Samurai 7

Samurai 7 is the anime remake of Akira Kurosawa\'s Seven Samurai, one of the most influential films in Japanese history. I\'ll be honest and say that I\'ve never actually seen Seven Samurai -- although I do know the plot very well -- and picked up Samurai 7 because it just looked so interesting and I\'d heard quite a few rave reviews.

I was pleasantly surprised by the first four episodes, and it just kept getting better. I will say I didn\'t enjoy the ending, despite how well it fit for the series. It was extremely bittersweet, and I was hoping for a bit ... more closure on Kambei\'s end. Still, the series was very enjoyable overall, and I\'m certainly glad I watched it.

---Story---

To me, the story of Samurai 7 is its strongest point. I love the melding of mecha and samurai; it makes for incredibly interesting settings. Everything was well thought out, even when the anime departed from the original film\'s storyline. In fact, my favorite arc was actually after the battle for Kana village.

As stated before, the only part of the story I disliked was around the last two episodes. I think, however, that this was more of a personal opinion than anything. I do appreciate the ending -- considering everything that had happened before, it fit beautifully -- but my romantic, happily-ever-after heart was disappointed.

---Animation---

Ah, and here we come to a love/hate relationship for me. I <i>adore</i> the CG and backgrounds of Samurai 7. In fact, I don\'t think I\'ve ever come across better. The mechanical aspects were beyond amazing, and the cities jaw-dropping. However... the character designs, at times, were less than pleasing. Sure, the faces were beautifully rendered. However, it seems the artists took some liberty with the bodies of some of the samurai (Katsushiro, Gorobei, and Shichiroji in particular). It\'s not a huge thing, but it is rather disappointing after such pretty backgrounds. No matter how much I love Shichiroji as a character, I always wince the first time we meet him at the Firefly House.

---Sound---

The sound is very fitting for the scenes, and the OP is a personal favorite of mine (the ED is so-so). Chinese drums are employed frequently, but they never really get annoying. Overall, the sound is nice, although nothing truly spectacular.

---Character---

All of the characters of Samurai 7 are fully fleshed out, which is a huge plus in my book. I liked most of them, especially Kambei and Ukyo, but some of the samurai were just... strange. Gorobei in particular comes to mind. He seemed to have some sort of blood-letting fetish, which (while interesting) was just strange to me.

One of the most impressive characters in the entire series is Ukyo. I won\'t give anything away, but this man is definitely not all what he seems. For most of the last half of the series (the last episode being an exception), Ukyo is simply brilliant (both in brains and otherwise). Perhaps that\'s one of the reasons I enjoyed the last half as much as I did: he just made everything so <i>interesting</i>.

---Enjoyment---

Yes, I did enjoy Samurai 7 quite a lot. It\'s not my favorite series for a few reasons, but I loved watching it. Usually I dislike the merging of two time periods/genres, but Samurai 7 managed to pull it off splendidly.

I do recommend this series, although I urge people to watch it through to the end. Perhaps it\'s a personal opinion, but the second half simply blows the first half away.

Pros: Lovely CG, wonderful story, engaging characters -- in respect to both the heroes and villains (Kambei and Ukyo <3)

Cons: So-so character design at times, bittersweet ending (although some may consider this a pro, hah), annoying characters (I will never like Katsushiro or Gorobei...)

I'm a sucker for almost any show with samurai and loosely-based historical story-lines, so I figured I would give this show a go. That, and I saw the Blu-Ray boxset in a store, and I'm also a sucker for Blu-Ray. But I was pleasantly pleased with my purchase, which I will now discuss.

STORY: 9 (Great)

Samurai 7 is loosely based on an old movie, but also possesses an original story of its own. Basically, the story takes place in a world where samurai, merchants, and bandits rule the era. The samurai fight for honour, the merchants seek riches, and the bandits, who were once samurai, have ... abandoned their bushido and are used as pawns of the merchants.

Our story revolves around a small village, one of many where the bandits allow the farmers to grow their rice, and take it back for the merchants to profit from. The people of this village have had enough, and a small party is sent out (voluntarily) to hire samurai to aid them in defeating the bandits and taking back their fields. Along the way, they encounter a diverse cast of characters who eventually form the final rescue party, and they meet with a variety of obstacles on the way to meeting their final objective: the save the village. These obstacles help in developing the story in greater depth, as well as give us a chance to see the real soul of each samurai, and even the courage of the supporting characters (who themselves are not samurai).

From start to end, the story keeps things interesting. The samurai are not only out to protect the village as they were hired to do, their honour compels them to help almost anyone they come across who is in need. It really gives you a proud feeling to know that they're not just in it for the money (or in this case, all the rice they can eat), but that they are downright heroes in their own right.

Not the deepest story ever told, but certainly the kind that will keep you wondering what will happen next. And that's admirable, considering the length of 26 episodes. It doesn't feel dragged out or too long, but just right.

ART: 9 (Great)

The art from time to time changes. The opening is among one of the best I've ever seen, and the fast-paced fighting scenes are extremely well choreographed, with not a lot of cut-away shots. The fluidity of these scenes is just spectacular. I gave it a 9/10 though, because sometimes when things have settled down, the animation style is adjusted to a more "relaxed", yet sometimes marginally "shabby" look. Mind you, it's not bad, I found myself to adjust to it rather quickly, and it never really bothered me all that much.

Overall, the animation was top-notch.

SOUND: 10 (Outstanding)

There isn't much to say here. The music is excellent, with a diverse number of tracks to be able to fit just about every scene when needed. Sad scenes, adrenaline-pumping action scenes, and even "WTF?" scenes have their own music suited properly to the moment. And the opening kicks ass.

CHARACTER: 9 (Great)

NOTE: I'm not going to cover other main characters like Kirara, Komachi, etc. I'm going to focus mainly on the samurai, because while these characters are indeed important, it's the samurai who develop the most, and are what really make this series what it is. Rest assured though, the above characters don't really suffer from any major flaws, as they develop well in their own ways.

I would have given this section 10/10, if not for the fact that there was one samurai, Gorobe, that I didn't find all that interesting. So it's because of him that I gave it a 9/10. It's not because he was bad or anything, but I thought he was too underdeveloped before he met his demise. Kyuzo, Katsushiro, Heihachi, and Kikuchiyo stole the spotlight of this series for me. Kikuchiyo especially. I didn't find Shichiroji or Kanbe all that interesting, but I have no real complaints with them, they do have their place.

