My Samurai Movies and Anime review

[Nagi Naoe]

Anime

Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal

****

This started out as an OVA (Original Video Anime) which was about four episodes, but was soon turned into a movie. It thrived a lot better, you get to meet Kenshin, a young samurai who goes from being a seven year old being trained in the mountains by the eccentric Hiko to being a master assassin during a time called the Bakumatsu in the city of Kyoto.

Bakumatsu means puppet government, basically it was the forced government of the Tokugawa regeme that was ended in 1870s, to make way for a Emperor Meiji who wanted the change in Japan for the better.

Kenshin is the master assassin to a group called Choshu, he starts doing this at the age of fifteen and soon discovers that sometimes it isn't good to kill. He falls in love with a young woman, Tomoe who is in Kyoto for her own reasons. 

So far this is one of my favorite anime movies, I loved the TV show, but when you see how Kenshin began his life, it really gives you some prespective of who he was. Going from a cold and distant person, to a loving and caring person. I would recommend this anime to just about anyone, but be aware of one thing, there is a lot of blood and gore in it.

 

Carried by the Wind: Tsukage Ran

***

This series is 13 episodes long and came out in 1996, it is about a wandering Samurai female named Ran, who has a few misadventures with a new friend, Meow (yes, that's her name) who is a fighter from China. Ran is looking for the prefect sake, she's in love with the drink and considering that it gets her into no end of trouble. She ends up meeting along the way, historical figures from Japanese history and also just some of the funniest problems

This series was actually something my Anime club at my college was showing, they found out I was into Kenshin and decided to play a game with me. So I ended up getting to know some large bits of Japanese history and also some funny ideas to run with. I would say yes watch the series, its worth while and if you can find it. 

 

Movies

Seventh Samurai

****

When a village is in trouble with bandits, the villagers decide to band together and pay for some help, these coming from six samurai and a straggler who knows more than he appears. This seventh Samurai turns from being a goof ball, a friendly and also motivational support. 

Okay, I loved this movie, in truth the action and the story telling was something I had to get used to. I'm pretty much a lover of historical stuff and Samurai movies, this is a must to see.

 

Blind Samurai

***

A blind Samurai who is surprisingly smart, able to understand what is going on and isn't going to be bullied just because he's blind. He is trained and he comes to the aide of people who need it help. 

This isn't one of my favorites, but its a must see, the first time you see him standing he is having someone read to him a board of information a village trying to find some jobs. He's actually pleasant and wants to help a family who is in debt to someone who isn't so kind. Please just check it out.

 

Okay, the thing with these reviews, not all Samurai movies are the same in most respects, some people think it drags out a bit. Just try it sometime, these movies have a great story. 

 

47 Ronin

**

This is a documentation of the war between two clans during the Kamakura period, the leaders of the clan are tired of fighting. So they decide to meet and have a final fight, sadly, this ends with both men dying. One clan blames the other, so to stop Tokugawa from stepping in these two clans have to work it out on their own. 

There is no action, it is a drama, a complete drama, it is a record time of 3 hours and personally, I want that part back in my life please. It isn't the greatest of Samurai movies and it isn't exactly what you would consider Samurai based. 

 

Other note: If you are interested in seeing any of these movies, Netflix and Blockbuster are yoru best bet. I would not recommend ever downloading, because sometimes the subtitling doesn't always go through. Also realize that not all Samurai movies are listed.