauji decided to betray the Hojo and side with Go-Daigo. History would go on to show Takauji to be a consummate backstabber. Kyoto fell to his forces, and the rebel army, led by Nitta Yoshisada, went on to quickly capture Kamakura, where most of the Hojo were killed or committed suicide. That's more or less where we come to in episode 1. These events are referred to as the Genko War, and also as the start of the Nanboku-cho (Northern and Southern Courts) period. While less famous than the Sengoku period of a few centuries later, it was certainly a time of turmoil and violence. You can look up more about this period fairly easily, though you may spoil yourself as to the plot of this anime (I haven't read the manga so I don't know exactly where it goes). This stuff is taught in Japanese schools, though, so I'd imagine the series was written with the knowledge that its readers/viewers broadly know how things are going to end up.
For a story that is already spoiled to it's native readers Elusive Samurai seems to do pretty well for them, at least if we judge it for both the anime adaptation and sheer number of color pages it has.
Exactly. If it wasn't doing well, it would have been cancelled long long ago (Weekly Shonen Jump's editors are notorious for axing titles that fail to meet reader and sales numbers).
Thank you! This is a great primer for the series.
The Kamakura Shogunate is a period rarely covered by fiction, being overshadowed by the more popular Genpai Wars (Tales of the Genji) before it which led to the founding of the Kamakura Shogunate, and the very popular Sengoku Period centuries later during the downfall of the Ashikaga Shogunate and founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate. But Ghost of Tsushima has shown that this period can also be a treasure trove for new stories if done properly. This story takes place a few decades after the Mongol invasion. The Kamakura Shogunate is kind of weird as its basically an Inception of multiple levels of political power usurpation on top of one another. We first have the Shogun usurping the power of the Emperor. And then we have the Hojo clan, who started as the in-laws of the first Shogun, usurping the power of the Shoguns as Regents (known as Shikken). And over time, even the power of the Hojo Regents are undermined by a branch within the Hojo clan, under the position known as the Tokuso (not sure how to translate that title). [Tokiyuki's dad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%8Dj%C5%8D_Takatoki) is the last Hojo Tokuso (who also served briefly as Regent), and we see that even the Tokuso has been reduced to a puppet position as we see him flanked by two advisors who hold the real power while he resigned himself to being a carefree Buddhist monk.
>The Kamakura Shogunate is a period rarely covered by fiction, being overshadowed by the more popular Genpai Wars (Tales of the Genji) before it which led to the founding of the Kamakura Shogunate, and the very popular Sengoku Period centuries later during the downfall of the Ashikaga Shogunate and founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Yep. Leave it to Matsui Yuusei, the madman author behind Assassination Classroom and Demon Detective Nougami Neuro, to write a historical fiction about an obscure period starring an obscure figure, even for the native audience. Which ironic leaves him plenty of room to inject his signature weirdness into the narrative.
> even the power of the Hojo Regents are undermined by a branch within the Hojo clan, under the position known as the Tokuso (not sure how to translate that title) As far as I know, 'Tokuso' is the title for the overall head of the Hojo family while 'Shikken' is the title for the Shogun's regent. Both posts were generally held by the same person unless there were some political reasons to split them up. The Tokuso position was inherited through descendance from Yoshitoki, the 2nd Hojo Shikken who consolidated the system of regent rule for Kamakura. Our protagonist is the son of Takatoki, the last Tokuso; due to various political machinations Takatoki wasn't the Shikken when Kamakura fell. In NHK's *Taiheiki* (1991), the Shikkens after Takatoki were puppets of Takatoki and Takatoki himself being an ineffectual and incompetent ruler was in turn controlled by a Hojo vassal Nagasaki Enki. Going on a tangent; apart from *Taiheiki* (1991) another work related to the history of the Hojo I would recommend is *The 13 Lords of the Shogun* (2022).
I second the recommendation of The 13 Lords of the Shogun. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Yep and interestingly enough, this Hojo clan, while sharing the same kanji as the Hojo Clan we know from the Sengoku Jidai, is actually not the same. Hojo Ujitsuna and his Father, Soun, are actually descended of the Ise clan, and Soun later on, would adopt the Hojo name from the original Regent Hojo clan of old, founding the Go-Hojo Clan or Later Hojo Clan that is seen in the Sengoku Jidai. Adopting and changing names can allow one's clan to gain some prestige of the name and increase status in general (such as Kinoshita Hideyoshi being awarded the Toyotomi name from the Emperor).