Kyuzo - The "lone-wolf" of the group. He has vowed to be the one to kill Kanbe someday due to a sort of rivalry, but until that time, assists them in saving the village. He fights with honour to accomplish his mission, but is rather quiet and tends to keep to himself. You could almost say because of this he doesn't develop much, but if you think about it after following him through the story, he really does. He is extremely skilled, wielding two katana at once, and can take down a large gathering of enemies single-handedly.

Kikuchiyo - The comic-relief, over-the-top, hot-headed "let's kick some ass!" samurai, and my personal favourite character. He used to be a farmer, but had his soul infused into a mechanical body so that he could be not a farmer, yet not a samurai, but a composite of the two. Since his body is not flesh and blood, he can withstand a barrage of bullets, summon great strength, and piece himself back together if a limb is severed (with some help at times). He wields a katana with similarities to a saw, and is able to use it as such, but also as a regular sword. He is definitely one of the most interesting characters for his comedic relief, but also is frequently the character to bring the others back to being level-headed in a tight situation. At first introduction, he comes off more hot-headed than anything, but we soon learn he does have some wisdom kicking around in that metal head of his. He is the last of the others to be acknowledged by Kanbe as a true samurai, but in my opinion, he proves himself so on more than one occasion before that time comes.

Katsushiro - The novice samurai in training. He soon becomes Kanbe's apprentice, and learns to value of life and death through his first real battles. There are hints of him having a mutual affection for Kirara, but at times it's not all that well developed. This, however, does get developed closer to the end of the story. There's nothing truly spectacular about his character alone, but along with Kikuchiyo, he is considered to be one of the "tag-along" samurai, who usually ends up getting saved by Kanbe or one of the others due to his lack of experience. He does eventually become able to hold his own in battle, and his skills greatly improve over time.

Heihachi - He remains to be somewhat of a mysterious character, right up until the end. He excels in building and repairing machinery, and possesses great skill with the sword. For the most part, he uses his sword skills to cut wood or other materials for use in building some sort of gadget, but when he needs to cut someone down, he is able to perform well. It's revealed that he wants to help Kanbe's group so that he can atone for his past, in which he betrayed his comrades and sold them out to the enemy by leaking information. Until the end, he proves to be a resourceful and vital part of the group.

Gorobe - After the war, he puts his skills to use as a street performer, making bets as to whether or not he can survive various perils. His skill primarily consists of dodging kunai, bullets, or other obstacles. He comes across almost as a magician of sorts, without any sort of magic power, but more like a trickster. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to develop very much, and dies about half-way through the show. Fine with me though, as I didn't find him all that interesting. For the time he is there though, he does play a significant role in the party, bailing them out of tight spots here and there with his tricks.

Shichiroji - During the war, he fought alongside Kanbe. He is a most experienced samurai who wields a spear as his primary weapon. His fighting skills become more apparent towards the end of the show, as near the beginning and middle he spends most of his time building strategies with Kanbe, or hooking them up with accomodations from acquaintances. He is a necessary character, acting as a foundation along with Kanbe for the rest of the party, as his wealth of experience makes up for the lack thereof of some of the other characters.

Kanbe - The leader of this rag-tag group of samurai. Shichiroji is his former comrade and best friend. His skill with the sword is unmatched, save for Kyuzo. He has a reputation for losing every battle he has ever fought, although I don't think that's meant to be taken literally, as he has obviously won and survived previous his previous battles, and the war. For him, losing means having comrades die, even if the objective is accomplished. He is portrayed as the wisest of the group, always thinking one set ahead, and training the others as a sort of mentor for each coming battle. He is the last person to acknowledge Kikuchiyo as a true samurai, but eventually does so when Kikuchiyo shows his true wisdom after returning to the village and persuading the elders to let them fight the bandits.

So overall, the characters were extremely well developed for the scope of this series. I think they were all pretty deep, except for Gorobe, but some might disagree with that. When you're given this much to write about just 7 of the main characters (and I could have done much, much more), you can tell that they were really well thought out.

ENJOYMENT: 10 (Outstanding)

I rate a show 10/10 for enjoyment when I finish an episode and have nothing compelling me to stop: I don't feel bored in the least, and I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for more. This show kept me wanting more, right from episode one, which some shows don't achieve until a few more episodes in.

OVERALL: 10 (Outstanding)

This show was truly great, and as the Blu-Ray boxset case states, "a must have for every anime collection". I agree.

Some people have said in other reviews that they didn't think the ending was all that good. I beg to differ, as I thought it was perfect. Without spoiling it, I'll say that certain likeable characters die, and I believe that is the reason others don't feel as good about it as I do. I was extremely sad when one character in particular died (if you read my review you know who I mean), but I was proud of the way he went out. In my opinion, his was one of the most kick-ass deaths in all of anime. Yes, probably even more epic than Kittan from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (which was in itself pretty epic).

So to end this off, if you haven't seen this series, go out and buy it. Don't even bother renting it, because I know that once you finish it, you'll just wish you owned it in the first place.

"A must have for any anime collection."

.:Story:.
A simple yet touching story which incorporates social classes, samurais, mechs, devious/sly villain(s), and the idea that "dying itself does not make one a hero, but rather the legacy one leave behind."

The story may start a little slow in the beginning but just hold out until around episode 11 since that's when the anime's action side really starts to pick-up, and it only gets better from there as you grow closer to each character.

.:Art:.
The utterly wonderful, I loved the mechanical samurai, Nobuseri, designs. What made it more interesting was the idea of keeping the basic traditional Japanese look while at the same time adding in ... mechanical components to give it that futuristic sci-fi feel.

Also the animation for the fight scenes were great since it seems the animators didn't try to make the samurai move so fast that they have a near vanishing appearance, you could see close to every aspect of the sword-play and I very much enjoyed it.

.:Sound:.
The music in an anime is supposed to help the audience feel more connected to the anime, but finding the perfect music to fit the perfect scenes can be difficult and I've seen plenty of animes that just tried to just drop a song into an episode and hoped it would work. Not Samurai 7, the music used throughout Samurai 7 was perfect and always gave you a distinct feeling which would often prepare you for what is to come.

.:Characters:.
In this series you will grow attached to many of the characters and each have their own unique backgrounds and distinct personalities. The anime did an excellent job "fleshing" out its characters, which makes them seem that more realistic and relate-able.

