The Elusive Samurai

"The Elusive Samurai" is a refreshing shonen anime set during Japan's Kamakura era, blending historical drama with humor and action. Based on Yusei Matsui's manga, it follows Hojo Tokiyuki, a young prince whose life takes a dark turn when his family is betrayed. What sets Tokiyuki apart from other protagonists is his lack of combat power. His unique strength lies in his ability to evade capture and survive, making him an unusual and engaging lead.

Tokiyuki's story is not about gaining power but about survival and outsmarting his enemies, which adds depth to his character. His allies, including the eccentric monk Suwa Yorishige, the loyal warrior Shizuku, and the stealthy Ayako, each bring distinct skills and personalities to the team. These characters create a sense of camaraderie, and their interactions often introduce humor that balances the anime's darker themes of betrayal and revenge.

The anime's historical setting is beautifully brought to life by Studio CloverWorks, whose detailed artwork captures feudal Japan's landscapes and architecture. The fight scenes are cleverly choreographed to emphasize Tokiyuki's evasive skills rather than brute force, giving the action a fresh feel. The attention to Japanese culture, customs, and period-specific attire adds authenticity, immersing viewers in the Kamakura era.

A major strength of "The Elusive Samurai" is its balance of drama and humor. The serious theme of Tokiyuki's quest for justice is softened by lighter, often comedic moments, making it an enjoyable experience. These humorous elements prevent the story from feeling too heavy and allow viewers to connect with the characters more easily.

While the pacing can feel slow at first, it soon picks up as Tokiyuki's goals take shape. Each episode reveals his growth, not just in his ability to evade but in his understanding of the world and those who threaten him. Watching him use his unique talents and wit to navigate dangerous situations keeps the series engaging.

In sum, "The Elusive Samurai" is a unique entry in the shonen genre. Its focus on strategy over strength, combined with the historical setting and well-placed humor, makes it an enjoyable and distinctive anime. With its compelling characters, beautiful animation, and engaging plot, it's a solid pick for fans of historical and action-packed anime alike.

Cinematography / Animation

I loved the animation of this anime from start to finish. Even when scenes would transition to the next the animation seemed seamless and just well-maintained throughout. They were rather consistent between each individual episode when it came to animating.

Editing

This wasn't a hard to follow story. There was a clear beginning middle and end. The beginning is the downfall of the Kamakura shogunate. The middle is learning new customs, settling in a new place, and building a new army. The end is beginning the fight to reclaim the shogunate and looking towards the future. Each episode had their own mini sub-plot that still contributed to the overall story. Some sub-plots we see as not contributing to the overall story, but instead something completely different. However, for the most part in this story, even the sub-plots provided contributions to the main plot.

Mise en Scene

This was an anime where you needed to focus on the things around the characters. You couldn't just focus on them. Because everything happening around the characters was definitely a sight to see; it was very aesthetically pleasing to watch for sure. Every episode had SOMETHING for you to look at aside from the MC.

Performance

My favorite performances came from:

Yutaka Aoyama (Sadamune) Katsuyuki Konishi & Sakurai Miyuki (Takauji)

The actors and actresses did a great job of portraying greed from these two characters. Also, Takauji's intimidation factor was very well portrayed too.

Sound

Loved the sound design in this anime. It made the fight scenes better, it made the non-fight scenes better. The soundtrack was incredible, just have nothing bad to say about the sound. Each sound used went perfectly with the situation.

Overall I would recommend this anime to friends. It gave a twisted version of an overpowered MC... and that's all I will say.

Eight-year-old Tokiyuki Houjou will be the next head of the Kamakura shogunate, but he avoids all of his responsibilities. His world changes overnight when his clan is betrayed by Takauji Ashikaga, who brutally kills everyone except Tokiyuki who is rescued by a priest who can see the future. The priest explains that he must escape to become a hero in two years, using his evasive skills to become a new type of hero. He builds a vassal team and trains. Many characters in this show have superhuman abilities, drawn in exaggerated ways. While this show is extremely violent with lots of blood spray and gore, it's also very cheeky with references to other animes, etc. One character gets nosebleeds because he's seen a "sultry" large-breasted woman, additionally the priest has a scene where he has created a machine that has dummy dressed in a temple priestess' uniform spank him while he's tied up, but there's very little actual sex or nudity. ~AnimeGuide4Moms.

The elusive samurai Is one of the most colorfuls war anime I have seen. Is so fun and bloody.

Anime shows the real events that happened in Japanese history, but it does it in such a colourful interesting way. Like how the main character is a kid who best quality is to flee, And has to assemble a team to take back his birthright.

And how it tackles that it's better to run and live another day, than to die a pointless death.

I could not stop watching it because the characters are just so fun to watch, and animation is smooth as butter, full of eccentric characters that are fun to watch.

The anime is so disarming, It's so colorful and full of youthful energy, and then the most horrible bloody scene can happen and so adult characters shows true Darkness and horrible intent. It's a balance that should not work, but it works completely in the elusive samurai.

It cannot be understated, How good the animal looks, It is full of life and colors. And the ending song is just marvelous.

I really want to give it a higher score, but it has the same problem, as a lot anime has, where it's just the beginning of the story and I want more.

If we actually got a full story, it will could be one of the all-time greats. But right now, It's just a sweet beginning. Would recommend.