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Last review for this series before the eventual DVD release. Particularly annoying, as at this stage Samurai 7 is just starting to get interesting, but still hasn't quite got into its stride...
3 - You Jest!
With a little help from Kanbei, Kirara makes her escape from her
wannabe-suitor, Ukyou - leaving him ever-so-slightly stressed at the
news that he can't always get what he wants. It's a new feeling to him,
and it leaves him wanting revenge. Meanwhile, Katsushiro's somewhat
depressed that he wasn't able to put in a good showing in Kirara's
defence, but a chance meeting with a street performer may change his
outlook on things - while efforts to recruit a decent number of
fighters continue...
4 - Go!
Maro's assassins prove no match for Kanbei & co, but the battle
leaves the group with nowhere to stay after Kikuchiyo gets a bit
carried away. Maro's beginning to see the group as a threat to his
city, and it's suggested to him that the Nobuseri could be just the
ones to get rid of them. Meanwhile, time is running short for Kirara's
group - harvest-time approaches, and with it the time of the Nobuseri's
next 'visit' to the village...
5 - It's Nothing!
Two down, with another five needed - but the attempts of Kirara &
co to recruit more samurai for their venture aren't going too well. The
list of samurai who have refused to help grows ever longer, while their
only new recruit is obsessed with rice & has never killed anyone.
Meanwhile, more of Maro's samurai are on their trail....
Five episodes down, and only 4 'samurai' on the team (poor Kikuchiyo
and Katsushiro apparently don't count, at least according to Kanbei),
so gathering the Seven looks like it may take some time. This is
proving to be one drawn-out search - it's interesting enough, with a
few nice battle-scenes to spice things up, but I couldn't help wishing
events were moving at a faster pace.
One advantage of the slow pace is that it gives the characters time
to develop - but even here, the development is focussed on the Samurai
characters at the expense of the rest of the cast - Kirara is the only
one of the searchers given any real screentime. Komachi serves only as
occasional comic relief, while their companion (whose name I still
don't know) seems to exist purely to bow to hungry Samurai &
profusely thank them. Talk about shallow characters. This is one of the
few realy complaints I have about the show, and it's something they'll
need to work on...
That said, Samurai 7 is still on of this season's most
engaging shows - for all that it lacks a lot of the visual eye-candy of
other GONZO shows (and certainly lacks on the female fanservice front -
as was pointed out in the forums,
they're not relying on the characters' looks for appeal), this still
manages to grab & keep the attention in a way that's been quite
rare in recent shows.
For now, then, recommended. Now all that's needed is for FUNimation to get their finger out & do a good DVD release. |