.:Enjoyment:.
With a set of well developed characters, wonderful animation, and spectacular sound I am pretty sure it is clear that I very much enjoyed this anime.

Samurai 7 was a fairly entertaining action series that mixed around the traditional elements of samurai films and sci-fi anime in this re-imagined take on Akira Kurosawa’s classic film. The storyline first focuses on village priestess Kirara, her younger sister and another villager traveling around to seek out samurai to aid in protecting their village against giant mechanical bandits. The second half features the samurai aiding the village against the bandits and later, the merchants who had ties to the bandits. Essentially, sections of the series are adapted from the original movie while adding on its own material such as the later dealings that the ... samurai have with the merchants. The plot did well enough at keeping me hooked on Samurai 7’s developments as it kept me wondering how things would turn out for the villagers of Kanna Village and the Seven Samurai as the show isn’t afraid to put its characters into dire situations and piling up a body count among the both friendly and enemy forces throughout the series.

The series is mostly plot-driven with character details only conveyed or hinted to when necessary to advance the show’s plot or providing enough to give a purpose for specific characters. In terms of personality, the characters of Samurai 7 are a colorful and diverse bunch between both the samurai and antagonists they confront. Some of them in particular display surprising traits that will have you surprised at just how cunning their characters are, in particular Ukyo who isn’t as carefree and easygoing as you would think from his earlier appearances in the show’s first half. Character personalities and whatever brief details are mentioned on said characters are the major thing that will make or break your care of them. If you are expecting fleshing out of these characters, then you could be disappointed with what you see throughout Samurai 7.

In terms of visual presentation, Samurai 7 does for the most part have above-average quality for a TV series. Scenery and character designs are well-detailed with subdued color shading, as well as sporting some impressive renderings of airships and mechanical samurai with CG-animation. Action scenes have their moments of fluid animation with the rendering of large fleets of mechanical samurai as they move about and the group of Seven Samurai dispatching their foes. The presentation isn’t always perfect as there are some scenes with animation errors with animating the details on character designs and some shortcuts with animation noticeable at points such as still shots used during intense action scenes.

While I wouldn’t exactly call the series a full-out masterpiece thanks to a lack of deep characterization and some issues with the visual presentation of the series, Samurai 7 still makes for a solid action series having its moments of slick action scenes, a plot that keeps you hooked on how things press on for the protagonists and characters you will be surprised with how they turn out compared to how they appear in early appearances. This is one of the better Gonzo titles I’ve had a chance of seeing, though it doesn’t hold a candle to the enjoyment and quality I got out of Gankutsuou and Bokurano.

An anime adaptation of Kurosawa's classic Samurai epic and this time around, most the samurai are giant robots, go figure. I knew this before even watching the show and I knew it was something I just had to get past though it still annoyed me a little, eh whatever.
As the first half of the show plays out, I'm really liking it. The villagers are in the city looking for their samurai and honestly, the city itself is a great character. It's a stark, somewhat stoic, contrast to 18th/19th century Japanese cities. Each initial meeting with each samurai is great and makes for good character development. ... The score on the story begins to decline for me after the escape from the city and get back to village. I'm not even sure where to pin point why I feel this way. The scenes with Kikichiyo hurt my head after awhile. It seemed to drag on after they save the village the first time. The ending was too bittersweet with Kirara's decision.

The animation is very refined. I really appreciated it. My only qualm here is that the 3d animation used to draw the samurai marauder robots is going to really start looking dated. A lot people are saying the fight scenes look realistic. Realistic is a bit far fetched. A swordsman leaping 50ft in the air to cut a giant robot in half isn't all too realistic. I definitely preferred the fights that were sword to sword.

The characters are excellent mostly because they are almost mirror images to their inspired counter parts. Hayashida is my favorite, being very reserved and humble. The rivalry between Shimada and kyuzo give us one of the best fight scenes in the series. Shimada plays the part of the venerable and wise old samurai well. Another character I liked a lot was Shichiroji. His past injury and his woman make for great character devices.

As for the sound, not much to say other than good. I don't remember well enough about the music, that also means it didn't really make an impact on me but I do know all the sound effects were right on par. I watched the show with dubs, which were done very well.

The enjoyment was good the first time around, especially in the first 10 eps or so but I don't think there's a high rewatch value here so I give the enjoyment score a 7/10

Overall 7/10 and I wish so much I could give it higher. Just imagine the show as is, only the bandits are human and not giant robots and there's more sword to sword action.

these nerds talking about oh, its not as good as the movie its based on, GET REAL.

this is a good anime by ANY means. i watched the original movie its based off of too and i PREFER the anime. come on, u guys are just stupid.

its got a good story, that is DIFFERENT FROM THE MOVIE. good fight scenes and cool characters. the fight scenes arent as amazing as id like them to be, but its still worth it cuz altogether is cool.

this anime gets wayyy too much hate.

all im saying is that this anime shouldnt ... be judged off the movie its based off of, judge it as its own anime and then tell me this isnt like a 8-9. u guys are just being close minded.

u guys prolly liek the one boy goes to an all girl school animes. get a life nerds. im totally not a nerd tho

Samurai 7 is a futuristic version of Kurosawa Akira's classic film Seven Samurai. For those who do not know the film the story is set at the end of a civil where frightened villagers are terrorised by Samurai who have become a band of bandits. In desperation a handful of villages go to the city to hire Samurai with the only thing they have to offer, rice.

There search is less than successful as they are often conned by poor Samurai who just want a free meal or dismissed wealthier Samurai. Eventually they manage to hire a less than inspiring group of 7 Samurai, Kambei the ... leader who has never won a battle, Kikuchiyo a wanna be samurai, Katsushiro a novice who hasn't experienced battle, Shichiroji Kambei's cowardly friend, Gorobei a samurai who has become a showman to survive, wood chopping Heihachi, and the mysterious Kyuzo. Not a group you would want to defend your village.

These are, except for Kikuchiyo and Katsushoro, men of violence struggling to come to adapt an age of peace. Why they accept the villages offer is mainly for redemption

Apart from the futuristic setting and the mecha bandits where Samurai 7 deviates from Kurosawa Akira's film is the introduction of Ukyo, the anime's best character. He is introduced as a spoilt brat but he soon becomes an opportunistic and ultimately ruthless character looking to benefit from controlling the bandits as a way to repress and control the villages.

