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Samurai 7 Vol 1
The Show:
Akira Kurasawa's Seven Samurai is arguably one of the most classic and emotional tales ever told. The story of honor and loyalty stuck with me the first time that I saw it and it remains one of my most favorite films even to this day. It's kind of funny because I'm not normally the type of guy that would go for a movie made back in the 1950's either. Kurasawa's vision of a band of samurai joining forces to save a village from a ruthless army of bandits can be summed up in a single word. Timeless.
The ideal of the film has seen a few incarnations since the original film was released. Most notable was the Magnificent Seven which came out in the 60s and was a western version of the movie. The story also found home in 1980's Battle Beyond the Stars which featured space tyrants and bands of mercenaries. Videogames have also looked to Seven Samurai for inspiration and in 2004 Seven Samurai 20XX came out for the PlayStation 2 and was a futuristic rendition with an anime coat of paint. Now, over 50 years after the original came out, an anime has come along and is without a doubt one of the most ambitious attempts at retelling the classic tale.
Samurai 7 is without a doubt one of the most impressive anime I have sat down to watch in a very long time. Looking at the series as a whole it's understandable that it goes down in history as one of the most expensive anime ever produced. There are so many facets that impress by the time the four episodes on this disc are done. I don't want to sound too gushing but I absolutely can't wait for the rest of the series to come out and be in my hands.
The first thing that impacted me the most was the visual nature of the show. Being a long time fan of sci-fi and all things feudal Japan the hybrid of the two that is the time period for Samurai 7 is a thing of beauty. Futuristic cityscapes meld together with Japanese pagodas, robotic samurai walk the streets and there is even a wealth of mecha kicking around for all you gear-heads out there. Yes, one look at the show is enough to tell you that this isn't the classic samurai setting that we all know. Instead it's more like Seven Samurai and Star Wars hooked up one night and had a baby.
The next thing that grabbed my attention was how faithfully the characters are represented in comparison to their original counterparts. Many of the personalities and roles of the samurai are nearly identical even though there are obviously a few liberties taken. Many situations that unfold and ways the samurai are introduced are also similar in the very beginning but it's more of a tribute to Kurasawa's classic instead of an imitation.
The story takes place in a world torn apart by warlords, bandits and a broken class system. Peasants struggle to provide rice for the robotic bandits that hold them down and find it difficult to even have enough food to feed themselves. In a fit of desperation the village of Kanna's elder sends a handful of townfolk to the city in search of samurai to help defeat the evil bandits. Leading the way is Kirara who is the village's priestess that usually uses her mystical powers to search for water, but in this case she's looking for hungry warriors.
They want samurai with empty bellies because the only form of payment they have is the rice that they produce. At first it seems to be a wasted effort trying to bag one brave warrior, let alone seven. Slowly through a series of events though they are brought face to face with their saviors. This volume only sees four of the seven join the ranks so there are still characters to meet and learn about.
There is a problem with a show like this and that is that with so many characters time for development is stretched rather thin. Even so we learn a lot about some of the samurai and the villagers, there's only so much that can be told in four episodes though. The first volume is packed with a lot of action and is really fast paced despite some lengthy dialogue and talky bits. Any anime watcher who enjoys the original Seven Samurai, science fiction or action will definitely want to get into this show.
The DVD:
Samurai 7 is presented with a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen treatment and looks absolutely stunning. The image quality here is about as good as it gets with animation and the show is breathtaking in both design and execution. I couldn't get enough out of the character designs, background settings and overall style of the show. The animation is extremely fluid and even though there are a few minor moments where some repeat frames are used this is one of the most beautiful shows I've watched in a very long time.
Four choices await you once you pop in the disc. There is of course the English dubbing which is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital and 2.0 stereo. The English track is acceptable with a decent cast of voice actors but I really dug the original Japanese track which also has the 5.1 and 2.0 treatments. There is a fair channel mix with the 5.1 selections which really suits the action aspect of the show greatly. Aside from the voiceovers I have to bring up the music which is remarkable and very akin to the music from the original film.
Samurai 7 volume one features a fairly decent selection of bonus material to watch. There are of course previews of other FUNimation shows and the ubiquitous textless opening and closing animations. Also included are four character profiles, a promotional video for Samurai 7 and two minutes worth of still shots from the show.
Final Thoughts:
Alright, so I know that I sound like I'm gushing about the show. The simple fact is that this is just about one of the best shows I have sat down to watch in a very long time. I totally dug the atmosphere and attitude that the first four episodes here had and the throwbacks to Kurasawa's masterpiece offer up a sense of nostalgia. The production values on this show are phenomenal which is understandable considering the budget at play here.
I absolutely can't wait until the next volume comes out and hope that my anticipation of it doesn't lead to disappointment. I can't recommend this show enough, especially to those of you that like sci-fi action and samurai. Highly Recommended
Check out more of my reviews here. Head on over to my anime blog as well for random musings and reviews of anime, manga, and stuff from Japan!
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