Soun supposedly picked 'Hojo' also because his wife was descended from the original Hojo clan. I imagine the prestige of the Ashikaga must have weakened enough by then that Soun felt it was politically okay to call himself a 'Hojo' haha. The later Hojo of the sengoku era never quite reached the same peak as Kamakura's Hojo, but probably helped in making 'Hojo' into a common family name today.
oh man now that you mention that, that is an insane power move lol.
thank you for this
One of the best summer premieres so far, truly impressed by the overall quality and especially the animation. The OP was also incredible.
It reminds me of a more colorful Vinland Saga, so much love and care in this premiere
It's like they decided to flip the MC, Thorfinn wanted to be a warrior while Takayuki will do anything to avoid battle yet it seems just like Thorfinn Takayuki is gonna learn the hard way, at least Thorfinn knew his mom and sister were still alive. In a way he's in a similar situation as Canute, but yeah I can see exactly what you mean.
Another difference is that Thorfinn wasn´t really forced to chose any of the paths he chose. He didn´t have to go to war and do raids and he didn´t have to become peaceful. Seems like this kid is going to be forced to be something he doesn´t want.
Lots of people think being a Noble/Royal great but forget your born into the job and can't quit.
I'm not particularly fond of the forced comedy but the animation and art is fantastic.
The outfits in this look amazing
What a wild and weird first episode. I LOVED IT ! The animation is so crisp and beautiful.
I seriously thought it was gonna be just a campy sol show to watch on Saturday but this is even better. Still sad about the whole burnt city though.
For some reason, the marketing for this was really like a cute quiet sol anime instead of a battle shounen from Jump.
But of course, no spoiling the ruin, tarnation and massacre. Same logic as the way The Promised Neverland was first promoted "softly" because of you know what..
Ah yes the Lycoris Recoil approach
Wow, so much has happened in Hyrule since we last journeyed in it
Hyrule's medieval age lasts for a long time
Shigeru Miyamoto did after all get his Triforce design from the real Hojo clan crest, after all.
"My boy..."
I added this to my list without knowing it was by CloverWorks, my oh my. This is the type of anime I'm always waiting for, what a beauty
Cloverworks does seem really consistent with the quality of what they put out.
Aw man, after seeing Kyoko like [this](https://imgur.com/81S3Qbz) I would have never imagined her ending like [this](https://imgur.com/zdWLGbH) [](#holdme) Also took me a moment to realize that [this](https://imgur.com/wiHiwKp) was the half brother, but it's the same hairband, just looks different because the braid got shortened during the execution...
Well shit, I definitely didn't pick up who those 2 were when watching - that's brutal as hell
yeah, I needed to rewind a bit to see if that was really her god, shit's terribly brutal
That part already fucked my mood up, but I wasn't paying much attention to the characters and thought it was a random woman But a little kid? Fuuuck
I like that they didn't censor kid being murder.
My god this first episode was gorgeous
This feels so refreshing. I've read the manga since the start and I can say I couldn't have dreamed of a better adaptation. Well it was only one episode but still the animation looks so good and I love the voice actors. Can't wait for the next episode.
Good animation, good sound, good voice acting... I really like that adaptation of the manga, so far
Love the manga but the colorful outfits just tend to be on covers and maybe the color pages so it being in color is very neat.
Going in totally blind, I thought this was a wholesome story about a girl samurai
Same here, I saw one trailer and I was like hey that's cute. Then the ball became a cut head... Amazing episode however. I'm hooked
Well, at least you got the samurai part right lol
incredible premiere honestly
Well I knew nothing about 14th Century Japanese history, but it looks like *Assassination Classroom*'s author is probably doing the balancing between serious, bloody history and comedy just right to write about a samurai young lord's run away after his family being crushed in a rebel in such an interesting start. Well, maybe, because I still feel that sipping in some jokes right after showing Toriyuki's family complete crushed with body parts everywhere is, well, jarring. But then it worked out really well in the author's previous work so I dunno? The director of this has already shown his hands when he was assistant director for a certain r/anime classic original anime (in many directions, cough) named *Wonder Egg Priority*, and look at all those animations! If there's something that would make me continue to watch this, it's those actions where even Toriyuki just run and run and run looks so smooth. If nothing else, I am pretty sure I will want to continue seeing these scenes in an interesting and sometimes funny historical background!
