Forum - View topic(The) Elusive Samurai (TV).
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11440 Location: Frisco, TX |
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(The) Elusive Samurai (TV) Source: Manga (ongoing @ 16 volumes by Yusei Matsui) Demographic: Shounen Animation Studio: CloverWorks Genres: adventure, comedy, drama Themes: Ashikaga era, historical, revenge, samurai Plot Summary: In 1333, the child heir to the Kamakura shogunate, Hojo Tokiyuki, was abruptly orphaned and deprived of his heritage. Fleeing to another province, the young man begins to grapple with his new circumstances as he builds a following. But Tokiyuki's no fighter, so he's going to rely on what he does best to win his war: run away. Air Date & Platform: July 6, 2024 (Saturday) Available on: Crunchyroll Episode Count / Runtime: Pending Last edited by Tony K. on Wed Aug 07, 2024 2:59 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2635 |
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Given how cheerful the first half of the episode was I knew things were going to get less than festive but they sure did not shy away from the brutality of it all. To go from laughs and fooling around to a bloody rampage within a couple of minutes was something else. Anyway, the first episode of Elusive had me hooked to the screen until the very end, it is probably the first show this season that made me completely lose track of time. The way it looks/moves, the mix of silly versus serious and the quirky characters, I very much look forward to seeing how the adventure will play out.
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Yttrbio
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This one may end up being too loud for me. Certainly, the "20 shows on Saturday, 2 on Tuesday" pattern of anime-coming-out-ness is not helping the show.
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smurky turkey
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I really like nearly all aspects of the show: it has amazing animation, they get creative with the presentation, the story is compelling and very brutal plus the combat is hectic as can be. My issue is with the contrast between the serious and the gags. Going from rather brutal scenes to a weirdo with bright colors or a board game is a rather acquired taste, I am not sure that I am a fan of it.
Some of the gags make me question watching while moments such as the big fight at the end and seeing Houjou get some justice for his unfair end are very powerful. |
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FishLion
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I have heard the brutality/goofiness contrast stays. Looking at the first couple of episodes, it seems like a major theme is all of these warriors are exploiters with blood on their hands and Tokiyuki is just a kid. The second episode mentions spoiler[he is playing around the battlefield, and while "playing" he has so much fun that a grown man far larger than him is defeated.] So it seems this is not a careless juxtaposition but rather a purposeful theme, his innocence and lack of desire to lift himself up by harming others is exactly why he is able to evade capture. It seems to be saying his choice is to "play the game" or quietly lay down and die. Whether or not that communicates the message is another matter, but it does seem like the intent of the artist based on what I have seen so far.
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smurky turkey
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Yeah, it fits in regards to the theme and the character and his way of living, the problem is that it feels like a brutal tonal whiplash at times. Seeing a massacre having taken place and reading about the former fiance having been violated/killed to then switch over to silly gags shortly after is something else. I will keep watching even knowing the contrast stays a thing though.
On a side note, Tokiyuki may be playing but his childlike innocence is gone, though I suppose that was just a matter of time. |
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FishLion
Posts: 223 |
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It is definitely something, I can see why it gives tonal whiplash for sure
That is definitely true, I guess what I meant to say is his innocence and lack of ambition up until now is why he isn't slavering at the mouth to either go down in a blaze of glory or betray his family and get a piece of the pie. He isn't a soldier or a politician or a hero, he is just a kid who had everything taken from him and doesn't want to die pointlessly. He thought about playing his role and he is certainly damaged by what's happened, but at the end of the day he still has that child like joy and the desire to engage with it earnestly despite his circumstances, even if he didn't understand that until the priest pointed it out. Notably, Tokiyuki only spoiler[fights people who are after him. He did mention wanting to avenge his brother, but he was very aware that if did leave it alone the same person may betray him as well, which was proved by their behavior. That could change as he continues to wage his battles, but for now he is still only fighting where necessary for survival. ] I am interested in how that comes across as a strength and also how the show seems to be portraying him as relatively pure compared to the bloodthirsty soldiers (who are visually compared to demons) that came for his family and hurt people to lift themselves up. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2635 |
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He is indeed still mostly a child who is ungodly good at dodging and running away/hiding. Episode 3 showed him taking his first steps towards becoming a hero and leader. That is in large part due to Tokiyuki believing in the supposed god and by extention believing that he can be more than a puppet ruler and has a future filled with possibilities.
