Review of The Elusive Samurai

Hey, my 250th review on MAL. Time to mark the occasion with a solid series from this season. I consistently had a very good time watching this series. Obviously, one of the major factors for that is the absolutely excellent animation, which matches or exceeds some of the best of the year so far. The first two episodes in particular are an incredible showcase of styles, and while it would have been nice to see the series continue to produce such marvels, it never dipped too far below that point… save maybe in the last couple of episodes where I can see a lot more justOK CG animation and a couple of weird visual inserts that break up the flow a tad. The color palette was incredibly vibrant and the characters in their multitude of outfits made more quite the visual spectacle, particularly Tokiyuki and Yorishige who served as stand-outs in distinct and interesting ways.

And the characters were no slouches in the writing department, either. Tokiyuki is far from a shrinking violet despite his predilection to run away. If anything, he’s kind of a fight slut who gets off on evading and surviving by the skin of his teeth. Yorishige is pretty much a joy every time he’s on screen, embodying the Jester and Sage together. His elusive group has their own unique elements, but none of them have gotten the kind of exploration that makes them quite so interesting of yet. Meanwhile, while the antagonists are mostly one-note absurd specialists who get outwitted (not a bad way to do it and it keeps things interesting fight after fight), Takauji is outright fascinating. It’s still unclear what his whole deal is, but every bit of insight just makes this man feel every bit the existential threat he is. For more information on him alone, I’d gladly watch more of this series play out.

I know some people had trouble with the tonal shifts this season took, and while I get it, I can’t say I was bothered. The stark shift in the first episode certainly came as a shock, though I think that is to the show’s credit, as is its ability to keep up a lighter tone despite those events in later episodes. There’s a sense that Tokiyuki and his group exude an aura that keeps all the terrors of the world around them at bay, almost as though they’re eluding that darkness that threatens to swallow them whole. It’s the aspect of the plot that works best for me.

As for the narrative, it’s a little more humdrum, though it leads to some interesting clashes that resolve in unexpected ways. Of course, the plot armor of its leads is guaranteed to hold for now, and even with a long span of time leading up to the major conflict with Takauji, there’s little sense that it will wane as Tokiyuki gathers warriors to his side. That makes some of this feel like it’s on rails, which holds it back a bit. It’s a fun ride, to be sure, but with the narrator’s and Yorishige’s foresight, there isn’t much reason to worry for these characters in the short run. The worldbuilding is only peeking around the edges so far, and while it’s gotten opportunities to do so that look beautiful, it lacks some depth as a result. In general, this season feels like it’s still building these characters up from very early stages, so it suggests more payoff than it actually delivers.

Overall, it’s a solid series that remains among my favorites of the season, even if it slipped down the rankings substantially over time. It’s a fun ride that looks like it’s going places, it’s just taking its time getting there. For now, it lives on the edge of greatness for me. Really hope it gets a second season, otherwise I’ll have to pick up the manga.