However, the Samurai 7 keeps the spirit of the film and includes Kikuchiyo's key speech about who is to blame for the villages fear and distrust of the 7 Samurai when they have come to help them.

Ultimately though Samurai 7 is a what it could have been. It could have been great but the less than inspiring characters let it down. It was difficult to feel much for the characters. This meant what should have been emotional scenes leaving me cold.

Good anime but could have been great.

Opinion - The story was a bit hard to get into from the first episode, most good animes are, but after the first 10 mins I really started to enjoy it. Heart touching, action, chivalry, and sort of reverse harem I mean why not. and the action was good. It's like one of those books that are hard to put down afterwards.

art - it had very good art for the fight scenes, and definite features. It did seem to me that some characters where almost copied if you will, but hey what isnt now a days. dont worry you'll know what I mean after you ... watch it.

characters - favs are kyuzo and Heihachi. I like odd balls Kyuzo is the silent type who always wants to fight and Heihachi is the goofy mechanic who really REALLY likes rice.lol. well they have a good base for their characters nothing completely unique though

Adapting the core story and the protagonists of Shichinin no samurai in a fantastic world with a strong Moëbius feeling (and maybe a bit of Jodorowski) is a perillous feat.

Fortunately, it is well-accomplished here.

The world of Samurai 7 is both grandiose in its perspectives and simple in its ways, without showing off. Diluted into a rather slow contemplative atmosphere and sci-fi, the story becomes fascinating thanks to its characters, slightly imbued with shōnen stereotypes to hold its part even during fight sequences.
Overall, the execution is remarkable to the exception of the CGI, which were not bad for a 2004 show but it was 12 years ... ago. The soundtrack dwells into the old Kurosawa movie era, and the modifications in the original story bring the best.

There are few shows that work their decorum to the point where you have the feeling you could be there. It draws you in, as well as the characters; it reflects on them, and yet it remains intriguing. In a very different way, the Junkyard in Gunnm has that same feeling, or the world of Blame!. It looks delicately crafted and carefully thought upon, enough for you to want to go and discover more about it.

Samurai 7 allows you to become that kind of tourist.
Add a fantastic samurai story upon that and you've got something close to a masterpiece.

Even if it doesn't concern me personally, I'd like to point out that the rhythm and the (mostly) old-fashioned music may be a bit slow at times, if you're not absorbed by the show. And as magnificent (joke intended) as the art is, it differs from the usual and also brings western influences in the mix, which can be of less appeal to some viewers. Again: Moëbius seems obvious inspiration.

So, if you're okay with it, and if you enjoy being transported far away for 26 episodes of a good story with samurai: try this one.

I remember when I watched Samurai Seven, I was thrilled. I just couldn't get enough of the show, and I would keep watching. Some of the art was not to my liking, but that was not that important. Sometimes it will get boring, especially the part about economics and stuff like that, but this show really does show you true sacrifice, and I don't think I have ever cried for the ending like I did with this show. Clannad After Story had a sad ending, but this show just made me cry all night. But this truly is good show and ... a must watch.

Samurai7 is a wonderful anime all around. It has a great story, good art, and the characters are all interesting and different from each other. I would especially recommend this to people who have seen the Seven Samurai movie, an old samurai movie that inspired this anime, but it isn't necessary to fully enjoy it, either.

By far my favorite part of Samurai7 was the characters. The samurai covered a broad range of personalities from fiery and comical like Kikuchiyo to quiet and cold like Kyuzo. I admit that those two extremes seem overdone, but when they're with the other characters, it only adds to the ... story.

The story itself was also quite strong. It starts out on a fairly small scope, and then widens as the story continues. I like the use of mecha in the shogunate era. It gives the setting a clashing yet engaging feel.

My only complaints with the series is that there are a few parts (most notably in the Firefly Inn with Shichiroji) that become really bad visually, as if their budget was suddenly cut and they had to have a kid come in and draw those parts. It was glaringly obvious and impossible to ignore. However, those parts usually only lasted for a few minutes. The other complaint that I had was how unnecessary and annoying some of the deaths were. They only added drama, which could have been added through legitimate means and not unnecessary, annoying deaths of otherwise strong and skilled characters.

Regardless of my complaints, this is an anime that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone.

First, let me influence you on the movie directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1957. The plot is described as that it follows the story of a village of farmers that hire seven master less samurai (ronin) to combat bandits who will return after the harvest to steal their crops. The movie itself is being heralded as “one of the most influential films ever made” by many critics and audiences worldwide, especially since there was a western that was inspired by it called “The Magnificent Seven”, which many people have said that I need to see.

My opinion on the movie that it was a fascinating ... title that I think anybody who is into film should check out, although I only saw it once mostly to know what I’m getting into and what I gotten to, it’s something that I would highly recommended although the pace felt slow to me, but for me being new to the movie and if I see it again, it wouldn’t feel as long.



Now the anime still has some of the elements in the original film but it also has the elements of steampunk and/or the mecha genre added in there to give it more of a futuristic look. There is also a change that a Mikumari (or water maiden) named Kirara & her little sister Komachi (who isn’t in the original movie) led the search to find those samurai, as in the farmers in the show were too much of being pussies, especially one character who I will mention later, they send a water maiden and a little girl into the city to find samurai.

The samurai in name are Kanbei, the first samurai recruited by the villagers and the leader, described as a wise samurai who has survived many battles, though he feels no joy from them; Katsushirō Okamoto, a young and inexperienced samurai who wishes to be Kanbei's student, calling him sensei almost from their first meeting. Gorōbei Katayama, a skilled samurai who has made his living since the wars' end by entertaining people on the city streets and also knows Kanbei by reputation. Shichirōji, Kambei's former lieutenant, which he joins him again. Heihachi Hayashida, genial samurai who wishes to avoid fighting as much as possible and prefers to eat rice instead and man, that guy really likes rice so much. Kikuchiyo is a would-be samurai (right down to the false noble birth certificate) who eventually proves his worth but in the series, he is a cyborg with a mechanized exoskeleton and then there’s Kyuzo, a silent and mysterious swordsman who declined the offer once but later joins them.



The initial cast of samurai isn’t exactly developed but they don’t stray away from the movie, with the exception of Kikuchiyo being a cyborg, and they basically play their roles perfectly.