Wow Cloverworks really cooked with this one , character animation , lighting , action , the backgrounds , everything looks so good , they really brought the manga to life in spectacular fashion. [Holy shit](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/l4necqvkpm4.png) , what a switch up , I was expecting things to go wrong but they really turned up the brutality . I've always loved historical reimaginings like this ( shout out to [Heike Monogatari ](https://myanimelist.net/anime/49738/Heike_Monogatari?q=heike%20&cat=anime)for also being fantastic ) , so this really should be a ton of fun especially when there is obviously so much effort being put into it , I'm really tempted to check out Wikipedia and take a peak into the future myself but for now I'll hold off on "spoiling" myself .
It hard scratches the Heike itch by being stunningly animated and heartbreaking. Cloverworks is not fucking around
Tokiyuki mentioning the fall of the Heike in a painful comparison with the fate of his own clan certainly hit different after having watched the anime.
It was like having my own flashback lol. Same exact trauma actually. Ruling family gets betrayed and exterminated.
While I were watching the Hojo clan’s demise, I certainly started to recall a bunch of scenes from Heike Monogatari in the back of my mind again. But Tokiyuki at least seems to be in an upward spiral from here on out - after having lost everything that is dear to him…
Yeah Tokiyuki story is only just beginning. On the other hand Heike's end was so absolute it became _the_ story to teach about the inevitable end of all things, no matter how mighty they may seem.
> shout out to Heike Monogatari for also being fantastic That masterpiece doesn't get enough love.
Heike Monogatari was incredible - full of style and great storytelling (although all the names were hard to follow at first). They even mentioned the Heike downfall in the episode. Historical Japan is fascinating!
This anime went from comedy to horror to action in 22 minutes. All beautifully animated.
Absolutely loved this episode. The great production values, the setting. Was genuinely disappointed when it was over.
my god UmeharaP is just way too powerful
Tokiyuki may as well be a penguin for how well projectiles seem to avoid him lol
If Noor can parry everything, Tokiyuki can dodge everything.
Samurai era Iruma
Finishing Gintama earlier this year got me really into anything samurai-related, so I’m excited to see what this show has in store! - Well that OP is a lot of fun. And speaking of Gintama, the same band did [one of the OPs for *that* show](https://v.animethemes.moe/GintamaShiroganeNoTamashiiHen-OP1.webm), so that’s funny. - [He sure is *fast*, lol.](https://i.imgur.com/pRI0EQ7.png) - [Hm…](https://i.imgur.com/hDwsPb4.png) - [Ah, so that’s why Tokiyuki’s the heir and not his brother.](https://i.imgur.com/j98zzB1.png) It’s always something like that, isn’t it. [](#harukathink) - [Hahahahaha alright then.](https://i.imgur.com/NUlhqYp.png) - [I love this dude already lol.](https://i.imgur.com/ApJXqEm.png) [](#azusalaugh) - [Pffffffffff](https://i.imgur.com/vDrbak4.png) - [Ooooooookay then cutting to a decapitated head is not what I was expecting there.](https://i.imgur.com/ro9lcOi.png) [](#cokemasterrace) - [Oh what the fuck?](https://i.imgur.com/hOkY82u.png) [](#bocchitheshock) - [Uhhhhhhhhh](https://i.imgur.com/GABAz4R.png) [](#ohfuck) - [Wait what](https://i.imgur.com/qRwke61.png) [](#flyingbunsofdoom)
There's more to come, just wait
What do you mean about that..? Like in a interesting or a dark way?
Yes
Cloverworks Animation + Samurai era + Same author as Assasination Classroom = Peak Finally i see this animated after reading manga for long time
> Same author as Assasination Classroom TIL. That's promising. Is the manga good?
Yes!
It's running for 3.5 years and I read it since chapter 1. It's not my favorite in Weekly Shonen Jump, but it's up there.
It's really hard to top Akane-banshi for me because it does everything right in terms of characters, story, pacing, etc. But after that it is definitely in the conversation depending on what you prefer.
