79 replies to this topic

[Lantern7]

Samurai 7 is an anime version of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, which was the basis for The Magnificent Seven, as well as what I've heard was a crappy video game (that includes two bosses rapping and skating.) So what better place to watch Samurai 7 than...IFC?

Yes, the Independant Film Channel will be airing this anime on Saturday nights at 10:30 p.m. (with a 1:30 a.m. rerun). The premise is simple: peasants get worked over by warlords. Peasants go off to hire samurai to take down warlords. Of course, since this is anime, the setting is in a future where skilled swordsmen can slice and dice enemy aircraft, and a big dumb robot makes things far worse during a hostage standoff. Yeah...there is a robot...or mech, or whatever the hell they call it....and it's not that bright.

I'll be watching this series every week. It has also inspired me to reserve the live-action counterparts from the library in order to compare and contrast.

Edited by Lantern7, Apr 3, 2006 @ 1:39 AM.

[fatneck]

So far, I'm not impressed. I saw the first ep and I nearly turned the station with the samurai chopping up an aircraft! WTF?! If this was DB than maybe I could take it, but...I dunno. I'll try to watch 5 episodes before I make my final decision.

[ParasiteTwin]

I had my DVR set to record this only to find out later that my cable company had just moved IFC to another channel out of my cable tier. I also only watched (a fansub of) the first episode, but stopped for a different reason: I couldn't stand the little sister's voice. It was like nails on a chalkboard. So I was just curious how she was going to sound in the dub considering it's the same English VA who did Wrath on FMA and Yukari on Azumanga Daioh.

[john mora]

The first episode did little to entice me, as well. I never quite understood the hype for this show.

[Lantern7]

While I'm thinking about it...is it me, or is the first samurai's VA the same guy who does Koenma on Yuyu Hakusho?

ParasiteTwin...that was Moofy? Damn, I gotta check the tape.

[fatneck]

Did sound like him, guess I'll look towards the credits next time. The VA for the girl was Wrath? Oh shit, I may not be able to make it to 5 ep after all!

[Lantern7]

Caught the second and third episodes, complete with the nice opening credits. It's been pretty cool so far, what with the fey villain, ungrateful samurai bastards, and IFC showing highlights of an episode after it airs. I got a copy of Anime Insider, so here's the cheatsheet to the samurai thus far:

Kambei...big daddy samurai. Got "divined" by Kirara to save her village. Saved her after she dived away from Ukyo's minions.

Kikuchiyo...big mecha samurai. I think he's supposed to represent Americans, what with the cowboy hat and brash attitude.

Katsushiro...aka Rookie. Nice kid...kinda looks like a girl, has Koenma's voice. Can hold his own, even if he's never been in a major war.

Gorobei...the Hollywood Samurai. Street performer capable of snatching arrows aimed at his head, displaying lightning quick reflexes.

[ParasiteTwin]

I might give this show another shot. (I don't have IFC, so I'm going to be watching fansubs.) The reason? My mother started watching it on IFC and apparently she loves it. She's into their Samurai Saturdays where they also show The Blind Swordsman. Samurai 7: kid tested, mother approved.

[Stuckinowhere]

Cool. My mom loved the Incredible Hulk TV show. I only realized the big mecha character was supposed to be the role Toshiro Mifune played in the Kurosawa movie until the second episode. I got who was supposed to be the wise, older leader and the young, naive one watching the pilot. When the robot was being obnoxious and a braggart, I was like "Oh yeah, he's playing the Mifune character!"

Edited by Stuckinowhere, Apr 18, 2006 @ 2:37 PM.

[Chaotic Blue]

I enjoyed the beginning of this series, but then halfway it completely lost focus. I usually finish anime-series I started but I gave up this one. Too bad, because I liked the characters. My friends and I never managed to learn the names of them though, we ended up calling Kanbei "Jesus"...

[manticoraus]

Watched the "original" (I believe even the movie is an adaptation of an older novel/play)

How can I put this...I've been avoiding this series since I saw the trailer with one of the Samurai bisecting a spaceship. Nothing even on comparable scale to that happens in the movie and for me that was bonus feature that made it a classic...that and 20-something toshiro mifune's tight body in various stages of undress, leaping, bragging and just being allaround fun to watch.

As such I'm not sure if I'll like this thing, I only caught the first ep and it seems they've sped past the first half of the movie in about thirty minutes and worse took away one of its strengths by including actual flashbacks.

Sigh

Sorry. I think I need to watch Magnificent Seven first to gain a proper appreciation of it in the long line of valid adaptations. But as is now it seems they took the PERFECT seven man team story and period piece and crammed abunch of needless mechs in it.

For instance in the movie Kanbei defeats the kidnapper purely by deception, its important to me because throughout the movie we get to poke at as well as appreciate the myth of the samurai. This was a scene that was essential to that.

Still the guys don't look painfully young, and they kept the line "find hungry samurai" if I can catch it again for free... why the hell not.

Also I feel bad for the robot. I mean he's fighting the ghost of Toshiro fucking Mifune. Oh well maybe he won't be a complete abject disappointment (even without the bonus tanned buttcheek flashing)

[AmberJamie]

They are airing this show in Canada right now, and I have to say that I find it to be ok.

[Hassenfeffer]

My friends and I never managed to learn the names of them though, we ended up calling Kanbei "Jesus"...

Hah!!! That's a good one. Flowing hair and robes and the such.

