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Samurai 7 12September 15, 2004Title: Cry! While on patrol, Katsushiro kills an enemy for the first time.
Meanwhile, the villagers start grumbling about the samurai . . .
. . . and in the forest, a troupe of evil Bandit mechas draws closer.
The End. * * * RATING: C Just as pointed out in Jeff's review, this series has all the elements of a great hit -- it's undeniable that there's a great underlying story, a huge amount of character development, and even some romance and action thrown in. But . . . when everything comes together, Samurai 7 seems to be lacking good old-fashioned soul. In retrospect, this series seems to be pulled in two directions -- on one hand, there's a strong pull to remain true to Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai", while on the other hand, there's a strong pull to cram every minute with wicked mecha battles. Without a doubt, either of these factors would have made for a stellar production. However, Gonzo tried to push these repelling concepts into the same space, and everything slipped through their fingers. Perhaps the main flaw of this ill-starred union lies in its intrinsic ridiculousness. On one side, you've got medieval peasants wielding bows and arrows, and on the other, you've got huge floating robots with 40-foot swords. The odds in this sort of battle are utterly lopsided, and it's hard to rationalize why the villagers would defy such a force. Accordingly, it's even more incomprehensible to imagine why the samurai would aid the villagers, especially granted their traitorous reception. All in all, the sheer absurdity of the situation robs the title of any 'gravitas' it tries to engender, and after every significant development, one is left wondering *why* everyone is risking their lives for . . . rice. If one can disregard this flaw, there's no doubt that this series is well-done -- the picturesque setting is quite gorgeous, and the fast-paced plot compensates for the horrendous voice acting by the villagers (ZOMG, Okara-chan). It's definitely possible that this series will blossom in the following weeks, but unless it is able to make us empathize for the protagonists, it'll be doomed to mere mediocrity. * * * disagree? read 22 comments! * * * Related Reviews
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