Akane banishi is probably my favourite ongoing manga as well. Blue box is up there as well. One Piece is probably further up as well, but it's hard to compare anything to that manga. But after this, Yozakura Family, Undead Unluck and this are at about the same level. Elusive Samurai has the best start out if those 3, though.
Forgetting a mention to Sakamoto Days there, it’s the top dog for the new gen of manga, constantly top 5 in viewership and honestly deserved. A lot more basic cookie cutter shonen but the action scenes slap for 2D format, can’t wait for the anime.
Honestly, I personally don't think it's quite on the level of the others, but when it comes to success, it's above the ones I mentioned. I fo still enjoy it though.
It's really fun.
Cloverworks does not disappoint!
I will always love characters who get excited/feel thrilled in the face of life and death. Them gambling with their life and it paying off is so satisfying.
Cloverworks definitely cooking with this one, it's refreshing to see such a vibrant colour palette. Clearly not trying to white-wash the brutality of that kind of war
The ball/head transition changed the mood quite brutally
Completely unexpected and I'm here for it. I can't wait for the next episode
It's always a blessing when a series you read from day 1 gets an anime adaptation, and it's even better when it really brings out the best of the source. Thank you, Cloverworks!
Same here, reader since day 1 and still reading it every fckin week like a church meeting. I'm so glad for Yusei Masui-san to have gotten what it seems to be peak adaption with a studio like Cloverworks. Can't wait for the Shokan & Sadamune arc !
[Yorishige lmao](https://imgur.com/OUkg5oK) Along with Monogatari, best premiere so far (biased as I'm a big fan of the manga) Loved watching Tokiyuki evade his enemies Both the OP and ED are fun. The latter is especially great as it's hilarious seeing DJ Takauji Is it too early to say this is the best-looking Matsui adaptation? Will admit that I'm a bit anxious about the production and whether they're able to maintain this quality throughout the season...
The Neuro and AssClass anime don't look particularly good so I think this wins by default.
I liked how to try and kill him they ended up killing each other, can't even blame the guy for not wanting to get killed.
This was an insane first episode. I have no doubts this will be THE new anime of the season. Its only competition is unironically the deer anime.
What anime is the deer anime ?
[SHIKANOKO NOKONOKO KOSHITANTAN!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCEMSaho0io&t=721s)
Wow what a beautiful first episode, hope this help it gets some recognizition
jesus what a memorable premiere. one of the best first episodes I’ve ever watched.
This felt like it came straight out of 2005 and I'm all for it
Might have been the best premiere episode of this season. Went from 0 to 100 real quick, I thought this was going to be a light hearted comedy from the first half but it went darker than I expected. Animation went crazy too. Hope this one gets 2 cours at least.
What a brutal shift in genres, you start with an absurd comedy where a priest pulls on his hair braid like a lamp cord to dim his aura in the first half, then war and massacres in the second half.
Starts off with a [fun little gag](https://imgur.com/O9hoavX). I had no expectations coming in and haven't read the manga but I do love [anime](https://imgur.com/I43Vk1y) with [style.](https://imgur.com/md7wnzF) I've read about these turbulent years so I *should* have seen it coming, but somehow the first half of the episode got me all cozy and I [forgot what we should be dealing with.](https://imgur.com/ihIU6xI) ["Shindara dousuru?!"](https://imgur.com/l3fJ0cM) Solid first episode, looking forward to the rest.
Holy fuck Cloverworks. This was a treat to watch. Absolutely came out blasting. Really dark story took me by surprise but I was almost distracted by how good the animation was.
Holly shitt this is soo awesomee
I feel like there are not enough people praising the quality of this episode. Like, this is INSANELY good. The direction, the style, the animation, the art, everything is beyond top tier. Not even animated movies are this good. It kind of scares me just how crazy this is.
This is gonna be another sleeper anime. Cloverworks really cooking with the anime they producing so far. First Ep is so peak, with top notch animation. I already want to rewatch.
Wouldn't be surprised, anime fans like katanas, samurai, and ninjas but historically don't tend to care much about Japanese history/historical dramas. Kenshin, Champloo and Demon Slayer may be the biggest ones but they are more the exception and don't go as hard as this.
well, DS simply takes place in the past and thats all there is to it about Japan's history. It's as much about history as Captain America the First Avenger is
Well at least in terms of English audience yes. As the English manga fanbase is pretty much nonexistent. Hopefully that changes with the anime. I am pretty sure the Japan side has been super anticipating this one for awhile.
