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Samurai 7 6July 28, 2004Title: Leave it to me! In the high court, the imperial messenger has been mysteriously assassinated.
The merchant ruler suspects that a samurai did the deed, so a patrol is sent to round up the resident swordsmen of the city.
Fearing a delay, our heroes leave the city in a decrepit underground train.
The End * * * RATING: B Just as pointed out by Kabitzin and Ten, this series is *wicked* sharp -- whether one is looking for style, substance, or polish, Samurai 7 delivers everything in spades. With regard to style, it's no surprise that this title looks great -- after all, Gonzo Digimation has always maintained a sterling track record of gorgeous art, so it's quite expected that Samurai 7 follows the path of its predecessors. In addition, Samurai 7 shares the same gritty post-cataclysmic settings as Gonzo's latest mecha work (n.b. Bakuretsu Tenshi), so it almost goes without mention that this title is quite the looker. However, in marked contrast, the real surprise for us is that, hands down, Gonzo's latest work contains one of the best storylines of this year. Although only six episodes have aired so far, the intrinsic thematic threads are *extremely* well presented. In particular, it's quite interesting to see how the minor discussions of a village girl result in the upheaval of an entire social stratum within the merchant city. Aside from the plot, it's clear that a huge amount of care has been put into bringing the protagonists to life, and it's rather amusing to see the character dynamic within our group, complete with the klutzy Kikuchiyo and the poised Kambei. While credit must be given to Akira Kurosawa for producing the original "Seven Samurai", it must be said that Gonzo is doing an admirable job in it's own mecha-filled rendition. It will be interesting to see if the current level of suspense and drama can be maintained, but, judging from what we've seen so far, I'm sure that this series won't disappoint (^_^) * * * disagree? read 7 comments! * * * Related Reviews
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