Samurai 7

In the far distant future, on a planet that might have been called "earth", there was a war between samurai who mechanized their bodies. After the long war, people enjoyed a modest peace.

Facing starvation and abductions at the hands of fearsome mechanized bandits (Nobuseri), the farmers of Kanna Village make the dangerous choice to hire samurai for protection. The village's water priestess, Kirara, her younger sister, Komachi, and a heartbroken villager, Rikichi, set off to hire willing samurai with nothing to offer but rice from their meager harvests. Through dangerous encounters and a bit of luck, seven samurai of varying specialties and experience are gathered for an epic battle against the bandits and the merchants that influence them.

Samurai 7 is based loosely upon Kurosawa Akira's famous movie "Seven Samurai"/"Shichinin no Samurai"

Kyuzo Main

Miki, Shinichiro Japanese

Kikuchiyo Main

Kong, Kuwata Japanese

Hayashida, Heihachi Main

Inukai, Junji Japanese

Shimada, Kambei Main

Terasoma, Masaki Japanese

Okamoto, Katsushiro Main

Park, Romi Japanese

Kirara Main

Orikasa, Fumiko Japanese

Katayama, Gorobei Main

Inada, Tetsu Japanese

Komachi Main

Saitou, Chiwa Japanese

Shichiroji Main

Kusano, Tooru Japanese

Rikichi Main

Saizen, Tadahisa Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Watson, Barry Producer

Itou, Daisuke Producer

Kasama, Nobutaka Producer

Reviews

Sep 13, 2024

SgtSalamander

Recommended

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.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Aug 14, 2024

LHPN

Mixed Feelings

This series is an adaptation of a film known for its excellence. It attempts to readapt its story over a longer period with a new setting halfway between traditional Japan and science fiction. The potential to create a good series was there but unfortunately, the execution is not up to expectations. The result is an adaptation that has not aged very well despite some good ideas. I nevertheless had a pleasant time although punctuated by some somewhat boring episodes.

==Story==
6/10

The story follows the original movie's storyline most of the time, and fills it all with lots of sub-plots to fill the 26 episodes. If you've already ... seen the original movie, what you'll probably be interested in are the additions because most of the time, it's like the old movie but less subtle and longer. When it comes to the extra parts, sometimes we have good ideas, especially the additions related to the capital after the battle: the stakes are renewed, we have court intrigues and small plots that make you want to get back into the adventure. The world of merchants and the empire are probably the best additions. However, some filler plots are quite clumsy in their execution and often uninteresting. Overall, I'm not sure it's worth it compared to the original movie.

==Characters==
7/10

We have our famous seven samurai who gain in characterization for some but who generally respect the originals well. Kikuchiyo, Heihachi, Gorobei and Shichiroji are the most endearing with scenes and backstory that allow each one to express themselves and touch the audience. I particularly like the relationships that some can have with the villagers, it really highlights them.
Kambei and Katsushiro are on the other hand quite quickly annoying. The first is shown as a badass strategist and wise, but his way of behaving with Katsushiro makes him quite unpleasant. Katsushiro for his part has become unbearable and all attempts to give him an evolution often fall through. As for Kyuzo, he is perfectly anecdotal compared to the original film.
We also have a whole set of characters among the villagers, merchants or representatives of the empire whose interest can vary greatly. Kirara is one of the most important, she has a pretty good arc but unfortunately linked to the two least endearing samurai (although they are supposed to be the most important), and Ukyo is a good villain even if it borders on the ridiculous from time to time. The most positive contribution is perhaps Komachi and his relationship with Kikuchiyo which is comical and full of joy. On the other hand, the bandits are at the height of uninteresting.
One point that I regret is still the general treatment of the female characters who are almost all linked to love stories when they are adults, or little things to defend when they are younger. This is what prevents Kirara from being a really good character in my opinion.

==Art==
4/10

The artistic direction is really average for its time, which implies all the aesthetic problems of small productions from the early 2000s. The character designs are creative for some, but the sets are not very detailed and lack interest.
Moreover, the change of setting in a semi-scifi world does not offer much more. The mecha-bandits, on paper it's cool, in the execution we don't care at all. Even the capital that becomes a mothership is poorly exploited. And it does not help to make the battles understandable.
We also feel that the digital technology is not very well mastered at times. The 3D of the mechas really looks like a video game and does not integrate well. I noticed big compositing problems at the beginning of the series too but we don't have too many notable ones afterward (in fact there is not much compositing).