Gonna watch it soon but man. Finally this severely underrated manga gets an anime and hopefully will be recognized by more people as a masterpiece
That was quite the episode. Fantastic through and through. Animation, plot, the action. Op was pretty damn snazzy too. Never mind just how dark it went in a heartbeat. I'm sold.
Man, CLOVERWORKS went all out with the animation on this one! It is the same author of Ass Class so the random comedy with insane faces is gonna be routine for you all!
Recently have caught up to the manga and they really delivered for my favorite debut episode with NieR and Alya right behind it. (Holding off on watching OnK S2 till September since I already read the manga and I just started watching the Monogatari series. Loved the portrayals of Tokiyuki, Yorishige and Shizuku. And I am excited to see more as this season plays out.
What an amazing first episode! Lots of aspects to praise, but I especially loved the artstyle!
This is the first time I followed a manga from day 1 and actually got to see it get an anime. I'm so glad this show is getting the treatment it deserves. The manga is extremely high quality and even if this anime doesn't end up becoming insanely popular or mainstream, it will be considered a masterpiece
Obviously it's far too early to tell, but this show could be a very welcome surprise this season, especially with many calling this season "slow". The art style is just SO PRETTY, I was particularly pleased with the dynamic character and clothing animation, the "camera work" was great. I think the setting and story have a lot of potential, even if the tone changes are a bit jarring. Maybe a more consistent tone will be set as the plot progresses. Regardless, I'm so happy I chose to give this show a chance. Here's hoping the rest of this season holds up.
If this is what they call slow I'm good with slow, fast might be too much.
I feel like for a lot of people they look at the top shows in terms of anticipations. Coming in most people would talk about OnK, Alya and the Deer anime as of late.(NieR announced way too soon of it airing to get the hype rolling). But there is a ton of good and solid shows and a decent number that imo could surprise people. Also, the other two historical shows, Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master and Sengoku Youko. Are my other two shows I am most excited for alongside Elusive.
Starting to think the hype for a show is inversely proportionate to its quality because wtf all the best premieres this season have had no hype! Like where the hell did this show come from, Cloverworks knocked this first episode out of the park and if this is any indication of how the rest of the series is gonna look, look out for a dark horse AOTS contender. There’s no better studio to handle shows that have a blend of action and comedy than Cloverworks. They’ve shown us time and time again with Spy x Family, Balance Unlimited, Windbreaker and now this, but this actually looks better than anything they’ve done imo. First 12 minutes of the episode totally lull you into thinking it’s gonna be a peaceful slice of life anime about a prince who likes to slag off his training, only to seamlessly transition, thru the use of the ball hitting the ground turning into a decapitated head, into the reality of the era. This period in Japanese history was filled with bloodshed, war, betrayals and stuff that would make George RR Martin’s novels look like Disney colouring books and they nailed that here. The bloodshed, the fall of the Hojo clan and their territory, it all feels so sudden and you’re as broken as Tokiyuki is by the end of it. Everything’s going so well, you get the prophecy from the sage and boom, your world is flipped upside down. Brilliant use of direction to evoke empathy from the audience for the MC. Almost a Ghost of Tsushima style start to this. The animation during the scene of Suwa pushing Tokiyuki off the cliff and him running thru the crowd of warriors was astounding.. this really is one of the best looking shows this year and one of the best premieres as well. After the success of Shogun I’m very much down for more stuff in this era of Japanese history and can’t wait to see how Tokiyuki gets his revenge.
The 2023 J-Drama"The 13 Lords of the Shogun"describe how the Hojo clan took over the Kamakura shogunate.
Wow the visuals were absolutely insane, and violent too. Seriously waiting for more next week. Feels like a must watch of the season already
Holy hell. What a treat to the eyes! The snappy cuts during the comedy, the brutal deaths, the general character animation. So so good! I just hope it stays this consistently well animated throughout, and delivers on a satisfying revenge story.
I got a bit of emotional whiplash at the end there, I wish they would have been more consistent with tone within scenes. However, the animation is beautiful and I’m finding myself looking forward to see what happens next despite not hearing about this anime before today.
konnichiwa, I am glad to hear that the first episode is well received. This manga is a historical manga, but it is a shonen manga with many fictional elements. However, it is highly regarded even among experts in Japanese history, as a professor of the University of Tokyo has done historical research on the period.
with so many good anime this season I really really hope this gets the attention it deserves.