Some characters in the original film that doesn’t have a larger role there is actually some integrated more into the plot like Rikichi, who also led the search for samurai in the anime and shares the painful secret about his wife. His wife (who is named Sanae) does actually appear there more than in the movie. However, the character of Shino is greatly mishandled as she was the pivotal female role in the movie, but Kirara took that role right out of her hands, especially being Katsushirō’s love interest since Shino was the one in the movie.



The antagonists are more well-known in the anime than the movie but really, they are never that memorable, pretty easy to forget, and also not worth talking about.

Oh yeah, Shino’s father, Manzo, is the biggest cowardly weenie out of all the farmers out there, considering the fact he tried to sell out the samurai to the same people that wants to harvest their food and/or take their women and children. I get he wants to protect his daughter but he is doing a piss-poor job on it.



Now into the animation, which was made by studio GONZO…………oi. Okay, remember when JesuOtaku said about GONZO’s animation that when it’s good, it’s good and when it’s bad, it is HORRID?

Yeah, she knows what she was talking about.

A few times the clashing between 2D and 3D effects can be jarring a bit but not a complete turn-off. Some of the fighting animation is actually well-done and made but when they run out of their ¥32,500,000 ($300,000USD) budget, the laziness ensues and man, does it look awful, mostly trying to imitate the surrealism take on Studio 4°C and most of Madhouse shows. They are not those companies and they really should have tried harder on the animation. The background music for the first few episodes is very movie-inspired with the usage of Japanese musical instruments although I had a very Inuyasha vibe to the score, but then again, the same guy Kaoru Wada, also compose the score to that show as well. The opening and ending theme songs aren’t really much to talk about, they’re just either forgettable and/or not much to care about.



FINAL VERDICT: For fans of the movie, you might find this unfulfilling but I don’t think you’ll straight hate this but more likely to think that it was a completely different beast than the original work. As for fans of general anime, it’s nothing special to herald at but you won’t get bored with most episodes as they do pack a lot of action in them and never feels slow and since this show is now airing on Toonami and if you hadn’t already seen it, I would suggest giving it a chance before you switch off.

Samurai 7: 7 Points For 7 Samurai

Perhaps if it had 10 samurai instead of 7, I would've given it a 10 instead. All joking aside, the best thing I can say about Samurai 7 is it's a solid series. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but it is indeed a pretty good series.

My favorite aspect was the music, composed by Kaoru Wada. He's certainly no stranger to the industry, also doing the music for series like InuYasha, Casshern Sins, and Princess Tutu to name a few. My one complaint is that it might've sounded too similar to the music he did for InuYasha, but at ... the same time it still fit. I do think perhaps he should've tried mixing up the genres a bit since this anime did combine steam punk elements to a fictional feudal era Japan. However, I cannot complain too much. I found the music to be synonymous with the theme of the series regardless. The OP and ED for the series were pretty damn good, Unlimited by Aikawa Nanase is a personal favorite of mine that got me pumped up for the upcoming episodes as well as Fuhen by Rin to be a captivating ending that made me eager to watch for more.

The characters for this series were fantastic and fun. There's a mixed bag of characters to like and dislike. I know I found myself enjoying every moment Gorobei, Heihachi, and Kikuchiyo were on-screen. Although, it had it's ups-and-downs. Some of the chemistry between characters were great, such as Kiku and Komachi while some felt painstakingly forced like the love triangle between Kambei, Kirara, and Katsushiro. A few things I will complain about and this is more from a personal standpoint, I didn't find many of the character deaths to have much impact. Honestly, there was only one character death I found to have a whole lot of impact on me and really, all of them should've had at least some. I do blame it a little bit on lack in character development behind those characters, as well as some of the blame on the execution of the scenes. Perhaps that was just my own personal feelings on the matter, but I will admit I am used to watching tragedy and I just didn't find much tragedy in the deaths. It's just a personal nitpick and I'm not sure if that's really the case or if I didn't watch the series with the right mindset. I also didn't like the resolution between Kambei, Kirara, and Katsushiro. Going back to chemistry, this whole thing felt forced in the first place and then it's whole conclusion was relatively weak. I actually had to watch that final scene between the three of them twice because it felt like I was missing something, but alas, I wasn't. THAT was just how it ended.

The story is a bit of a mixed bag. For a samurai anime, the story was pretty typical with some rice farmers trying to hire samurai to ward off the bandits stealing their rice. Then again, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai story has been reused and recycled on many occasions, so I'm sure there are only so many times you can hear the same story before you tend to get sick of it. The one element this anime changed was it added a steam-punk elements with the bandits and other samurai turning their bodies into machines. It did make for a somewhat refreshing re-telling of Seven Samurai, although I felt it might've been overdoing it slightly with the scale of steam punk elements in relation to feudal era Japan. Personally speaking, I wish it would've backed down on the use of technology, but with what they had made for some slight awkwardness to the fighting scenes and how society is affected in general. I mainly groaned at scenes where laser cannons were being used. That felt a little too over-the-top if you ask me. Although, with that being said, it was still interesting to see how strategy played a bigger role into the fight scenes than just samurai skills themselves.

Overall, I wouldn't discourage anyone from watching this series. It's mood and atmosphere is great for a samurai anime, even if it's throwing steam punk in our face like a pie at a clown. I do have my own personal nitpicks with what this series and what it could've done to be better but it still didn't stop me from enjoying it. It's far from the best samurai series I have ever watched, but it's still a refreshing re-telling of Seven Samurai and it's worth a watch, even if this story has been recycled a million times over.

I loved this show. It was so different from a lot of animes that are out there and I was really suprised. Overall, Samurai Seven had a great plot and ending, and it was very suspensefull.

Samurai seven is about a young water-priestess named Kirara from the farming village of Kanna. Tired of having their rice robbed by the Nobuseri (A group of ex-samurai who became bandits), the Kanna villagers send out Kirara, her younger sister Komachi, and farmer Rikichi to the trade city, Kogakyo. With nothing but rice for payment, the 3 need to hire 7 samurai to defend their village against the Nobuseri, ... and return peace to the farming village of Kanna.

There were only 26 episodes, but I wish it could have been longer because it was so good. The art was amazing. Whether it be from compact city steampunk, to vast landscapes of desert and forest, I thought the illustrators did an amazing job. There were a few episodes that were different though, and I wished they had kept it consistant instead of changing it for those few episodes.

