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.