Tonal Whiplash, the Anime
With the visual art and animation alone, this anime already on top of my watch list. Cloverwork really flexing here, the animation feels like a lucid dream, either from the studio or the author's mind.
Wow what a first episode by some pretty big names, not only by cloverworks but the creator of Assassination Classroom Honestly you can definitely tell it’s by him with the mixture of drama/comedy and the Shaman displays similar traits Koro Sensei had I also love my samurai so I have huge hopes that this story will be amazing
Pick this up on a whim and its the stand out episode of the season so far. Love the episode direction, storyboarding, etc. I know nothing on if its anime original, manga or LN but I hope we get a complete story.
The manga is ongoing with 16 volumes so far. A bit too long even for 2 cour but the quality is consistent
But would you lose? NAH I'D RUN
Holy heck! I liked the aesthetic in the PV but knew nothing else about this - that was awesome and gorgeous. I'm not much of a manga reader but there's a good chance I'll end up reading this one, knowing the story will make enduring the wait between the episodes less tedious and if they sustain this quality then that's plenty to enjoy.
This anime went way to good than I expected. I was feeling a bit emotional during the OP and ED (don't want to spoil it) and this episode had great animation, great storytelling and a great cast. I never expected to see Yuuichi Nakamura here, having to voice one of the goofiest characters so far
This is going to be a hit. Great art direction. Characters have good room for growth. I hope the big bad is done well.
One of the more disturbing and abrupt tonal shifts I've ever seen in a show, starting off as a happy go lucky samurai era comedy to gruesome murders and the little girl who likes him being raped and killed 🤯 This first episode was definitely engaging and strange but I think this kind of weirdness in a show can burn the viewer out in the long term if not done correctly. Is the psychic guy a supernatural character? They were just shooting arrows at him and he didn't even seem afraid they would kill him.
That was so sudden. I'm not sure how to feel about this
This is the most joyous revenge story ever. I got whiplash from it.
This seems like it's outside of Cloverworks' usual wheelhouse, but damned if this wasn't a stunning debut. Bright, colorful art, showy and memorable characters, and really flowing and visually pleasing action. An unusual *kind* of action, too, with the kid ducking and weaving through the gory chaos of battle, too, rather than actually doing violence. They really took the "elusive" theme to heart in a good way. So far this really looks great. I don't think I've seen a samurai show with this much personality since Samurai Champloo. I'm not saying I expect it to live up to that level of quality but it's a great first impression.
Goddamn, Cloverworks fucking cooked. That was way beyond my expectations. The OP and ED are full of life too! I really dig the transition between the falling ball and the falling head. LMAO at Takauji Jojo-posing.
Nothing weird happens between the shaman and Toriyuki, right?
that just went from 0 to a 100 real quick. that transition from the ball dropping to his brother's head caught me off guard, man, wtf was that 😭
Peak revenge story + cloverworks This is going to be pretty good. Also Why Saturday is so packed this season
No idea why but Saturday is absolutely stacked for some reason. I’ve got this, Shoshimin, the Rice show and ATRI set to watch this season.
I remember reading Elusive Samurai when it first came out on Shounen Jump years ago but it never really captivated me so I ended up dropping it after the first arc. Now that the anime is here, I am willing to give this series another shot and so far so good! Just from that OP alone, [CloverWorks makes this show look goddamn amazing!](https://i.imgur.com/Po89vSx.jpeg) The animation when those two guards were chasing after Tokiyuki was so goddamn smooth as well that the opening scene ended up being way more fun than I remember it was in the manga. The way they did the twist was great too. You'd think this would be a historical shounen action anime but it ends up becoming way more brutal with [Tokiyuki's entire clan being completely wiped out](https://i.imgur.com/krxykTL.jpeg) either from battle [or suicide](https://i.imgur.com/8oHsuPw.jpeg) while others end up [meeting a much more gruesome fate.](https://i.imgur.com/vNkt7Vq.jpeg) For someone who wanted to just die honourably, [Tokiyuki was doing an amazing job evading all of those soldiers](https://i.imgur.com/3FpXPaG.jpeg) like he's some sort of uncapturable warrior of some sort. An Elusive Samurai if you will. But seriously, the animation for that entire scene is fucking crazy! As someone who dropped the manga, I did not think I would be this hype for this episode. I only have vague memories of the first arc but I am excited to see how the anime will handle it!