I really liked the characters, because they had a personality that suited them so well, and the voice actors were really great (even though Funimation likes to "recycle" their actors). Another thing I liked about Samurai Seven's characters is that they were (Semi) realistic. They don't have any "special powers" and they weren't invincible, they were just really really really good at being samurai.

Samurai Seven deffinitely deserves an 8 (At least!). I would deffinitely reccomend Samurai Seven to ANYONE who is intrested in watching a short, but great, anime.

From the great mind of Akira Kurosawa comes an adaptation (sort of) of his critically acclaimed movie "Seven Samurai". In this series a village girl and her friends go out of their homes to recruit some people to help protect their village from bandits. Sounds exactly like "Seven Samurai" doesn't it except with a TWIST, the bandits are a bunch of giant mechs terrorizing other villages as well as the girls and her friends. It's a story of adventure and the journey to find heroes that probably do not exist anymore. The character development becomes a major factor in this story and will give you ... a good idea on how the story will play out. All in all, this anime will show you the adventure of a lifetime and hand you a bag of emotions toward the end. Also, I recommend the dub for it is really well done.

Samurai 7 is a powerful, insightful retelling of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, adding in a variety of new and creative elements while remaining true to the essential spirit of the original work. Couched in utterly unique worldbuilding and character design are the original film's core themes of honor, identity, and the nature of war. This alone is a feat in and of itself, but on top of that it manages to be both cerebral and expressly entertaining in a way unique to the era of early 2000s anime. Samurai 7 represents an intersection of thematic weight and viewer engagement in a manner which is exemplary of ... a medium forging a new path at the dawn of the 21st century. Beginning with the story, it is easily the strongest part of this anime, and the foundation upon which the rest of the show relies. As was stated earlier, Samurai 7 manages to blend distinct, creative elements like a fantastic setting and even original storylines with the spirit of the work which inspires it, which expresses itself again and again. Even when our heroes are fighting legions of giant robots, or besieging a flying castle, or fending off mechanical assailants, the essence of their struggle remains poignant and serious. What it means to be a samurai, or even a good person, what it means to take a man's life, what is the purpose of struggle, and the tug-of-war between living a happy life and a life of meaning. The story arcs beautifully from beginning to end, with a small-scale urge to defy the bandits, developing as the main cast grows in size and in their bonds to one another, ending up bigger than any of them could have imagined. Their paths are all different, as loose threads blowing in the wind, a desire to protect their people, or a desire to redeem themselves, or a desire to figure out who they are, all of their desires and missions in life coming together to form a rope which pulls the course of history in a different direction. Not for a moment did I feel the story was moving too fast or too slow, the pacing was perfect, and by the end I was so invested that their high-risk missions, which once felt matter-of-fact and routine, instead felt like there was a true risk of death every time. Not only was a brave samurai putting themselves at risk, but a three-dimensional person who developed and grew over the course of the story to find a place where they really belong, or at least something close to it. As a particular character says near the end of this tale "It is these men... that showed us what it really is to be samurai, are they not?". Even the villains, who began as uncompelling and plainly evil, were explored in full by the end of the story, revealing their inner motivations and the events which have compelled them to become the people they are. This is all not even to mention the complex and detailed strategy explored throughout. Be it the battle plans drafted to resist the bandits, or the gently unfolding Machiavellian plots on behalf of decadent, power-hungry elites, who have a delicate system of loyalties and economic agreements to navigate. The art, meanwhile, proves to be Samurai 7's weakest link, and keeps it from achieving its full potential. However, most of the time, the art is actually pretty compelling, with a distinctly early-2000s art style which is warm and emotive, complete with richly detailed backgrounds and a color palette which brings these various elements together, grabs the viewer, and doesn't let go. My major issue here is with the CG. The CG is truly awful, which is to be expected of anime, especially those from 2004, but even considering this it shows up far too often for me to simply ignore. In fact, I tried to start this anime a while ago and dropped it because of how ugly the full-CG battle scene is at the very start of episode 1. This ugliness rears its head again and again, namely whenever the bandits show up. It makes fight scenes involving them feel cheap and unrewarding. A true shame, for a show which is otherwise so good, especially in regards to its striking character design and kinetic fight choreography. Next, the sound proves itself to be an excellent accompaniment to this anime, with its full-bodied, emotional voice acting, realistic sounds of life, and a soundtrack which is poignantly reminiscent of the original film, yet still strikingly original. The characters are also another strong part of this anime, managing to make each and every one of the rather large cast feel like they got their time in the sun, with their fair share of development and internal conflict. Still, even so, it sometimes feels as though they are reduced to those struggles, but this is a fleeting state which the story always manages to solve. It is a testament to these characters that each of their various sacrifices, both tangible and intangible, still feel heavy and significant. It is difficult to choose favorites from among them, but Kikuchiyo and Rikichi are my personal favorites. Both of them have a lot in common, but took vastly different paths in life, and while neither of them are samurai in the sense of wielding the almost wizard-like powers which many of their comerades exhibit throughout the show, they do exhibit that determination and tenacity of spirit which makes their particular character arcs especially poignant. Overall, this anime had so much to overcome, like the fact it is a reimagined adaptation of a beloved masterpiece, or the fact it makes use of garbage CG, and yet it manages to overcome all the same, just like the samurai in the tale it tells. Samurai 7 is a diamond in the rough that I can easily recommend for those who want a longer experience that is still contained in a single season.

Gonzo has done a fantastic job with the characters, who are largely similar to those in the original movie but given more time to shine in this epic. Seven Samurai, with its over 200 minutes plus Intermission, didn't allow for much character development, but Samurai 7, with its over twelve hours of runtime, offers a much more satisfying and natural character arc for Katsushiro, the youngest samurai. His romance with Kirara is better developed in the anime, and all of Kurosawa's samurai are given their own unique identities rather than just being carbon copies of their movie counterparts. The anime's final arc is particularly impressive, ... taking the story in new and exciting directions.

It's important to note that Samurai 7 features an additional storyline that was not present in Seven Samurai. This storyline explores how merchants have come to hold power as the ruling class and depicts the struggle of both peasants and samurai against an evil emperor. Many may dismiss this "fight the system" theme as cheap and not in the spirit of Kurosawa's original work, but frankly, they don't truly understand Kurosawa's vision. In fact, the original Seven Samurai faced criticism in Japan for its emphasis on valuing individual needs over those of the community, which is a significant and deeply-held Japanese virtue. Kurosawa's films increasingly adopted Western ideas, and he used his movies for four decades to argue that individuals should not be mere instruments of the group. Samurai 7 embodies this idea through its depiction of a bloody rebellion. For me, the anime truly came into its own once it diverged from Seven Samurai's plotlines and told its own story.

