Samurai Flamenco ran for 22 episodes. Over the course of the series, it evolved from a simple story about a superhero fighting “monsters of the week” to a complex sentai anime, where the main character forms a team to fight evil and overcomes various hardships in the process. The series' final evolution includes psychological elements that deeply affect the main characters. While this may sound like a strange combination of elements, the series incorporates them all almost seamlessly. While the individual elements of Samurai Flamenco aren’t entirely original, combining them together in this particular fashion is rather unique and helps create the series’ quirky nature.
Overview
Masayoshi Hazama is a superhero otaku who dreamed of being a superhero when he grew up. He was inspired by Samurai Flamenco, a character his grandfather created after Masayoshi's parents died. Masayoshi works as a male model, but decides to try to be a superhero on the side. Donning a red suit, he calls himself Samurai Flamenco. But his attempts to help people tend to annoy them instead.
One day, a policeman named Hidenori Goto finds Masayoshi in an alleyway and thinks he looks suspicious. The two men become friends, even though Hidenori keeps trying to convince Masayoshi to end his vigilante act. But Samurai Flamenco becomes an internet sensation after a video of him is posted online that shows the lengths he goes to in order to retrieve Hidenori’s stolen umbrella.
This notoriety grabs the attention of Akira Konno, the manager of the news website, High Rollers Hi. For fun, he decides to give a one million yen reward to anyone who can unmask the true identity of Samurai Flamenco. This ultimately leads to Masayoshi and Akira both appearing on The Wow Show!, where the topic of discussion is Samurai Flamenco.
During the show, an actor named Joji Kaname shows up dressed as Samurai Flamenco and claims to be him. Joji starred as Red Axe the Armored God, one of Masayoshi’s favorite superheroes when he was growing up. Joji learns that Masayoshi is actually Samurai Flamenco and that Masayoshi looks up to him. Joji claims he’ll mentor Masayoshi, but whenever Masayoshi asks for his help, he claims to be out of the country for one reason or another. Joji comes across as trying to cash in on Samurai Flamenco, but Masayoshi doesn’t pick up on it.
Then another new superhero comes out of the woodwork. Mari Maya, a magical girl otaku and the lead singer of the idol group MMM, decides to take on the identity of Flamenco Girl. She’s figured out Masayoshi’s secret, and blackmails him into letting her team up with him. Unfortunately, her excessive use of force causes issues for Masayoshi, and the two eventually stop working together as a team. Mari recruits the other two girls in her group to become the Flamenco Girls, and the three of them try to fight crime together. However, they don’t seem to be quite as successful at it as Masayoshi.
Once Samurai Flamenco acquires a good name with the citizens and police, a mysterious figure named King Torture makes his appearance. He dispatches monsters with names like Hanging Kite, Boiling Rhino, Delta Horse, Wheel Orochi, and Burning Piranha to battle with Samurai Flamenco, The Flamenco Girls, and Hidenori. Masayoshi develops a bit of an ego because he thinks this situation helps to make Samural Flamenco the “real deal,” and this nearly causes his friendship with Hidenori to fall apart. Fortunately, they are able to work together at a time when it really counts and rebuild their friendship.
After King Torture is defeated, Samurai Flamenco’s true identity is revealed to the press. Joji makes a surprise appearance and introduces Masayoshi to the Samurai Sentai Flamenger, a group of superheroes fighting another group called From Beyond. Masayoshi becomes Flamen Red, the leader of the group. He is joined by Flamen Blue, Flamen Green, Flamen Pink, and Flamen Black. They have to develop a sense of teamwork, which is a bit of a struggle at first. When they can successfully work together, the group is able to defeat From Beyond and restore peace.
But the story isn’t over yet. It’s revealed that From Beyond is a conspiracy of the Japanese government, and Masayoshi is forced to become a fugitive when he and the other Flamengers are accused of orchestrating the terrorist attacks by From Beyond and having ties to an organization claiming to be the enemy. The series climaxes with a story that focuses on psychological issues affecting both Masayoshi and Hidenori.
Who Should Watch Samurai Flamenco?
Samurai Flamenco should appeal to viewers who enjoy quirky anime that pokes fun at some tropes. Viewers who appreciate anime that changes its storytelling tone and style on a somewhat regular basis might also be interested in checking out this series.
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