Took me about four episodes to get everybody's names straight. Now I just want to see if Kyuzo and "Jesus" will have that final battle. Mmm...Kyuzo. Just love the strong, quiet, mysterious ones in form fitting longcoats. Last ep that ran Katsushiro was drooling over my Blondie Bear.

[Lantern7]

Bumping up. For those who haven't heard, S7 is going to take the 12:30 a.m. slot on Adult Swim, starting this Saturday night.

[lathspel]

It was really pretty - it reminded me of the show about the woman who was a spear wielder (can't remember her name). Looking forward to more.

[ninjawirehead]

It was really pretty - it reminded me of the show about the woman who was a spear wielder (can't remember her name). Looking forward to more

I believe the show you are referring to is "Moribito". The lead character in that show was female spear wielder named Balsa. I like the design of Samurai 7 and I enjoyed it so far. I have watched "The Seven Samurai" film and find it amusing that the character of Kikuchiyo is a cyborg in this anime.

[lathspel]

That was exactly it, thanks!

I've never seen The Seven Samurai, but I did see The Magnificent Seven a long time ago.

[Sandman87]

[AS] cut off a little over 3 minutes from the beginning of the episode. Looks like it was a battle during the war that was mentioned. Gotta make room for those commercials I guess.

Whacking peasants with a sword the size of a skyscraper? My disbelief is not suspended. That'd be like trying to chop ants with a machete. It just don't work.

Mmmm...barbequed lizard...

I notice that a dog tried to steal some of the rice when the rice thief got caught. Bad doggie!

When Mr. Peaceful Samurai showed up, the camera centered and lingered for just a moment on a guy with dark skin, light hair, an earring, a scar on his face, and a great big smirk. I'm guessing that he'll be important in some way.

Great big cyborg samurai made me think of Barry the Chopper.

A motivator from the episode.

Edit, because "just on a moment a guy" makes no sense at all.

Edited by Sandman87, Aug 20, 2012 @ 9:30 PM.

[Sandman87]

Just about everything about the big cyborg guy cracks me up. His conversation with the kid, for instance:
"WHAT DO YOU WANT!?"
"(giggle) Hi!"
"...HI..."

Also pretty handy (pun intended) the way his body parts remain operational when they're detached.

I imagine that Peaceful Samurai dude's sword is gonna need resharpening after that elevator ride.

[Homerlicious]

I imagine that Peaceful Samurai dude's sword is gonna need resharpening after that elevator ride.

Nah, you'll be impressed with the quality of that blade especially later in the series.

Edited by Homerlicious, Aug 27, 2012 @ 1:53 PM.

[Sandman87]

Judging by his reaction after the arrow-snatching routine, it looks like Entertainer Dude is a bit of an adrenaline junky.

[vadalia]

And here I was, wondering where I'd get my battle-fueled, unsubtle homoeroticism from now that Deadman Wonderland is over. Good thing Samurai 7 delivers. "I want him", indeed.

[Sandman87]

And also "I'm in love..."

The magistrate's son just doesn't learn. I bet that pretty soon he's going to have a pack of pissed off samurai coming after him, probably just after he runs out of assassins and bodyguards.

I hope that they're eventually going to get around to protecting the village. This "one new character per episode" stuff is starting to drag a bit.

Edited by Sandman87, Sep 9, 2012 @ 9:25 PM.

[Sandman87]

After the ribbing that the others gave Kikuchiyo last week about being "only thirteen", it occurred to me that the way he acts and talks would be thoroughly appropriate if he really were still just a kid.

How much do you want to bet that the magistrate's son was the one who arranged for the envoy to be killed?

I found it funny that the big boiler shaped guard bots were carrying paper lanterns instead of just having built-in lights.

Motivators.

[Shippaisha]

The Momotaro allegory back-and-forth between Kirara and Lady Yukino got me all verklempt.

...and then came "So this guy's name is Momotaro?" Oh Kikuchiyo, you so crazy.

[lathspel]

Mrs. Kitamura's third grade class was all over the beginning of the episode and I found it very distracting, but it improved by the end.

The Momotaro line got me as well, and I don't usually laugh at his lines.

[the fresh maker]

Oh good, lathspel, I wasn't seeing things. I was thinking the art style looked a little flimsy at the beginning, but then it...didn't.

That line about not surviving on virtue alone is probably the kindest way of saying "get over yourself" I've ever heard.

[Sandman87]

Did they have a guest director for this episode, like they did for that one episode of Gurren Lagann? For a second I almost thought I was watching Shin-chan or something.

Even money says that the drunk troublemaker samurai shows up again in another episode.

"The Village of Respite" sounds a lot better than "Red Light District", don't you think?

While I was gathering screenshots I learned that the song that Shichiroji (aka Propeller Hair) and his girlfriend were dancing to is all about how cool it is to be a merchant.

It sounded like they said that there were "ski moribito" on their escape route. Cool! Guardians on skis! Because that's probably funnier than whatever he actually said.

Motivators.

[lathspel]

This show is finally beginning to explain some stuff, like the circle of life (peasants make rice, bandits steal rice to trade for power, which they use to squeeze out more rice!).

So a couple machine guns at range could hold off all the samurai? This is really a retelling of the end of the feudal era in Japan, isn't it?

[Sandman87]

Interesting that it's in The City's best interests for the bandits to keep stealing the rice, since the rice is supporting the people who make the power that's traded to The City.