The Elusive Samurai Review: Loads of Fun!
Article at a glance:
- The anime presents an exaggerated yet entertaining version of Hojo Tokiyuki’s journey with a focus on fun, blending history with supernatural elements.
- From Tokiyuki’s unique group to charismatic villains like Ashikaga Takauji, the anime shines with distinct, memorable characters.
- CloverWorks delivers exceptional animation, character designs, and great soundtracks, elevating the overall experience.
When someone says “historical fiction” this is what I expect. Still somewhat accurate historically but the details have been modified or exaggerated for fun. Yes, it is finally time to review The Elusive Samurai and as I said, this anime has become one of the best definitions of historical fiction to me. It has some nice action and animations, some great characters, somewhat accurate historically and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, often messing around a lot.
As you can already tell, I had a lot of fun with this anime. So welcome back to another review and today we are talking about The Elusive Samurai. So let’s get into it.
Plot
The plot presents an exaggerated version of Hojo Tokiyuki’s journey to take back Kamakura from Ashikaga Takauji. While the outline is more or less historically accurate, the details have been modified a lot lol. The first thing you need to understand is that the plot is here for fun. A lot of things in this anime are defined by the fun factor and if you accept that, you will have a great time with it.
So, yes, while the plot isn’t very deep or filled with twists and stuff, it is still entertaining because of how well it is executed. The plot does everything it can to ensure that the narrative continues to be fun and it succeeds at that, in my opinion. So be it anything from crazy exaggerations to dipping its toes into the supernatural, the plot will ensure that things are fresh and entertaining. The pacing is also just perfect for an approach like that. But at the same time, the anime doesn’t shy away from the dark nature of war and conflict.
Characters
Because of how the plot is structured, it allows room for some truly eccentric characters. Everyone in Tokyuki’s group has distinct a distinct character. Genba is an absolute gremlin, Shizuku is cute but says some outlandish stuff at times, Ayako is the sweet older sister type, Kojirou is edgy but kind, and lastly, Fubuki is the cool, laid-back one. Yorishige is mostly a comic relief but at times he imparts some invaluable knowledge to Tokiyuki. Tokiyuki’d development has also been pretty good.
On the other side, Takauji radiates this evil charisma. He is unhinged but you just can’t take your eyes off of him because of his charisma. Then we have Ogasawara who is the more creepy type of bad guy. Yeah, this anime isn’t short on memorable characters.
Animations and Soundtracks
I don’t know what CloverWorks was smoking but I want some of that za. The animations are not just pretty, they go out of their way to add “character” to the scenes. The art style is gorgeous, the character designs are great and the action is flawless. The soundtracks are really damn good too. No complaints on the production side whatsoever.
Summing up
Here are my final review scores for The Elusive Samurai:
- Plot – 7/10
- Characters – 9/10
- Animations – 10/10
- Soundtracks – 8/10
- Enjoyment – 9/10
- Overall – 9/10
So yeah, that is all for now. As you can see, I enjoyed this anime a lot. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. I will take my leave here. See ya!
Also, check out my thoughts on the Rick and Morty anime here!