Otherwise the episode had a few surprises. The biggest surprise is the supernatural being a thing. That boar was clearly more than just a very large animal and there was also that wonderfully looking bit of water bending/magic. I also have to mention the goku plus spirit bomb gag that I actually liked, seems like I can appreciate the gags when they are not following up on brutal acts. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2962 |
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#1-3
This adaptation is highly rated in previews by its home market, and after watching it I can see why. Although it's a work of fiction based on history (the outcome unfortunately is set in stone), the process is what makes this so entertaining to watch. As mentioned already, the bipolar nature of this show isn't everyone's cup of tea. Yet those who adapt to it will definitely have their share of weekend comedy for the next three months. Although light-hearted, the scene is set in episode one as the Hojo regents have fallen far from their peak as the defenders of Japan against two Mongol invasions. Tokiyuki does not live the fate long prescribed for him (a comfortable marriage and political puppet) and must forge his own destiny against the former clan subordinate who now rules the country. The sack of Kamakura is brutally rendered in a style most unlike what is shown in the OP and ED (the latter in particular is truly left field in its choice of lyrics and visuals), further action scenes let the animators show off the franchise's unique brand of visuals (Tokiyuki is a prodigy at evasion honed from a childhood escaping his responsibilities). Because of the series' central conceit (Tokiyuki is completely focused on evasion and can't do much else), the supporting cast naturally plays an important role in propping up their mascot leader. The third episode sees them play central stage, with two fighters and one miko as the strategist/diviner. Since they're all under the age of adulthood, no one takes them seriously (see episode two) and their comparative lack of physical strength (Ayaka excepted) means adults who do try to kill them will be a difficult proposition if their ambush tactics fail. It means the tactic of using Tokiyuki as bait while his retainers devise a strategy to take down their prey is going to be a running gag for the rest of the series while they remain underage. The introduction of clearly inappropriate futuristic elements like the Sugoroku board game add to the tonal bipolarity (and much of the feed gags from the clearly exasperated Tokiyuki). It's becoming a series feature to turn the "enemy of the week" into the Sugoroku boss caricature whom Tokiyuki and company have to overcome to proceed on their life and death board game. The two enemies presented so far have been summarily dispatched, but the Ashikaga Shogunate has far more resources than that and the challenges faced by the underdog are only going to increase exponentially in difficulty as the adaptation proceeds onwards. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2962 |
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#4
The first serious challenge faced by Hojo Tokiyuki and company. The Ashikaga have the reins of power despite what the Court would like to believe, and Tokiyuki's mortal enemy is wasting no time placing skilled retainers into positions of power for mop-up operations. The franchise is laying down several heavy hints that Ashikaga Takauji is successful not because of his natural talents, but it's too early to definitely conclude what exactly is making him so successful. The archer from the end of last week is formally introduced, and there's little doubt of his pedigree as Tokiyuki's opponent. The clan earned great fame during the end of the Warring States period and beyond, and the school of archery he founded survives extant to this day. The franchise decision to depict him with extended eyeballs and with a limited, unintelligible method of communicating with his bug-eyed stare as a complement to his uncanny eyesight is a comedic exaggeration I've come to expect watching this adaptation; it doesn't make it any less unsettling. Tokiyuki has made an accurate judgment of his character and skills, but he has work to do if he is to save the reputation and fief of his benefactor as well as pick up form pointers from the realm's foremost archery exponent. For all of its historical anachronisms, the episode's depiction of mounted archery is surprisingly faithful. The dog-shooting competition is even attested to as one of the Suwa shrine's festival events, with the Ogasawara clan being one of the last exponents of the custom right up to the Meiji period. The author definitely did his research on this, there's a short summary on Wikipedia for those who are interested. As far as the story is concerned, Tokiyuki has to at least match the headshot of his opponent to be declared the winner and utterly embarrass the favourite. And he has to do it without the help of his retainers who can do nothing but cheer him on from the sidelines. Fortunately the strategy given by Suwa Yorishige has worked up to the point so victory, albeit improbable, is not completely impossible. The episode title teasers give a year in addition to the actual title, which will allow the source material viewers or those familiar with the historical personages an anchor reference to pinpoint what the big picture is while Tokiyuki continues his exile. For everyone else, it's not going to matter unless the temptation to read up arises. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2962 |
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#5
