The Elusive Samurai Looks Fun

Article at a glance:
The show is based on the 1333 Kenmu Restoration and portrays key historical events accurately, enhancing the storytelling.
JC Staff’s animation and art style elevate the episode, making it visually impressive and engaging.
The characters, especially Takauji and Tokiyuki, are well-developed, adding depth and intrigue to the narrative.

I probably should’ve waited for episode 2 to drop before writing this. But episode 2 drops tomorrow and I need to write this today so that’s not an option. Either way, I heard a lot of good things about The Elusive Samurai and I have to say, the first episode was incredible. I did some digging and the story is somewhat based on history. Obviously, it is not 100% accurate but the “important events” and the timeline presented are accurate from what I understand.

So welcome back to another first impressions article. Summer 2024 has been surpassing my expectations so far and I look forward to seeing what more this season has to offer before we reach this year’s money shot, the Fall 2024 season. But, I digress. Today we are taking a look at The Elusive Samurai, let’s get into it.

What did I think of The Elusive Samurai Episode 1?

Again, the years and timeline presented in the show are accurate. We start in 1333, the protagonist is Hojo Tokiyuki, the heir to the Kamakura Shogunate.

A quick history lesson before we proceed, The Shogunate and the Emperor are two different things. A Shogun is not the emperor, it is like a modern-day Prime Minister/President dynamic. And depending on the time in history, the power balance shifts between the Emperor and the Shogunate. Now, Ashikaga Takauji brought along something called the Kenmu Restoration. This was a short-lived reign as even the anime tells us, it ended two years later in 1335. The Kenmu Restoration was the last time the Emperor had any power until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

Knowing this will help you understand the events of the first episode better. As for the episode itself, it was incredible. The depiction of how bloody revolutions or rebellions tend to be was spot on. Over the top at times, yes but it got the message across. The destruction was well-portrayed certain scene transitions in this episode were crazy. So far, I love the direction they are taking with this anime. I like how Takauji and Tokiyuki are characterized. Takauji is a menace and he is portrayed as one,

It’s almost hard to believe that this anime is made by JC Staff. I can’t even recall the last time they had an anime that looked as good as this. The animations and art style did a lot of heavy lifting in this episode and props to JC Staff for that.

That is all for now

Again, I love the direction they are taking. The first episode was incredible. It remains to be seen how good the rest of the show will be but given the first episode alone, I am sold. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. I will take my leave here. See ya!

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