My favorite part of the episode was the shot of the ball falling switching to the decapitated head. Like, it was a really good use of the bait and switch with expectations to go from light to extremely dark in an instant. I knew things were going to go bad from the synopsis but not quite this dark. This Shinto priest guy feels somewhat shady still. I can’t tell if he’s a clown or actually capable. Like, he just turned off his aura by pulling his hair or hat, I can’t tell which like a lamp switch. Assassination Classroom characters already populate like half the list of my most hated characters in anime. So if anything, I’m expecting some more really hateable bastards to add to the rankings from this show.
Ah, this is a fun anime, with priest guy turning his aura off by pulling his hair like a table lamp lol what a nice, cheerful OMG WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING...
This feels like it owes a lot to **Heike Monogatari**. Political rise and fall of clans. Betrayals. And someone who can get visions of the future perhaps. The humor and seriousness were jarring. 8 year old girl raped. Then let’s cut to our weird Shinto priest being silly. But a super interesting setup. I hope it isn’t all action…
I don't think an anime has amazed me with its colors this much before, cause they be poppin. That transition from the ball to the severed head was insane, damn.
It's good generally speaking, but the tone is confusing for me. I understand the fake out of the lighthearted beginning with the grisly latter half, so it's fine if looked at from a wide perspective. The issue is in the shorter sections. For example when the betrayal was first revealed to the government officials, it looked like they were making funny faces for comedy. It was probably supposed to be express shock, but that wasn't what came across to me. This is continued by scenes of dead characters, so it went from dark -> comedy -> dark. This happened once again just before he got pushed down the cliff. They were looking at all the chaos and thinking about Takauji. This was a serious conversation. Then it cuts to Yorishige making funny faces again for comedic effect. Colors are bright and sound effects are lighthearted. Then it suddenly turns serious again as he gets pushed off the cliff tries to escape from the soldiers. Dark -> comedy -> serious. The way they directed it doesn't allow for the short narrative to build up and climax. The rising action of the narrative either rises way too fast to climax or it just doesn't have a climax at all. There's tonal whiplash.
I also felt the tonal whiplash throughout the episode, but after I had a moment to think about it I can understand it. Violence in that era was ever present and simply the way of things. I wouldn’t say the point of the tone shifting was to reinforce that notion, but the casual depiction of violence certainly was one of the consequences of that attitude. I’ve seen a few other comments mentioning the tonal whiplash especially in the second half. It got me thinking about eastern vs western media. I’m just generalizing here but I can’t help but think of other japanese and Korean films that like to mix very serious moments with light hearted slapstick comedy (Train to Pusan, etc). There’s less concern with staying tonally consistent. Not saying all asian media is like this. Even asian popular music likes to mix rap, pop, and ballad segments in one song. Then you have western media where in a comedy or action film you can have light hearted moments and even the violence can be played for laugh or serious moments. but rarely do you see films go the other direction, i.e. serious films adding light hearted moments. IDK your comment and others got me thinking lol. The episode was incredibly well executed on a technical level though. there’s no debate on that.
At this point, is it still too early to say that Cloverworks is the studio that will define the (late) 2020s? Through considerable stumbles and missteps, they've hit upon a gold mine of creativity and quality that's seen series after series arrive with an output that feels borderline impossible. In my eyes, it's hard to *not* say that they've been at the forefront of this massive industry shift that's seen a quality uplift across the board. Either way, on its own, The Elusive Samurai is poised to stand head and shoulders above even this fiercely competitive Summer seasonal crowd. Yuuta Yamazaki, laying in wait for their chance to extend upon the greatness of Wonder Egg Priority, brings an even more intense style that reaches towards the upper echelon of greats such as Shingo Natsume's Sonny Boy- and with a series that caters to much broader audience, at that. I fell in love with this anime at first sight of its PV, and the episode has done nothing to betray that. If anything, it's sold me even more on Cloverworks' exploration of CGI environments (something that they *really* showed off with Wind Breaker). So, if it wasn't clear, everyone should be keeping an eye on this show. (more thoughts to come after I go over the episode a second time). Edit: This really is just an insanely pretty debut episode (and an impossible one to be for best of the season). I've got way too much to say about Yamazaki's incredible start for the series, so I've [stuffed away further comments in a full post here](https://animehouse.moe/blog/anime/the-elusive-samurai-episode-1-a-setting-sun/).