The conclusion to the dog-shooting duel was more exciting than I anticipated. Yorishige has once again proved his prophetic powers, with Tokiyuki indeed learning a new technique which wins him the duel (and teaches Sadamune a lesson). It's a duel won more or less fair and square thanks to Tokiyuki's own abilities (with considerable help from Yorishige from the sidelines). We won't know if the historical Tokiyuki really did learn the infamous Parthian shot which inspired his victory this episode, but this franchise's Tokiyuki will be doing a lot more horseback stunts before the adaptation is done by the looks of things. Moving on to the next story arc, the shinobi in the OP is finally introduced. Turns out subterfuge is another hand to play for a fief which has incurred the displeasure of the new ruling powers. There is no fitting task for a thief to fulfil, and having a retainer who is very different from the three who currently serve him is also a learning experience for the Hojo survivor on his long journey. Tokiyuki is a nice person at the core, so I'm not sure if the ruthlessness expected from him as an eventual ruler of Japan would have manifested itself at his age. He needs to win over Genba with more than the mercenary connection of pay, and it looks like he might have his opportunity now that Sadamune's own keen-eared retainer is on the hunt. Another round of Sugoroku between Tokiyuki and the board game of fate's mini-bosses is about to begin. Although Genba's master died with plenty of regrets, his pupil is likely too young to adopt the dispassion required from professional Shinobi. After all, he is easily swayed by the promises of Tokiyuki and his two retainers (and the analogy with the angel and devil on the shoulders is priceless). Yorishige is betting on Tokiyuki's intrinsic nature winning over the hard-nosed Shinobi, but it's going to take something extraordinary to accomplish this. In return Tokiyuki gains a powerful companion as the disguise specialist and expert burglar fills a role which the current party is not able to fill without resorting to force. Winning him over leaves one more retainer featured in the OP, and that too will be interesting to see how Tokiyuki wins him over. |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 24140 |
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Just got caught up with this title and it's a winner. Engaging characters + great story-telling + wonderful visuals = can't lose. I can't help but smile at complaints about tonal whiplash... to me, anime is so rife with it that it amazes me it can even elicit commentary any more. It's the product of a region that has not been conditioned to think that because grim and tragic things happen, there is no room for goofery. Thank God.
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2635 |
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In most anime tonal whiplash barely elicits a response from me. In the case of Elusive some moments/segments are so brutal that the colorful goofery that follows immediately after it without anything in between does make me do a double take. It feels a bit like: hey, did you see that child getting beheaded just now, hihi, time for the priest to shine and make weird comments again hihi.
I am getting used to it but this is the first show in a long time that tonal whiplash is a thing for me. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2962 |
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#6
Tonal dissonance is going to be a constant feature of this adaptation, since there's the "standard" action set pieces, and then there's the sequence with Ashikaga Takauji and the last scene with Genba messing around. That's a huge range to process, but it's great entertainment all the same for those who can accept what's on offer. As expected, Genba is supposed to be the prototype Shinobi who start coming into their own from this period onwards. Surprisingly, he's not adapting his skills for assassination and combat. All of his diversions and tricks are to keep pursuers distracted so that he can make a break for it with the loot he's pilfered. This makes him a good match with Tokiyuki, who is better than anyone else at running away from his foes. Good thing Genba had the presence of mind to destroy the warehouse with the target scroll inside, nothing was said about actually handing it over to the Suwa clan intact. I'm not sure if the Suwa clan was responsible for the fake petitions which eventually drove the emperor mad with frustration and forced him to maintain the status quo (with the notable exception of the Hojo's directly administered fief). The next skit with Ashikaga Takauji is nothing short of surreal. Most humans would be injured or struggle against the sheer number of personnel being committed to an attempted assassination, but Takauji finishes off his assailants effortlessly while keeping his hands clean from killing the imperial scion (which would have got him in serious trouble). Perhaps there is some truth to his retainer's words about him being something other than human, especially with that absolutely surreal scene when the imperial scion watches helplessly as Takauji waltzes through to the imperial compound. That is the foe Tokiyuki has sworn vengeance against, and it's not surprising why it seems like a lost cause from the start. The process more than makes up for it, since following Tokiyuki's exploits is never boring. Then we see Genba letting it all out when he's drunk. If not for his contribution to the Suwa clan's retaining of their lands, all of the participants would have tried to kill him long before Ayane could run for help. Definitely a valuable ally for his skillset, but his character and personality might be detrimental in the long run if they cannot keep him on a leash. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2635 |
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I do really like how pragmatic Genba can be though. Given what we have seen in the show thus far loyalty can be real cheap and those that you are allied with can turn on you on the drop of a hat. In such a setting it makes sense to be wary of all others and to trust in cold hard cash.
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