Imagine a world in which the feudal samurai age didn't end in the late 19th century, but in a post industrial society in which cyborgs are the main tools of obtaining power and controlling the population...
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Behold a peaceful agricultural village. In a serene surrounding, numerous humble peasants are performing their day to day task to provide the nation with the food it requires. This seems to be a gratifying line of work... Until you discover that they receive no compensation for their commitment. Extorted by the city of merchants, who remain unchallenged due to the fact the extorters send 50 ft tall mechanical warriors, referred to as No-buseris, to subdue any and all opposition. What could a mere peasant do but watch every season's hard work being taken from them?
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In the knowledge that any resistance they pose is futile, the village of Kanna from the Kanamura district decides to send a delegation, consisting of a Dowser priestess called Kirara escorted by her kid sister Komachi and a male farmer Rikichi, to the merchant town and hire a small group of samurai. The only commodity they could offer was their rice, which was quite a valueable asset in these times where poverty reigns and obtaining sufficient food poses a challenge on a daily basis. And thus, the adventure begins.
The most admirable detail that stands out in Samurai 7's first few episodes is that the story drifts on at a slow pace but never bores the viewer. Every step they take to complete their quest poses yet another obstacle, which in time accumilates into increasingly dangerous situations. This includes for instance being mugged by a thief who is after their precious rice, seeing a hostage situation escalate to a potential suicide bombing, and Kirara being targeted for 'enlistment' into a harem. Even locating samurai who have the required skills for the daunting task of defeating the No-buseris is a challenge by itself. Fortunately for this trio of farmers, they quickly gain the assistance of a young boy named Katsushirou who prevents the rice thief to get away with the rice they so desperately need for their recruitment efforts. Katsushirou aspires to become a true samurai, and although he tries his best, he still remains too inexperienced to make a real difference yet. Not long thereafter they meet Kunbei, an obviously experienced warrior who seems very reluctant to return to the battlefield. Only due to the faith-driven persistance of Kirara does this charismatic samurai agree to join their cause.
The fact that the story alone drives the viewer to keep on watching is accompanied by a good quality of animation and a decent soundtrack that occasionally resembles those of old martial arts movies. The psychological motivations behind the actions the characters make are thoroughly explained in detail. There are for the viewer reasons to believe that the samurai who are willing to aid the Kanna farmers, also have their own hidden motives to partake in this seemingly suicidal enterprise.
This series has given me the distinct feeling of a jewel tha is being carved into perfection as it continues. Every choice the characters make are consistent with their own personality, and these most definately are shaped by a very possible past... possible enough for the viewer to understand why they make certain choices the way they do. The amount of attention the artist have given this single aspect allows you to get absorbed into the story as if you were there yourself. In fact, I might even recommend you wait with watching this series until it is completely released, because the constant waiting for the next episode while you are aching to know more is enough to drive you nuts.
At the moment of writing, this series is currently being fansubbed by Lunar.
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