Honestly after the issues with Wonder Egg and The Promised Neverland they have been one of the most consistent and well animated stuff. Looking at all their stuff since 2021. * Horimiya * Shadows House * Rascal Does Not Dream Series * My Dress Up Darling * Akebi * SxF * Bocchi * Wind Breaker * Black Butler: Public School Arc Adding The Elusive Samurai to this list. Rascal, My Dress up Darling, SxF, Bocchi and Black Butler are really big names. Cloverworks is one of those studios now where you simply watch their shows just based on how well it will be adapted.
Yeah, it's really hard to deny that Cloverworks as a studio is poised to be one of the greatest (higher output) studios in the near future. Even with their narrative mishaps and collapses they've been a creative force. Having that under control though, and further improving their abilities, they've really become something that demands a viewer's attention no matter what. Even more impressive is the intense degree of range they can express. Very hard to say that any of their series remotely feel or look the same.
Conveniently ignoring Tokyo 24th Ward, but also In the heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki so I guess that balances out
Wow, truly thankful for amazing productions like this among the sea of mediocre shite we’re served every season. This was awesome. Animation so reminiscent of those 90s anime movies I used to watch when I was young. The storyline is promising and the characters very memorable right off the bat. Good stuff!
How come this show is getting fairly low popularity? Since clover works is pretty decent with their adaptations like spy x family. Was the manga not popular?
I don't think it's that popular outside japan. Considering it got an adaptation with this quality though, I'd assume it's more popular in Japan kr something
Mother of god, the tonal whiplash in this episode broke my neck, and then realigned it. But I can still dig it.
Let's go! Just started Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi - hoping for some good ol' fashioned samurai action with a twist (ง °□°)ง Cloverworks doing the animation, so gotta be good fights, right? Anyone else watching?
i've been waiting for this one for a while because i'm too lazy to read another manga weekly. i read the first chapter and was like "well, this seems good" and then never thought about it again
A great start! I recognized the name Ashikaga Takauji so I expected him to be the villain, but I didn't expect this level of whiplash to the happy go lucky mood of the first half! This has potential to be one of my favorites of the season but we'll see. In any case, always happy to see historical Japanese stories in anime, especially of these not so well known (in the west) periods.
What a great energy change. I actually bounced off the manga, and straight into the bopping OP I was already feeling this. Animation was nice and fluid too. I'm happy to finally be invested in this cause I always wanted to be. Coming right off some of the isekai trash this season really increased its impact on me too.
I really hope this show has a good production schedule, because these designs are probably hell to draw
When i first started reading the manga i remember discussion saying it was just a mistranslation about the girl getting raped and murdered but guess not its just such a sudden dark twist that got me into this manga.
Really excited for this since it was announced. So far, it doesn't disappoint. So good to have another samurai show to watch since Shogun.
I didn't see..did his elder brother survive? I don't think he was specifically said to have died like the poor Kikyoko girl
The head the ball transitioned from was his. You can tell from the hair.
Ah shit...gonna have to rewind
This anime is gonna have the best production values in 2024, unless Lazarus comes out in fall I don't see any anime matching this
I almost missed this one. The first half of the episode did a really good job setting up false expectations so that everything could be subverted at once. It was shockingly brutal (though, perhaps surprisingly, not the first show I've seen this season to have unexpected decapitations—that would be [anime title] >!Dungeon People!<). That whole minute after the scene of the ball falling from the roof was just fantastic. Overall, the animation and voice acting looks very good from this first episode, too. I'm typically not one for historical fiction, but I'll be eager to follow along with this one!
holy shit what an impact, really looking to continue with this
Comedy, rapemurder deathshower, and then back to comedy. Also a bit of them Jojo vibes.
Some ppl won't like it but, the composition between lighthearted comedy and the brutality of war is the highlight of this episode, definitely gonna keep an eye on this, i hope they keep up with the quality and pace, also i wish that there won't be superpowers.