==Animation==
3/10 (but 10/10 on episode 7)

It's static most of the time. The characters move badly, float in the air, have no mass in the action scenes. And very frequent off-model issues (I'm talking about unjustified off-model). We also have all the 3D issues of the time, where 2D characters don't interact well with 3D mecha. It gives the feeling of a somewhat botched production.
But there are flashes of brilliance, Hisashi Mori's work for a few episodes is one of those little miracles that are appreciated. If you're interested in expressive, slightly surreal animations, episode 7 is highly recommended. We would have liked this level of quality throughout the series.

==Sound==
7/10

The music may not be very striking, but it is pleasant and serves the action well. I watched the series in Japanese, and the voices are generally good (except Rikichi's intonations which are annoying). And as for the openings and endings, the music is quite catchy but terribly average.

==Conclusion==
5/10

This is a terribly average anime for its time and it hasn't aged very well. The series isn't exceptional anywhere and the staging isn't very striking. I had to force myself a bit to finish it because by the middle, I was a bit bored. Fortunately, the series regains interest when it deviates from the original material after episode 17.
Speaking of which, the adaptation remains faithful most of the time but for someone who already knows the story, it doesn't bring much. The original is artistically much more accomplished, with its staging, its handling of black and white, its poetry. In comparison, this series is clumsy.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Oct 27, 2021

punished_roku

Not Recommended

(PREFACE) I will say, first and foremost:
I'm a person who gets bored Very easily of anything that isn't to his taste, and also of anything that from the get-go is known for being more than 3 hours long all in one go.
I've watched most big movies from when I was a kid (before 2010), for comparison and maybe it's a bad one, movies like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings around that time and even those at times bored me if it wasn't for some action packed scenes.

Although I always loved anime, again, as a kid, I only watched big shounen shows or ... niche products but always those with very tight animations and back to back bloodrushing sequences or edgy setting (aside from the big 3 at the time Darker than Black comes to mind immediately for me).

I'd say I was a pretty average user up till that point, an average kid with average tastes and attention span. With that said...

I've been in a very dark period of my life 2 years ago, and while searching and scuttling about looking for something to entertain me and to make me feel better I stumbled upon Seven Samurai.

Not the anime but the Original movie by Akira Kurosawa, the one from 1954.
Why a completely average young adult found solace in a 3 and a half hours long jidaigeki is because of two things, I'll be honest: the "despair" I felt at the time, and "pride" in having watched something that in all likeness all my peers wouldn't dream of watching.

BUT

Maybe because of the situation I was in, maybe because I was very "tense" and "susceptible" to certain themes, I hella loved it. I stayed till the end and watched every second of it almost without blinking. The movie conveys many things you'd find in a sengoku-era jidaigeki: honor, trust, camaraderie and most of all to make a Stand, a selfless sacrifice for something or someone that is helpless or beyond hope without Any reward in return. A beautiful and forgotten concept portrayed flawlessly in a 1954, post world war 2, black and white, japanese movie with smelly farmers.

Since then, I revamped my appetite for curiosity, and watched a multitude of movies and anime (altho I haven't wrote a review for all of them ofc), not randomly, but always picking up whatever could really light the fire in my soul so to speak, and eventually I gave Samurai 7 a try, going in knowingly that it could never possibly surpass the original Of Course. Even so... Even knowing that... My disappointment was abysmal. It's been a while since I saw it, and I remember most of it, but now that I made an account (for completely different reasons tho) and while thinking of reviews to write as a practice I thought to myself that I could be doing good by saving some souls.

---I WON'T GO IN-DEPTH NOR GIVE ANY SPOILER---

(END OF PREFACE)

Samurai 7 takes you into a steam-punk sengoku era Japan... I guess, don't care. The anime itself aside from the first episode makes you stop caring about that, because when you take the same exact premise of the Movie but add crazy technologies into it... It'll boggle your mind with a myriad of questions and that's already a bad start.