The pacing is excellent in this show, and each episode is carefully crafted to build up to the climax. The action scenes are enjoyable, especially when you see the samurai taking down giant robots many times their size and deflecting lasers with their katanas. However, the washed-out animation and ugly slow-mo cuts hinder the action, making it difficult to follow sometimes. Despite being a high-budget release, the animation doesn't do justice to the show, especially towards the end. It's a pity since this show had the potential to be even better.

Overall, Samurai 7 is a great show that manages to balance the honor of its source material while entertaining its audience. Even those who aren't familiar with Seven Samurai will enjoy this show.

(Sorry if my English it´s bad, I haven’t wrote something in a while :´c Also this is larger than I expected, so if you read everything i´ll be surprise)
I´m in love with animes resembling some type of samurai theme who fight mechas (and it doesn’t have to have sense at all) and a somewhat steampunk look as well, so I was very invested in this anime that had not 1, but 7 samurais to enjoy. At least that’s what I thought that it will be, but I was utterly disappointed to see just a bit of that, it has good points, but, to me, ... every time I remember this anime I think about potential that was wasted.
LONG STORY SHORT, if you like nonsensical physic laws about some samurais with no type of real depth about their character´s (and an annoying kid screaming) fighting a weird looking giant CGI mecha with a surprisingly good overall story behind (if you can ignore the animation), it´s a nice watch for the day.

If you want a full review, continue, but before I’d like to clarify I WAS IN LOVE WITH THE CONCEPT, the trailers seems fine, with a lot of different characters and fight with nonsensical physic laws that I love and can be so engaging if they are well made. I wish I like it, a lot, but I didn’t, and it’s a shamed. It also had a lot of characters possibilities and development that I adore to death, but it didn’t. When it ended, I was so empty and in rage about a lot of things, so that´s why i´m writing this (like a nice letter to my past self).

STORY= 8
The story it´s interesting and, for our heroes journey, very good; it doesn’t has an intrinsic plot about politics, money an honor and how they play in the world, it´s quite simplistic but I think that it´s a good thing because it goes fast, I just can think of 1 or 2 chapter that didn’t move the story a lot and are (supposedly) about character exploration, I guess (I have a lot to say about this). To be honest the first chapters look slower in comparison to the rest of the overall season. I will complain a lot about characters, animation, comedy, and other things, but the story it´s good, it has a plot that it´s interesting. There´s a bit of complexity about the political/economical game that’s goes behind our protagonist adventure, and it´s well flesh out.
My biggest complain about this is that I didn’t have a lot of context about this apparently big war thar happened in the near past and change a lot of the world status quo, it could´ve been explore with a lot of main characters with some type of flashback. As well, it would´ve been nice some explanation about how magic and technology. Most light fantasy/science fiction setting are not required to be explain, but that works when it´s a character driven story and you could say it was but there are not supposedly a main character and, in my view, the ones who have more screen time are flat and annoying at its best.

ART = 6
Short story long: Good designs, bad animation.
Art direction and character design it´s great, most times you could tell more or less what the character was suppose to be like and their past it´s well integrated to it (except the villagers, to my opinion, it´s probably more an anime logic thing, than an actual choice itself, but still, why they have to use the same cloth that looks so impractical to work). I also love looking at the different samurais in the background that have some interesting designs, so it adds a bit to the ambiance. Except the big bad guy, he didn’t look threating at all (maybe it was the point, but it wasn’t well executed)
The important settings are nice, but there isn’t some moment when I had to pause the screen to stare at it because it looked gorgeous. Most of them are typical/cliché and doesn’t add that much new ones to the genre, the first city looks far more interesting and complex than the village where a lot of the action happens, but I can’t say that there is something bad either. It´s just fine.
But it has a six because the animation it´s bad, don´t pause the screen in an action screen, just don’t. I believe that it´s a case of needing a bit more of frames so it doesn’t look so stiff, probably it was a cheaper way of delivering the final product. There isn’t some complex camera work either, it just digestible, the only scenes I can recall that have a lot of movement are most of CGI big mechas.
But I have to address the elephant in the room, fight/action scenes: They are bad. If it wasn’t for a distinct design of each samurai, I wouldn´t be able to distinguish between sword fight styles, obviously with the glaring exception of Kyuzo (who has 2 swords) and Shichiroji (who doesn’t even use a sword, but a spear that I love), and I’m not referring about the type of sword. When it´s a show about fighting and you have 7 distinct characters who fight with the same weapon (except 2), their style should reflect who they are (in a physical and psychological way), you have to take care also of the weight of each other and their momentum. The enemies are a variety of big CGI mecha and bigger CGI mecha, so you don’t have the to think that much how to approach to them to kill them but everyone does the same move (with maybe some variation) and the exact same thing happens to each giant robot, so a good way of explaining character it´s waisted and not well executed (I mean, you could show a flashback while someone its fighting at some point in the anime so I could now more about him and not just told little information about some tragic backstory that doesn’t even affects their purpose of the story).
The animation it´s cheap, to say it in some way. Not a spoiler indeed, but in big fights where tension is the default feeling you should feel, you can see repeated action seen come and go fast enough so you don’t notice it happened the same 5 minutes ago. I noticed it and I never notice something, so I start laughing and a very emotional and important moment (expect this, but not really). It´s probably worst because of the characters designs, that are a bit complex, so they didn’t/couldn´t draw the animation to a full potential. Also, there is a lot of stiff images of some character just going bigger or tinier when they jump, that it not that annoying, just… disappointing. You have some times with flowy animation, that shows you that it could be better, but they are so few.
You can´t blame the year when it came (2004), it was the same that Samurai Champloo and it has characters with clear sword fight styles and a good, engaging and rhythmic animation in each fight scene. I wouldn’t blame the animators either, but the studio and the head master who said, “yeah… this is bearable, send it”

SOUND = 7
I like the opening, nothing that I would say amazing but I would have it to listen to it sometimes. The sound effects have nothing special either, they are what they are. Some sound effects of the swords are weird, but it´s just if you are picky. I have no idea of voice acting, so nothing to say here either.

CHARACTERS = 3
I have so much feelings about this, I believe that even if the plot was the cliché of the clichés and the world the most average of it´s genre, it can become a good story if the characters are great. I love characters and are, at the end, the thing that you are supposed to attach to, but boy.
Long story short: The main three who received some type of relevant screen time are Kirara, Shimada and Katsuhiro, so two teenagers that have flat and dislikable personalities (just for the drama I may add) and an adult that it´s interesting not much at its own but when he interacts with others. The other characters may have an interesting backstory, but we don’t know because they don’t tell us a thing about them and when they do, it´s a 3-line sentence that doesn’t affects the plot at all, it´s just a checklist. And it should have been showed, not told. Their personalities could have been summarized in a one line sentence and it would be the core element to the character.

Main three:
KIRARA: I didn´t dislike Kirara at first, I actually like her but she immediately was boxed in the magical user who it´s actually useless (because she is, sorry) she is just a plot tool that stayed until the end because we needed a young pretty woman that our characters could save and didn’t help at all (I think about a lot of ways she could have used her powers that are not explore at all). There are points in the story in which some two characters talk about her to add something to her, but it´s that, just 2 dialogues and we don’t see nothing of it reflected even in her desires. It´s like a piece of paper with (for me) a bad design that just screams young girl, “girl next door”, “shy”, “protect”, “your next waifu”.
KATSUHIRO: Sorry to anyone that likes this guy, but it´s annoying. He does some things, but it´s general dislikable in his personality and apparently goes through a hole character arc that I didn’t see and it makes him even more dislikable. At first I sincerely believed that we will see grow in the battle (quite literally), from an annoying kid to a selfless fighter and has some interesting things about his character that end in nothing and sometimes it seems that he twists the outcome of it so it looks more like an selfish and unthought decision; I would see him as comprehensible and interesting, because he is a teen, but they never brought that theory in the anime, so I guess it´s just that. It´s like a shonen protagonist that shouts a lot, but without the power of friendship and just the loud noise. The worst part is that he has a design that I really like, and it doesn’t shout protagonist so I was surprise to see he has a lot of screen/scream time.
SHIMADA: It´s the cool and wise uncle archetype, with the experience and leadership. Unlucky, since we now next to nothing about what he was like before the big unexplained war, he comes at quite boring unless he is interacting with someone else. His relationship with any of the samurais that are not Katsuhiro, it´s usually interesting and compelling since he can connect with them in a lot of ways, but for some reasons we have nothing to it and it´s a shame. We could also have something about him learning to trust again in his “family” or something cliché that make him a bit more human, and not just the machine of doing always the right thing (or let him be that, but make him share his wise advice and capacity of empathy with the others). Nice design, like the white symbolizing purity and I wish I had that sedal hair.

Comic relief characters:
KOMACHI: A kid that at first was annoying and at the end too, but It end up being more useful than Kirara. Boring design, it just little girl, “so cute”, “moe”, “loli material”, “etc”.
RIKICHI: He had a nice story behind that it doesn’t end in a fulfilling way (I would talk, but it´s spoiler and not that important). He also could bring the common villager perspective to the table, but yeah… he kinda does. More interesting than Kirara, but her design it nothing special (I sincerely believed he just will be in the first part of the anime).
KIKUCHIYO: I have no idea of his backstory, so I don´t quite understand a lot about him. I didn’t like him that much at first and I didn’t understand a lot of his deal at first (I think that it more a thing of the unexplored rules of technology and how it works, than the character tho). At first, he was annoying, but he slowly became likable and I was showed how he changed, I like him quite a lot at the end for what it was. He is de easiest to recognize because, just look at him, it´s easy to know why, nice design but I would like a little more of personality In it not just what he has (if I tell you it could be spoiler, technically he is one of the first to appear but just in case).
(Comedy it´s not the strongest point of the dialogue, since the characters are flat and the timing of the joke is horrible, I didn’t laugh at one intended joke, and it´s not difficult to make me laugh, a dad joke its enough)

Support main characters:
GOROBEI: I think it would have been nice to know something about him (sincerely, something, later scenes would have been better) since he is some type of help guy to Shimada at first and seems like a cunning type character who uses more tricks and stunts than the sword to beat enemies. I will admit, it has one of the worst designs and I believe it´s the more under appreciate; and it´s a shame, he is likable (to me at least, I could see why someone wouldn’t like him) and probably has a backstory, probably. I really think he should´ve had more screen time.
HEIHACHI: He is one of my favorites, but has two lines to explain the dark part of his personality (And in a moment it has nothing to do with the plot) that it´s just brought once that o can remember. He is not, essentially, a fighter, which I like because his fight style should have been more tactical and something to do with engineers. I don’t mind his lack of screen time, if his character was well explored at some point.
SCHIHIRO: Interesting to say something, but I can´t understand some big decisions that he has in some moments because his priorities are not explored. A big mis opportunity to explore the big war through flashback and add something to Shimada´s characters at the same type.
KYUZO: For me he was created with the rule of the cool behind, because he is there, it´s cool (that´s why he has two swords and doesn´t talk a lot), but nothing it´s justified or, at least, explained. So, it´s sad. I like his design. (note aside, I’m the only one who believed that he and Shimada had something in the middle, if not there are some lines that are super misleading).

Villains (just the important):
UKYO: I think he had a good justification and I like his type of villain (that I won’t talk about because I guess it´s spoiler, not that much but still). The thing that throw me back it was his design, I know that it was to make him look not threating, and they succeed so I couldn’t take him seriously. Even his dialogues are good (in comparison with a lot of really bad lines of the samurais).
AMANUSHI: Not that interesting, but at least it´s genuinely evil and cold.

ENJOYMENT: 7
I like what it was going for with the characters, I like nonsensical sword fights and mechas in a steampunk setting. And the plot was good (I will insist). It´s a shamed that the main three are not that likable, the likable characters are unexplored and the comic relief are not comical at all, and an ironically funnier bad animation. Though, the tory moves so fast that you don’t think about that too much.

OVERALL = 7
Watch it if you are not for the characters, but for the setting and designs and have a free weekend. I sincerely like it, but i was so disappointed that I needed to make this review to let it go. It just, I´ve seen a lot of potential with it design and setting to end up mad at some kid that shouts a lot and my favorite characters being totally unexplored.
I´m sorry if you like it, be mad at the comments if you´ve come so far.