If a sensible somebody, an average anybody, who comes in with any knowledge of the original movie and looks at the first, heck maybe even the second episode they'd leave. Immediately, they'd leave. Those who stay... They do probably because of the same reasons I stayed to watch Seven Samurai, pride.

That or you're really just really, really, new to the genre.

For fans of the original, it is... I was gonna say insulting but that's not exactly it, I guess they tried to take the original and add more flavor to the characters failing tremendously. Now I don't say that the characters are badly done I liked some of them and for a "re-imagining" I guess it can be ok, but my main problem is that you're taking an original property and changing things around, TOO many things around. I hate when they do that, it feels like a netflix western adaptation animated by a japanese studio instead of something that they came up with, hell if you're into that they already did a great job with Magnificent Seven just six years after.

Besides, the whole point of that would be to draw in people interested based on the original and to keep them interested, but so many, so many things are OUT OF PLACE or feel too forced. If you ever felt that 3 and half hours would be too much for a movie (even tho they weren't and you'd be glued to the screen every second in the OG) 26-episodes is way too much.

Many times I really, truly, felt like I was listening to an unfunny joke that was lasting way too long for it to be funny anymore. I'd say the anime should've ended halfway through after they've dealt with what the original movie was about but NO.
They just HAD to drag you and to force on you plot that... Adds nothing but misery.

------ TL;DR ------

Story:
If you come from the Movie, don't bother, you'll suffer. If you're new to... anime in general, your time is much better spent with Demon Slayer or Bleach if you're into samurai and katanas, or anything else really.

Art:
Maybe this is the only one I'll concede, the steam-punk elements are really nice, and the locations and settings feel very fresh and makes for good ambience, almost Kill la Kill-esque or Trigger-esque really, don't know if they worked together and really don't care but if this concept was taken and upon it they wrote an original story it would've been a hit, or it least it would've had a good following I guarantee it, because the quality art is there, 'tho nothing mind-blowing if you're a veteran but still.

Sound:
I don't remember it. I guess it was decent. When you don't remember something it means it really didn't made any impression on you. Not good, not terrible, just bland enough to be forgotten. Surely you've started humming something out of the blue or in a particular situation, that's when something is very good or apt in a given a case, that's what makes the sound department memorable, but here it just isn't.

Characters:
Ok -> if you've never heard of the original or you're very, very new to anime in general.
Unnecessary, forced, tropy -> anyone else.
That's the gist of it, If I were to go in-depth I'd commit verbal murder, third degree.

Enjoyment:
Again, if you're into samurais and fights, you already know there is better, if you're here is most likely because you've seen or heard of the original, in which case, there is Only misery here, not just for you but even the characters. There is no happiness, nor enjoyment here, I'm not sure they even know where they were going with this because even for a lesser mind (such as mine) you'd find or feel something at the end of a show. But here, there is either. Mu - nothingness. And it's not solace since you weren't actually trying to escape from anything but came here to enjoy something. Either that, or your disappointment would be so great, so deep that you'll try to forget it asap, or like me try to warn everybody before they waste, literally WASTE more than 9 hours of their lives.
Most of all, if you're a hot-head firebrand like myself and will watch it for pride in having it watched for yourself my first advice is "don't" there are no victors here, second DON'T do it in one go like binge watching because the misery you'll feel will be even greater.

Overall:
Why studios and anyone really would take and original property and f... Mess with it, therefore making absolutely nobody happy besides maybe those who are none the wiser, which aren't at fault, yet, is beyond me. If you wanted to make an anime out of this I'd say take the original, make a short season of heck a dozen episodes, or an animated movie sure, whatever, but don't go around putting unnecessary stuff in, focus on the animations, the sound, the art but don't change everything for the sake of inclusion or putting your personal view into it, if you wanted to do that, that's fine but create your own.

Fans of the original, stay as far as you can from this.
Fans of anime, go watch the original, don't let me catch any of you going around thinking this was the original thing (even tho it's written at the beginning that it isn't)
Fans of samurai and katanas and duels, you already know. What you're looking for is not here, look at the guy with the green-checkered haori.

Samurai 7 is a waste of your time.
And time is the only thing that we humans are given by nature to spend freely.
Don't do this to yourself. Stop at the original as nothing will top that.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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